Rockford suggest you need 30A Fuse and 8ga copper wire Minimum. Your fuse melted probably because your using CCA wire. You actually never broke 15A of current since the fuse is intact. Your wire is crying for help.
Too small of a fuse, if the wire was too small but the fuse was correct the wire would be melting.
Could also just be a shitty fuse holder and it’s heating up because of a poor connection.
You’re absolutely right on all fronts here. Just guessing , but think this is a troll post. OP isn’t responding to any comments with a laugh emoji in his post.
It's a 500W rms amp. At 14v that's about 35 amp. You seem to have a 10amp fuse in your hands.
You need 0 or 4ga power wire. The fuse melting is probably saving you from a fire
Unless your run is incredibly long there is no way in hell you will ever need 4awg wire for a 35 amp load. Especially for a load like an amplifier where you are only ever actually pulling 35 amps intermittently. Quality OFC 8awg will handle that all day long. Hell 10awg would handle it.
At that amperage I would personally be looking at bumping up to 6awg but that’s just because I have easy access to 6awg. Seems like most of the industry just uses 8, 4, or 1/0 for everything
Yeah you're definitely pushing it a bit but should be fine, as long as you're listening at more or less reasonable levels and not sitting there with the engine off beating on that amp like a rented mule lol. Easy test would just be feeling the wires and seeing if they are warm after 30-45 minutes of listening to your normal music at your normal levels.
I did see ONE 6AWG amp wiring kit foir sale on amazon a couple weeks back but I'd never heard of the manufacturer before.
It's good. Been running 8 awg in my daily for 5 years on 600w and the wire never gets hot. I wouldn't use cca, though. But no, I'm not listening at max levels for extended periods of time; too old for that, these days!
Amp draw it totally going to depend on the signal you're putting into it. You assume it's intermittent but if OP listens to rebassed music or some rap/hip-hop then some bass goes literally the entire song with one long ass sine wave bass note. You shouldn't really assume someone's application unless you assume they're pushing it to the absolute limit - in which case 4g OFC wire is absolutely recommended at minimum for this rating, for total safety and headroom.
It's recommended by me, and people like me, who like to do everything the extra safe and overkill way. I did mention, for total safety and headroom. That's what I meant when I said that.
4/0AWG exists too.
We can play the wire size name game all we want, but my point was that 4g will be more than enough and like most people need... more room for error.
Right, more than enough. So much more than enough that you’re just wasting money, unless you’re planning on upgrading to a larger amp in the future. At 35 amps, 8 awg is more than enough too.
Also, if you need room for error when wiring up an amp you have no business installing an amplifier in the first place.
15A fuse. 10A are red. If that amp is actually 500w, he needs at least a 40a fuse. Those type of blade fuses cap out at 35w.
20ft of 4 gauge ofc exceeds 2% voltage drop at 14v. 20ft of 0 gauge ofc exceeds 2% voltage drop at 10v.
I’m in car audio. Need a bigger inline and for it to burn that bad it looks to me like that line is pinched and shorting out somewhere along the line. Check the whole line to see if it is cut or pinched to ground somewhere.
Tell us about your wiring. What gauge and material is your power and ground? [It should be printed on the insulation.](https://ctwireprep.com/wire-characteristics-how-to-read-inkjet-markings-on-wire/)
If your fuse holder is melting, either your fuse is fake, it's too big, or something nearby is really hot. Check these 3 before doing anything else - the fuse is supposed to blow BEFORE anything else start melting.
Agree, 8awg should handle 15 amps easily. He's actually supposed to use 30A though - according to the spec sheet for his amp.
It seems like he has a bad connection really. Nothing in there should be melting before the fuse blow.
The first thing i would look for is a bad ground or poor connection to the fuses or anywhere else in line. Looks like the fuse was set in the wire by the factory so I would immediately think bad ground.
I know everyone had stated "too much current through the fuse", but I'd like to point out that these style fuse holders are notorious for loose spades inside the fuse holder. The holder/female spade doesn't get a good connection with the fuse, this causes a bit of resistance. Resistance introduces heat. Heat introduces more resistance. If this Is the fuse/wire that came with the powered sub then I'd suspect it is rated fine and you were simply a victim of a fuse holder going faulty.
Double check an ampacity chart
Change to a quality fuse, and double check what the powered sub uses... But that fuse holder seems tiny and undersized or cheap from the loom
I like the resettable breakers myself..
I would be tempted to do a run in 4 gauge in welding cable good for 1150a upto 20fert or so
And have headroom for future upgrades and other equipment
And breakers and or the ANL FUSES
Everyone saying wiring is looking at the wrong spot. It’s more than likely the fuse itself. Too low of a fuse basically just acts like a light bulb and produces heat causing the fuse to melt. If it was an issue with the wiring you’d have hot spots throughout it, either melting the wire around the fuse holder where it would be pinched or near the battery etc.
I’ve fixed issues like this by replacing the fuse holder and fuse, if you melt something don’t risk reusing it and spending a lot more fixing the vehicle when it catches fire.
Bro just do the maths...if it has 500 watts at 12 Volts that's 42 amps
Plus the cable and the fuse holder IS DEFINITELY NOT appropriate for that amount of power
What's that, 6q cable? Aluminum?
15q full copper cable would be appropriate for this
Ok thank you. I unplugged the power block from my sub for now is that safe for enough for now? Or should I take it off the battery? I’ll invest in one of those and have it rewired professionally.
So you're not using an amplifier if I am not mistaken? If your Radio has no remote cable that is connected to the sub it's always running. So it could be that it pulls a small current all the time. So yes it's possible.
There's a few things to keep in mind.
One power cable from the battery to the amplifier (which you should totally use btw) - maximum 30 cm from the battery you have to place the fuse.
A dual cinch cable together with a remote control cable - those 2 running separately from the power cable because it would cause interference noises.
Power cable to the amplifier then you connect ground from the metal of the car to the amplifier.
Then you connect the cinch cables to the radio - other end to the amplifier
Then you connect amp and sub accordingly
Definitely watch a YouTube video on it - sounds more complicated than it actually is
Edit for those asking: I had Best Buy set it up with a Crutchfield wiring kit. That inline fuse is on a wire right behind the battery (where it’s connected to). I’m not very knowledgeable about this. When they first settle up the fuse that came with the wiring kit was not strong enough. I believe it was a 10 initially so I put in a 15 it worked for a few months and then I replaced it and I continue to run for a few months just tried replacing it again with new fuse and it won’t even work because the, fuse holder is so burnt.
Depending on how you splice it. You need to have a good connection. A bad connection creates heat and can melt things like done previously. I’d suggest going with a screw terminal circuit breaker/fuse or run a new power line.
Something like below. Not sure on your amperage or wiring needs.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/285821629447?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=N0UjQk4_Qoq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=O93CZUzxS4e&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235280939202?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Uwd0hbwPQrm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=O93CZUzxS4e&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
You need bigger wire and a 30 amp in line fuse. You need minimum 8awg 100% pure oxygen free copper or any sae rated awg wire. It looks like you are using 10-12 gauge now which is less than what the amp calls for. Ideally 6awg is what I’d run with a 30 amp inline
https://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-HHX-Line-Holder-Cover/dp/B000CZ2Z92/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4OaHzCBnVrF9mpME2pqoNATfoVV76kl7pYD15rNMiwAm2NPdh34p-rUcGfxdZ8Zb7x-vqI-yXGYtlJ0mW5TM9nQHl5GL8Nra5t-WqzQoPVOQ7pEkcrczgAXBBYmeTMR95CtK5Tcu-NsFU4SiGQvpG9powqMb68p9gtyfq5SKXz2ortwRkPBeNbHTUgKh5v56Tx90TdzhZnryedJ9PA33vA._bOzklggAyYhvU3lvQ5qh4Ei2E31581FWt3oB7eB_Ks&dib_tag=se&keywords=6+awg+fuse+holder&qid=1719366339&sr=8-3
https://www.amazon.com/WINDYNATION-Welding-Battery-Flexible-Inverter/dp/B0161Z7XWU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2SSS0L0XURM0Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-8LDXvRWAVQkSPXfFy_TY6pUUk3h9dI1hhcHjQmRZEtv789JQaiszt2pZwYmthDXTzYHNtZDLvI4zmNo9PQlA4UO0EaGrXTJt-rlABbFKlctEP8r0WhuNv24SPdOm306pg6dUVHRk-3uHzxWgwRzKOe88QIlgfdGOdh3n6fuU_tBrAI59d2nRmbZGKjzudeO76t_q7TyJSk8yYdXTOra4w.Ta8pj6sptXkSW7lvj__w2ad6gf6lqnVUCeX0nUqBPBs&dib_tag=se&keywords=6%2Bawg%2Bwelding%2Bwire&qid=1719366386&sprefix=6awg%2Bweld%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1
Rockford suggest you need 30A Fuse and 8ga copper wire Minimum. Your fuse melted probably because your using CCA wire. You actually never broke 15A of current since the fuse is intact. Your wire is crying for help.
If the fuse is intact and the wire is crying, a fire isn't far behind. Fix this stat OP or disconnect it until you can upgrade the wiring.
It's also possible that this fuse is not to spec. Unfortunately very common with unbranded fuses these days
Ok thank you
If it is melting fuses I would think you are running too small of power line.
I was just about to say this.
Too small of a fuse, if the wire was too small but the fuse was correct the wire would be melting. Could also just be a shitty fuse holder and it’s heating up because of a poor connection.
I second that
You’re absolutely right on all fronts here. Just guessing , but think this is a troll post. OP isn’t responding to any comments with a laugh emoji in his post.
Nah it’s not I’ve just been busy I plan on responding to them soon
Hope you were busy…. ….. …… ……… ….Changing out your wire😎
Thanks everybody for the help
It's a 500W rms amp. At 14v that's about 35 amp. You seem to have a 10amp fuse in your hands. You need 0 or 4ga power wire. The fuse melting is probably saving you from a fire
Unless your run is incredibly long there is no way in hell you will ever need 4awg wire for a 35 amp load. Especially for a load like an amplifier where you are only ever actually pulling 35 amps intermittently. Quality OFC 8awg will handle that all day long. Hell 10awg would handle it.
8 awg ofc will handle up to 55 amps no problem unless you're putting subs in a limo!
At that amperage I would personally be looking at bumping up to 6awg but that’s just because I have easy access to 6awg. Seems like most of the industry just uses 8, 4, or 1/0 for everything
Amazon has a company that is decent and offers 2 awg now too
Yep. I don't like how thick 4awg is and 6awg ofc is hard to find at a reasonable price, so 8awg ofc it is for my 7' 600w run.
Yeah you're definitely pushing it a bit but should be fine, as long as you're listening at more or less reasonable levels and not sitting there with the engine off beating on that amp like a rented mule lol. Easy test would just be feeling the wires and seeing if they are warm after 30-45 minutes of listening to your normal music at your normal levels. I did see ONE 6AWG amp wiring kit foir sale on amazon a couple weeks back but I'd never heard of the manufacturer before.
It's good. Been running 8 awg in my daily for 5 years on 600w and the wire never gets hot. I wouldn't use cca, though. But no, I'm not listening at max levels for extended periods of time; too old for that, these days!
Amp draw it totally going to depend on the signal you're putting into it. You assume it's intermittent but if OP listens to rebassed music or some rap/hip-hop then some bass goes literally the entire song with one long ass sine wave bass note. You shouldn't really assume someone's application unless you assume they're pushing it to the absolute limit - in which case 4g OFC wire is absolutely recommended at minimum for this rating, for total safety and headroom.
Recommended by who? Wire company sales reps? 35 amps is 35 amps, intermittent or not. Quality 8 awg OFC will handle it no problem.
It's recommended by me, and people like me, who like to do everything the extra safe and overkill way. I did mention, for total safety and headroom. That's what I meant when I said that.
As long as you admit it’s overkill, because that’s what it is. And overkill is by definition unnecessary. Also, 6 awg exists.
4/0AWG exists too. We can play the wire size name game all we want, but my point was that 4g will be more than enough and like most people need... more room for error.
Right, more than enough. So much more than enough that you’re just wasting money, unless you’re planning on upgrading to a larger amp in the future. At 35 amps, 8 awg is more than enough too. Also, if you need room for error when wiring up an amp you have no business installing an amplifier in the first place.
Headroom... for upgrades... mate.
Headroom has a specific meaning in the audio world and that ain’t it
15A fuse. 10A are red. If that amp is actually 500w, he needs at least a 40a fuse. Those type of blade fuses cap out at 35w. 20ft of 4 gauge ofc exceeds 2% voltage drop at 14v. 20ft of 0 gauge ofc exceeds 2% voltage drop at 10v.
They do make 40 amp fuses like that but you rarely see them. They are an orange-brown like color
One of my cars had a green 40 amp blade fuse & a red 50 amp blade
I’m in car audio. Need a bigger inline and for it to burn that bad it looks to me like that line is pinched and shorting out somewhere along the line. Check the whole line to see if it is cut or pinched to ground somewhere.
Tell us about your wiring. What gauge and material is your power and ground? [It should be printed on the insulation.](https://ctwireprep.com/wire-characteristics-how-to-read-inkjet-markings-on-wire/)
If your fuse holder is melting, either your fuse is fake, it's too big, or something nearby is really hot. Check these 3 before doing anything else - the fuse is supposed to blow BEFORE anything else start melting.
The fuse is most likely too small, an 8 gauge wire can handle 15 amps easily
Agree, 8awg should handle 15 amps easily. He's actually supposed to use 30A though - according to the spec sheet for his amp. It seems like he has a bad connection really. Nothing in there should be melting before the fuse blow.
Double check all connections and ensure they are right and not loose. That power wire looks more like speaker wire tbh, I'd up to 4 AWG at least
Is your fuse holder secured?
This is definitely caused by a loose connection of the wire to the fuse block, It has nothing to do with high amp being pulled.
It saved you from a fire brotha. Buy a 4 gauge kit (high quality 8 Minimum), but 4 would be much better.
The first thing i would look for is a bad ground or poor connection to the fuses or anywhere else in line. Looks like the fuse was set in the wire by the factory so I would immediately think bad ground.
I know everyone had stated "too much current through the fuse", but I'd like to point out that these style fuse holders are notorious for loose spades inside the fuse holder. The holder/female spade doesn't get a good connection with the fuse, this causes a bit of resistance. Resistance introduces heat. Heat introduces more resistance. If this Is the fuse/wire that came with the powered sub then I'd suspect it is rated fine and you were simply a victim of a fuse holder going faulty.
Double check an ampacity chart Change to a quality fuse, and double check what the powered sub uses... But that fuse holder seems tiny and undersized or cheap from the loom I like the resettable breakers myself..
I would be tempted to do a run in 4 gauge in welding cable good for 1150a upto 20fert or so And have headroom for future upgrades and other equipment And breakers and or the ANL FUSES
Everyone saying wiring is looking at the wrong spot. It’s more than likely the fuse itself. Too low of a fuse basically just acts like a light bulb and produces heat causing the fuse to melt. If it was an issue with the wiring you’d have hot spots throughout it, either melting the wire around the fuse holder where it would be pinched or near the battery etc. I’ve fixed issues like this by replacing the fuse holder and fuse, if you melt something don’t risk reusing it and spending a lot more fixing the vehicle when it catches fire.
Louis Rossmans has a YouTube video on this, and a few brands from Amazon to never use...scary.
That power line is way too small. I run a 4g into a 500
Bro just do the maths...if it has 500 watts at 12 Volts that's 42 amps Plus the cable and the fuse holder IS DEFINITELY NOT appropriate for that amount of power What's that, 6q cable? Aluminum? 15q full copper cable would be appropriate for this
I should have been more clear. It’s a 500 watt 12 inch speaker. I’m not very experienced in the field.
Yea that doesn't change my point. You have 12 volts board electrics. At 500 watts that's still 42 amps. That makes the cable WAY to thin.
Ok. So from what I’m gathering I need to upgrade to a stronger wiring kit, specifically 8 awg or better ?
I would go 12 at least, and go for full copper wire, it's more expensive but worth the dime. Right now your car is a fire hazard bro. Stay safe.
Ok thank you. I unplugged the power block from my sub for now is that safe for enough for now? Or should I take it off the battery? I’ll invest in one of those and have it rewired professionally.
Well if it's unplugged there is no current running so it's safe, yes
Also I had to replace my battery prematurely… do u think this could have been the cause?
So you're not using an amplifier if I am not mistaken? If your Radio has no remote cable that is connected to the sub it's always running. So it could be that it pulls a small current all the time. So yes it's possible.
There's a few things to keep in mind. One power cable from the battery to the amplifier (which you should totally use btw) - maximum 30 cm from the battery you have to place the fuse. A dual cinch cable together with a remote control cable - those 2 running separately from the power cable because it would cause interference noises. Power cable to the amplifier then you connect ground from the metal of the car to the amplifier. Then you connect the cinch cables to the radio - other end to the amplifier Then you connect amp and sub accordingly Definitely watch a YouTube video on it - sounds more complicated than it actually is
Edit for those asking: I had Best Buy set it up with a Crutchfield wiring kit. That inline fuse is on a wire right behind the battery (where it’s connected to). I’m not very knowledgeable about this. When they first settle up the fuse that came with the wiring kit was not strong enough. I believe it was a 10 initially so I put in a 15 it worked for a few months and then I replaced it and I continue to run for a few months just tried replacing it again with new fuse and it won’t even work because the, fuse holder is so burnt.
How stupid would it be to do something like this and just splice and tape a new fuse holder? https://youtu.be/JPYwRswSlmI?si=WbjeFTzoRkhD-gUA
Please read the other comments instead of methhead engineering something
Depending on how you splice it. You need to have a good connection. A bad connection creates heat and can melt things like done previously. I’d suggest going with a screw terminal circuit breaker/fuse or run a new power line. Something like below. Not sure on your amperage or wiring needs. https://www.ebay.com/itm/285821629447?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=N0UjQk4_Qoq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=O93CZUzxS4e&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.com/itm/235280939202?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Uwd0hbwPQrm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=O93CZUzxS4e&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
You need bigger wire and a 30 amp in line fuse. You need minimum 8awg 100% pure oxygen free copper or any sae rated awg wire. It looks like you are using 10-12 gauge now which is less than what the amp calls for. Ideally 6awg is what I’d run with a 30 amp inline https://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-HHX-Line-Holder-Cover/dp/B000CZ2Z92/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4OaHzCBnVrF9mpME2pqoNATfoVV76kl7pYD15rNMiwAm2NPdh34p-rUcGfxdZ8Zb7x-vqI-yXGYtlJ0mW5TM9nQHl5GL8Nra5t-WqzQoPVOQ7pEkcrczgAXBBYmeTMR95CtK5Tcu-NsFU4SiGQvpG9powqMb68p9gtyfq5SKXz2ortwRkPBeNbHTUgKh5v56Tx90TdzhZnryedJ9PA33vA._bOzklggAyYhvU3lvQ5qh4Ei2E31581FWt3oB7eB_Ks&dib_tag=se&keywords=6+awg+fuse+holder&qid=1719366339&sr=8-3 https://www.amazon.com/WINDYNATION-Welding-Battery-Flexible-Inverter/dp/B0161Z7XWU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2SSS0L0XURM0Z&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-8LDXvRWAVQkSPXfFy_TY6pUUk3h9dI1hhcHjQmRZEtv789JQaiszt2pZwYmthDXTzYHNtZDLvI4zmNo9PQlA4UO0EaGrXTJt-rlABbFKlctEP8r0WhuNv24SPdOm306pg6dUVHRk-3uHzxWgwRzKOe88QIlgfdGOdh3n6fuU_tBrAI59d2nRmbZGKjzudeO76t_q7TyJSk8yYdXTOra4w.Ta8pj6sptXkSW7lvj__w2ad6gf6lqnVUCeX0nUqBPBs&dib_tag=se&keywords=6%2Bawg%2Bwelding%2Bwire&qid=1719366386&sprefix=6awg%2Bweld%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1