Ok I just re-installed my new sub box and wired my amp and I realized how fast it heats up back there. My question is how can I get some air to the amp? I was thinking of installing a computer fan under it to blow air right up into the case. Right now its sitting on the floor on some spacers so its really about 3/4" above the carpet. Any other thoughts?
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2003 Cavalier LS Sport "SHOCKWAVE"
I'd actually build a fan into the amp if possible (and necessary).
I say necessary because it's probably not. Unless your amp is cutting out from the heat, I wouldn't bother. These things are designed to be installed in trunks where temperatures of 120F+ are not unusual.
2002 Cavalier 2200 5spd
well it does shut off and then come back on about 10 seconds later but thats only after it's been running for a while at a fairly loud level lower than half volume. and it gets dammm hot to the touch so yeah I need to do something
We Ride Together, We Die Together...... J-Bodies For Life!
SPONSORED BY: Showstopper Tuning, JM Graphics
2003 Cavalier LS Sport "SHOCKWAVE"
You can pick up some small fans from partsexpress or radio shack. Wire them up with a relay and then to the remote wire for your amps. That way they turn on when the amps do and turn off... well you get that part.
i would probably mount the fan on top of the amp (or atleast ontop of the heat sink). when mounting it on top you have 2 options... blow the air onto the amp, which might just end up circulating hot air back on to it.
your other option is to mount it on top and mount the fan so it will draw the warm air away from it. this will help in keeping it running cool, but is less of a bandaid solution.
1997 RedR - ZedR
depending on how bad the situation is, blowing hot air over a hot fan may not accomplish to much, i'd run aquarium tubing, about 4-5 3/4" tubes taped together with a mount over the fan, run the tubes to the interior of the car down by the back seats as such, then place the fan where it can blow cool air over the amp. this will only need to be done if just adding a fan doesnt do the trick.
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but it has to be running a good 30-45 minutes at a higher volume before it will do that
We Ride Together, We Die Together...... J-Bodies For Life!
SPONSORED BY: Showstopper Tuning, JM Graphics
2003 Cavalier LS Sport "SHOCKWAVE"
Idea, like central air. I used this idea in my computer once and it worked wonders. If you can get some silicone tubing and a fairly large case fan (8 inches in diameter), you can rig up the silicone tubes to direct the air over the amps' heatsinks. That's just the gist of it, use your imagination for the rest, like how to mount the fan, etc....
i was talking about this with my boss and he suggested something a little differnt.
he said what he would do was install the fan to blow the air across the heatsink of the amp. makes sense, rather than blowing air up away from the amps heatsink, or blowing it down onto the heatsink, you are getting it away from the heatsink completely.
here is an example
F ->
A ->
N -> AMP
1997 RedR - ZedR
hmmm not a bad idea i like the central air one but I don't have the room for a large enough fan.
We Ride Together, We Die Together...... J-Bodies For Life!
SPONSORED BY: Showstopper Tuning, JM Graphics
2003 Cavalier LS Sport "SHOCKWAVE"
Hey, dude, I completely missed your post. I'm sorry, all credits go to you. But yea, you would have to seal the fan around the blades, so that the air is only blowing into the tube, not at it. This way it creates positive pressure in the tube so the air pushes out the other end of the tube. The trick would be cooling the incomming air to the fan or even past the fan and in the tubing somewhere.
Or...bypass the fan and just hook the aquarium/silica tube up to the passanger foot-well a/c vent and draw that back to the amps. Then run it along the bottom right side of the doorjam pannels (assuming you're power line for your amp isn't there already.) Just be careful if you turn the heater on, perhaps adding a valve controlled from the hvac location area, that can close the tube so your amps don't heat up from the heater.
