Amp Cooling Problems

[DarkTinman 9]

Hey guys, just to give you a low down on what i have. I have the 2 18 inch SSA prototypes 4,000 RMS being pushed with 1 (for now, soon to have two) AQX3500.1 in a 1997 honda accord SE, and a DC 270 XP alternator.

Now, i live in Arizona which i know a lot of other people do who are on SSA forum. My amp is located in the trunk along with the battery. My box sits in the backseat. I am having HUGE cooling problems with the amp because no AC can get to the trunk and the trunk is forced to deal with full exposure unlike most SUV's. The fan helps but i still can't quite seem to get it out of protect and if it does, it takes 5 minutes with the trunk open and the fan running. Not to mention when i start driving again and "pounding" the amp just runs back into protect because it's being overheated.

What are some ideas? I talked to some people and they suggested building a custom box for the amps, one to pull in air and one to pull it out. I feel like i still would have problems seeing as the fan isn't doing anything as it sits now.

What do you think?

[shizzzon 461]

here's a tip-

The whole country is in the process of recovering from a heat wave...

I would wait and see how your setup does at the end of the week.

Every summer, i have to open my car up for a couple minutes and let the car cool down before i start it so my amps aren't in protect. That's typical 140F in the car trapped.

so.. if it's still going in protect this weekend AFTER letting your car vent out from being in the sun, take a pic of where the amp(s) are so we can get a visual on some recommendations...

[jcarter1885 995]

Just having one fan is not gonna help, your gonna need 2 fans so you can have one pushing air as the other pulls air.

[Shogen 325]

here's a tip-

The whole country is in the process of recovering from a heat wave...

I would wait and see how your setup does at the end of the week.

Every summer, i have to open my car up for a couple minutes and let the car cool down before i start it so my amps aren't in protect. That's typical 140F in the car trapped.

so.. if it's still going in protect this weekend AFTER letting your car vent out from being in the sun, take a pic of where the amp(s) are so we can get a visual on some recommendations...

^this... +1

[jcarter1885 995]

I doubt the heat wave is that big of a deal (I know its a contributing factor), its usually hot like this for the southern part of the region this time of year. Regardless of heat wave he would still be having this problem.

[bakedboy08@yahoo.com 6]

yep if I were you id just turn the gains down a little bit and add another fan for now until it cools down a bit outside, also shizzon is right i also open my trunk sometimes in the morning to let some of that trapped heat out and i leave 1 backseat down most of the time.

[Sencheezy 689]

I would definately look into buy a few extra 1" fans. With it being in the trunk, there is no way to vent properly, obviously. Building another box for the amp seems like an assle, especaily once you get the other one in there.... I know a ghetto way you could do it lol, just go buy a small fan from walmart, and put it in your trunk, grab an extension cord, and a 12volt converter so that you can plug it into your lighter plug. Bam, problem fixed until you can find a more "proper" means of fixing your issue.

[ssh 924]

I wonder if you switched amps if you'd still have a problem.

I know my sundown doesn't have any issues. Or some Rockford BDs?

[YoungGunzBass01 0]

I had that same issue when my trunk was sealed off. Theres ZERO airflow back there. Once its hot in there. It just gets hotter. Hence the major problem with walling a trunk car.

[Frostedflakejake 148]

Just having one fan is not gonna help, your gonna need 2 fans so you can have one pushing air as the other pulls air.

I would give this a try personally. Forms a ducting effect. Pictures would greatly help so we could all understand how much, or little, room you're referring to.

[jcarter1885 995]

I wonder if you switched amps if you'd still have a problem.

I know my sundown doesn't have any issues. Or some Rockford BDs?

In your case your amp is not in a closed off area like a trunk car so your amp gets air flow

[Luke.H 33]

I don't see a different amp making much of a difference. Unless sundown amps are able to operate at higher temperatures.

[ssh 924]

I wonder if you switched amps if you'd still have a problem.

I know my sundown doesn't have any issues. Or some Rockford BDs?

In your case your amp is not in a closed off area like a trunk car so your amp gets air flow

No it's not in a trunk, It's mounted directly behind my rear window getting baked from 100+ degree weather from outside. And I've seen sundown amps in extreme situations with no problems.

But it's hard to tell how much "air flow" there really is when the OP hasn't shown any pictures. It sounds like he has a good power supply too, so that shouldn't be an issue. My previous sundowns on a dc alt were barely warm to the touch, my current amp on stock alt with somewhat bad voltage drop likes to get toasty.

[jcarter1885 995]

Your amp still sees some type of air flow. More fans will be the answer first before anything drastic can be done. I agree with you on amps, I had problems with cheaper amps and overheating. But I wouldnt suggest to go buy a brand new amp without trying all options first with his current amplifier.

What all have you done to the trunk interior wise to help aid in cooling, I dont know how good some of these thermal barriers are but that could be an option as well. I would also try bigger fans such as these instead of those 1" computer fans:

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/cat_m318_i439_stinger-cooling-fans.html

[Luke.H 33]

I think it will come down to how hot it really is getting in that trunk. Like Stefan said, a quality amp can handle a fair ammount of heat. My SAX is mounted behind my seat in my trunk and has never been hot to the touch. If the OP's trunk is getting unreasonably hot the amp is not at fault, but if it is within reasonable (albeit warm) temperatures an amp that handles heat better could potentialy be necessary.

As jay-cee has stated, you're better off trying to improve cooling before looking into a different amp.

[Ohjay 116]

Have you tried the amp in a cooler environment? If your subs are in the cabin of the car, why not try the amp in the cabin and see if the heat buildup in the trunk is truly the culprit?

[An-i-no 86]

Have you tried the amp in a cooler environment? If your subs are in the cabin of the car, why not try the amp in the cabin and see if the heat buildup in the trunk is truly the culprit?

I think he's walled.

[Bob345 39]

You could try liquid cooling using computer water cooling heatsinks sence they typically run off of 12 volts something like this

http://www.google.com/m/products/detail?safe=off&gl=us&source=mog&client=safari&q=computer+liquid+cooling+system&hl=en&cid=462940936732454151