Hot amp ground

[DansGreyMj]

i recently noticed that the ground for my amp gets hot. Is this normal? Btw this is not on the amp side of the ground.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

i recently noticed that the ground for my amp gets hot. Is this normal? Btw this is not on the amp side of the ground.

your ground wire is too small, use a bigger gauge wire, and make sure its a clean metal to metal contact, not just grounding through the screw. heat comes from resistance.

 

[KamekLocked]

Yeah thats high resistance. I would use a smaller gauge wire though. (the higher the gauge number the smaller the wire is.)

 

[5-90]

Either you need to clean the connection to ground (bare metal to bare metal with corrosion inhibitor applied,) install a larger ground lead, or both.

The ground lead should be at least the same size as the power feed - if I have the means, I like to go one size larger (it's amazing how many problems can be traced back to shonky grounds.) Use good cable, good connectors, and replace the screw (use a plated screw, instead of black oxide coated. Stainless isn't bad, and use a washer to maximise contact as well.)

"Hot wires" come back to resistance going up - either the connection is goofy (which increases resistance and therefore heat,) or the wire gage is too small for the load (meaning that the intrinsic resistance of the conductor for that current range is too high, which increases conductor heat.)

 

[Dave41079]

And let me add, don't use an existing bolt as a ground point. That's one of the most common problems I see. People use seat bolts, random trunk bolts, etc. and they get bad grounds which can lead to equipment failures at worst, and poor performance and engine noise at best.

 

[5-90]

And let me add, don't use an existing bolt as a ground point. That's one of the most common problems I see. People use seat bolts, random trunk bolts, etc. and they get bad grounds which can lead to equipment failures at worst, and poor performance and engine noise at best.

Debatable. I use a seat anchor screw for my amplifier ground, but I cleaned up the metal, replaced the OEM oxided screw with a zinc plated one, and protect the whole lot. I don't run a whole lot of amp either - if I did, I'd pull a serious ground somewhere up out of the way.

The problem isn't the choice of ground location so much as it is that people don't think to put a little work into it before converting it from a simple structural join...

 

[Dave41079]

The problem isn't the choice of ground location so much as it is that people don't think to put a little work into it before converting it from a simple structural join...

That's basically what I was getting at. Just dumbing it down for people, and making it simple.

 

[5-90]

That's basically what I was getting at. Just dumbing it down for people, and making it simple.

Yep - that's really it. There's a difference between a "mechanical/structural" connection and an "electrical" connection, and most people don't seem to realise that.

Something else for my "someday" list - how to select and prepare a high-current chassis ground...