Stereo install and circuit breakers
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: North East PA
Stereo install and circuit breakers Hi guys, just wondering if someone could help me choose a couple things I'll need for my stereo install. This is what I have so far: HU, 2 sets of components, 1 1000w & 1 500w amp, 1 12" sub. I've got my 2 sets of RCA's (one with quad connects 
) I'm also relocating my battery to the trunk, and installing a 180amp alt. My main concern is picking out the right circuit breakers for my setup; I don't want fuses. I'm not sure on what amp circuit breakers to get. My friend is telling me I should get two of them. I just want to make sure I get the right size so they pop if and when they need to. Also, besides power/ground/speaker wire, what else will I be needing? Thanks for the help.
) I'm also relocating my battery to the trunk, and installing a 180amp alt. My main concern is picking out the right circuit breakers for my setup; I don't want fuses. I'm not sure on what amp circuit breakers to get. My friend is telling me I should get two of them. I just want to make sure I get the right size so they pop if and when they need to. Also, besides power/ground/speaker wire, what else will I be needing? Thanks for the help. That really comes down to the quality & size of wire. While you're there, go ahead & use the biggest you can readily get, 0 guage. Any major car audio brand wire company should do the trick. I've never pesonally had anything using this size or amperage directly short. But according to safety specs of all major wire companies, The chances of the wire getting anywhere near hot enough to melt before a 200 amp breaker throws is damn near impossible.
Originally Posted by VinMan2
you need either a 150 amp or one 100 amp and one 50. you match the amount to the wattage of the amplifier. ex.200 watt amp 20 amp fuse. 1 amp per 10 watts.
Trending Topics
You gentleman go ahead and believe what you wish but I have been doing car audio for 18 years, and have owned my shop for 10 now and it has been the same since I first started. 10 amps per 100 watts. A 180 amp alternator only puts out 180 amps at certain rpm's. As far as using 0 gauge wire that is overkill and expensive. I have a Chevy silverado with the back wall cut out with four 12 in Kicker solo X woofers, in ported enclosures with 8 Kicker 1250.1 sx amplifiers, that are pushing roughly 1200 watts a piece. We also have two Kicker 700.4 sx amplifiers running all the highs . This is something that you use 0 gauge wire for, or the right name 1/0. You also might want to upgrade all the factory grounds under the hood as well as upgrading the charging wire.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Five Reasons the Camaro Was the Most Pivotal Player in the Pony Car Wars 2.0
Brett Foote
10 Reasons the LS7 Is GM's Most Extreme Naturally Aspirated V8 Engine Ever
Verdad Gallardo
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Salvaged_Z
My main concern is picking out the right circuit breakers for my setup; I don't want fuses.
Originally Posted by richieg
The alt @180amps would have a good chance of tripping the breaker. Just go with 200. In worse case, it won't allow the battery to blow up. Just cause the wire to get real hot.
Are you kidding me? The alt's output has nothing to do with fuse size. Yes, the alt's output IS directly connected to the fuse, but there is no ground! Only through the amp. And unless the amp is pulling that much current, your fuse will never blow. Think about those people with only a 25Wx2 amp. Their probably running a 20 amp fuse at most. Why hasn't there fuse popped? 
And battery blowing up.....WTF!?!? 
You can only get a guesstimate at best by using your little 5 amp per 100WP rule. You need to take into account the efficiency of the amp.You need to find out the max current draw for each of your amps. Look in the owners manual or on the company's website. Add all the values together and go with that for your fuse size. Run more then one fuse? Are we talking inline fuse under the hood? Or distribution block? And yes, you will need to upgrade the wire coming from alt to batt.
Last edited by firebirdude; Jun 12, 2004 at 12:46 AM.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: North East PA
Thanks for everybody's input on this so far. As far as my choice for circuit breakers, a friend of mine recommended them to me over fuses b/c he said it'd be cheaper in the long run in case I were to blow fuses. I have use fuses for the system in the 93 and haven't had any problems with them. He thought it would make my system better and give it a cleaner look, I guess. The two amps I'm using are Precision Power Industries 1000x4 and a PPI 500x1. They are pretty decent amps and have pretty clean power. Do you guys think I'd be better off with fuses? I don't see why the fuses would blow either, myself. I just know my friend knows more than I do about it so I went with what he said. As far as my battery relocation goes, it's not for the stereo reasons Yes, I was going to use a good 4 guage wire for the battery hook up. My friend said that he wanted to heat shrink the 4 guage to the existing positive cable up front and run it straight back to the trunk. Is this going to be OK to do? Thanks again. I appreciate everybody's input for this install.
Yes, I was going to use a good 4 guage wire for the battery hook up. My friend said that he wanted to heat shrink the 4 guage to the existing positive cable up front and run it straight back to the trunk. Is this going to be OK to do? Thanks again. I appreciate everybody's input for this install. 
TECH Resident
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 863
Likes: 0
From: Showing Italians the power of LS1
Some favor circuit breakers over fuses mainly because theyre re-settable, instead of having to buy fuses if they blow. BUT, it is possible that a circuit breaker could malfunction, and not trip in case of a short, where a fuse definately will blow. The main battery fuse is not there for the protection of your equipment, it's there to protect your car from burning up.
