j_c_a

If it helps, here's what i did. These are some pretty big fans and they move a lot of air (and they will cut you, ask me how i know ). The amp cover forms a tunnel that directs the air from the fans, over the amps and out the sides. I've not had any heat-related problems w/ this setup in the FL sun.

With the fibreglass amp cover on:


W/o external lights; led's replace trunk light:


W/ amp cover removed. The fans blow through the slots between the amps:


The back of the amp mounting board:

MacGyver

Fans aren't going to be that beneficial if you can't get cool air into the trunk, they'll just push the hot air around. Initially they'll help, but once you've warmed up the trunk, you really need a fan to bring in fresh air from the outside.

j_c_a

MacGyver, for installations where the amps are mounted so as to be completely exposed to the ambient air in the trunk i'd have to agree w/ you. However for installations where the amps are in a semi-enclosed area such as w/ my installation i have to differ.

It's not the ambient heat in the trunk i worry about, but rather the localized heat that builds up around semi-enclosed amps. Admittatly i'd never taken measurements of the ambient temp. in the trunk vs. localized temps under my amp cover, but i can't help but think that exchanging the air in those places makes some difference. Sounds like a nice little experiment for me to try when i have a chance to throw together a simple data logger of some kind.

DaPutster

Hey j_c_a, is the power tap for your fans something homemade or did you buy it somewhere?

DaPutster

Hey MacGyver, where did your site go? I haven't been able to access the site your signature points to in months now (http://users.myacc.net/~macgyver/).

MacGyver

I moved locations a few months back and have never gotten around to loading the site on the new server. I'll probably forget again by the time I get home

j_c_a

It's actually something i made. There's a thread about it here : https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=299924

I'm sure it's not 100% optimal as my electronics knowledge is very limited, but it seems to work just fine for my purposes.

DaPutster

Thanks for the info.

JL

I have three small Soundstream amps driving front components, rear components and a 6" sub inside the spare tire (from RSX-S). I felt at times the amps, esp. the one for the sub, was running too hot to touch after loud play in a hot day. I installed small computer fan at the rear vent.

If you remove the interior lining thing inside the trunk toward the back, there is plastic vent hole just above the license plate well, to the left side, looking from the back of the car. I removed the rubber cover outside of the vent and cut open the plastic mold inside the vent and put the fan there. I cut open a small hole on the interior lining thing.

The fan was a 12 volt and it fits barely the plastic mold. I ran a small relay off of the amp remote turn-on wire to swith the power to the fan.

When I have the driver-side window open slightly with the top up, by turning on the radio (thus the fan) I can feel a noticeable breeze through the window. So, I know the fan sucks fair amount of air our of the trunk.

This was the first summer after I had this mod done and I feel that the amps have been a bit cooler. I never triggered thermal shutoff of any of the amps before so I am not 100% sure if this is a permanent solution, but it cost me very little and I don't mind some air circulation in the cabin, anyway.

I will try to take some pictures when I have time.

Karl O.

I will agree with that- I had an elaborate fan setup in my old Civic and my amplifier would still overheat and shut off in the summertime. All I was doing was sucking hot trunk air in one side of my amp rack and blowing it out the other side. The amp rack was completely enclosed so I doubt that system was much more effective than just leaving the heat sink exposed.

My Phoenix Gold M-44 is mounted in the spare tire location in my S2k and it will overheat in about 45 minutes when driven hard, but it is running a 1.5 ohm load on the bridged sub channels so that is the problem. In the wintertime it will run a lot longer, when your trunk is 120 degrees to begin with and your amp cuts off at 180 or so it just doesn't take long for the poor amp to overheat.

If you could route cold air from an A/C duct into the amp enclosure, that might help. People have also done some crazy installs with liquid cooling but that is a pain in the butt, I just turn the sub output on my CD deck down on long drives and that takes care of the problem.

Also, some of the JL amps have output limiting that will begin to automatically reduce power output when the amp gets to a preset temp, this will keep the amp from thermal cycling, theoretically.