Wondering if anyone can help me out here. I've got a small sub (50W RMS 160 peak) that fits under the passenger seat, and am in the process of wiring it in. i see from a couple other threads that there are some spare 12V connectors in the under- dash fusebox, but i cannot for the life of me find the fuse rating for them? Even the service manual just calls them "optional connectors" and gives no further info. i might be worrying about nothing, but dont want to overload some tiny wiring. cheers.

 

160 watts is about 15 amps in a perfect world. I don't know the current ratings of the under dash connectors and don't think they're fused. Think being the operational word. At worst you can simply use them as a power source for a relay and feed power direct from the battery. There are 3 as I recall. Always hot, hot with lights, hot with ignition.

-- Chuck

 

there is no fuse on them - you're supposed to add a fuse between them and whatever you're powering with them.

I have a small 50w x 4 amp that I'm using with the new double-DIN head unit I installed in the JDM navigation hardware and am powering it from that constant +12v source since I didn't want to run something into the engine bay and the amp is basically the same as what most decks have built in. Works just fine - I have an inline fuse between the fuse box and amp.

 

You asked about the 'fuse' ratings of these wires, which made everyone answer about how these connections aren't fused.

But it seems you're actually asking about the AMP ratings of this wiring. How much current is safe.

A better understanding of how much load your underseat powered subwoofer presents would be the fuse it uses. Its output watts aren't a very accurate way to guess the power it consumes. Because an inefficient amp will need more in to put the same out, and because manufacturers often exaggerate how much they actually output.

What size fuse goes in the side of your device?

Typical fuse size is around 2x a units actual power consumption. So something with a 10A fuse typically has max power consumption of 5A.

 

Connectors C & D get their power from fuse 42 in the under-hood fuse box (40 Amps)
Connector E from fuse 23 (10 A)
As mentioned, you should definitely add your own inline fuse when you tap off these - to quote Modifry:
"From this terminal you could short an 18-gauge wire to ground and instead of blowing the fuse it would just melt the wire (in about 2 seconds)"

 

thats exactly what i was looking for, thanks

of course i have added a fuse inline, about 2" from the connector. audio wattage numbers are always a bit pie in the sky, the unit says 160W on the box but is 50W RMS and has a 10A fuse.