Rain killed my amplifier?

[luciusad2004]

Hey guys, My subs just all of the sudden stopped working today after driving through the rain. I opened the trunk to check my connections and noticed that the area were my amplifier sits was pretty wet. I checked both of my fuses but neither were blown and i quickly pulled my amp out of my trunk w/ out looking at it much further.

Anyway, Is it possible for water to kill my amp w/ out one of my fuses blowing?

I have a single 600 watt amp I had a 60 amp fuse in the mainline which was 8 gauge wire and i had a 40 amp fuse in my amplifier. Does anyone know if those were proper fuse ratings for my setup? The 60 amp fuse came w/ my wiring kit so i Assumed it was good for 8 gauge wire. The Amplifier was given to me w/ the 40 amp fuse already in it but i didn't purchase that myself so there is no way for me to be sure if that's the same size fuse it came w/.

Last question, I promise. I pulled the fuse out of the mainline coming off the battery. Is it safe to leave the unhooked connections hanging around in the back of my car? Do i have to worry about them shorting out or should i be pretty safe as long as the fuse is removed?

Thanks guys.

[DaveW]

Water can kill any electronic device by creating short circuits.

Water conducts, albiet very poorly. If water touches two parts, it can create a bridge between two components that shouldn't be connected. If this creates a path parallel to the fuse, power can be drawn in a way that won't blow the fuse. The more paths, the less likely the fuse will blow. If there was a lot of water, it probably fried a bunch of stuff before the rain even got a chance to fry anything.

To answer your last question, wrap some electrical tape around the ends. If the live wire comes into contact with any sink (that is, a ground or negative) then it will cause mayhem with your electrics. Or, put them in plastic, like a tupperware tub...if you still have wires, and you get more water, then your car is in trouble.

Wait, did you say you removed the fuse? If that's the case then there's no power to the leads, so you can drag them through puddles and it won't matter a bit.

Hope this helped.

-Dave

[Luke122]

Agreed with above... if the main line fuse is removed, there's no worry about shorts.

As for the amp itself, I've had one completely submerged and managed to bring it back to life, although it was never quite the same after that. Put the amp in a warm, dry spot for a few days, and wait for the water to evaporate out of it.

Power it up (without connecting to the sub or the rest of the stereo (power/ground only) and see if it powers up.. if so, try adding a sub that you dont really care about.. there's a chance that it might do some damage, which is why I suggest an old sub/speaker that doesnt matter any more. If THAT works ok, then add the inputs, and start off quietly, and slowly bring up the volume to see if it's working.

I cant stress this enough though, MAKE SURE IT'S COMPLETELY DRIED OUT FIRST! I would say at least 3-4 days of heat/dry will give it the best chance of working again, though there is a large possibility that something was "zapped" (shorted) inside that will need to be repaired/replaced.

Good luck!

[Omega]

If you haven't powered it on yet... don't. I've saved electronics that were completely submerged in a lake for days (no joke... friend of mine dropped her iPod into a little duck pond thing, i came out there a few days later and got it, opened it up, dried it out, and it worked. she already got a new iPod so she let me keep the old one, and I ended up selling it for about half it's retail price. Not bad, if you ask me.).

If you have powered it on... take the case off and look for obvious shorts and wetness. If it's still wet, let it dry out. If it's dry, try powering it on and testing it with junk speakers. pretty much everything Dave said.

Hope for the best, and, well, prepare for the worst.

-Omega

[luciusad2004]

Hey, Thanks for the tips. I didn't see them earlier though and i tested it out today. Had it hooked up and it seems to work. I unplugged it though because some of the connections seem to be frayed and the spade terminals are close to falling off. Copper wires breaks to easily lol.

Im going to wait until i can get some new terminals and then hook it back up w/ some fresh connections. It seems as if its pretty dry at this point, my car was pretty wet but it wasn't sub-mergered or anything. Either way its probably gonna be disconnected at least untill i get some new spade terminals. I'll keep the tips in mind when i connect it all back up. I'm also gonna try and look around and see what i can do about getting my hatch fixed so it doesn't leak as much. I'm not sure were to get the molding though.

Can't wait to get it fixed, My car seems empty and the music seems hollow w/out the bass going lol.

Thanks guys.

[Luke122]

If there's no visible signs of leaking from the hatch, check under the car. Most trunks/hatches have rubber grommets that can fall out, leaving nice big holes into the floor to allow rain in. There's far more mist and moisture under the car when driving than you'd expect.

[Omega]

If there's no visible signs of leaking from the hatch, check under the car. Most trunks/hatches have rubber grommets that can fall out, leaving nice big holes into the floor to allow rain in. There's far more mist and moisture under the car when driving than you'd expect.

This.

Actually, my Volvo has a hole behind the right wheel for excess gas to leak out of (there's a hose from the filler nozzle down to it), but the rubber grommet that holds it there and seals it has long since disappeared, leaving a nice hole that's let dirt, water, and somehow, leaves that are larger than the hole into the car.

[Drum Thumper]

As for the amp itself, I've had one completely submerged and managed to bring it back to life, although it was never quite the same after that. Put the amp in a warm, dry spot for a few days, and wait for the water to evaporate out of it.


I have had similar luck with a NIC card that was left outside in the elements for at least two weeks (long story). Said card worked, but very intermittently.

However, I let it "cure", so to speak, next to the furnace in my apartment for a good three weeks before I even placed it in a test board (a PII that has since been recycled). Like I said, it was very temperamental. I was quite shocked that it worked at all.

[luciusad2004]

Actually, I took plugs out after the first time that my trunk filled up w/ water. After that i just sort of forgot about the problem. I never thought that the water wouldbe worse w/ the gone. Though to be honest the holes are under the wheel, wich is under a piece of plywood, wich is under the carpet. But still I never thought that could be a problem.

You think having these plugs removed might also contribute to the problem i have w/ my windows fogging up really bad? Just curius because ive been looking all over for a fix to my fogged window woes. lol

[Drum Thumper]

You think having these plugs removed might also contribute to the problem i have w/ my windows fogging up really bad? Just curius because ive been looking all over for a fix to my fogged window woes. lol

Depends on the make, model and year of the vehicle. Older vehicles, as a general rule, tend to have a bit more body cancer, which in turn could lead to more "drafty-ness" inside the vehicle. Also keep in mind that some models are built better to withstand the elements than others.

[luciusad2004]

Depends on the make, model and year of the vehicle. Older vehicles, as a general rule, tend to have a bit more body cancer, which in turn could lead to more "drafty-ness" inside the vehicle. Also keep in mind that some models are built better to withstand the elements than others.

lol Base model 91 probe. By no means a the cream of the crop. It doesn't have to many body problems but there is one specific hole that is rather large. Its sort of under the car though so i never noticed it until i removed some of the interior paneling and noticed that i could see the ground. The problem w/ the leaky trunk is because the trim around were the hatch closes is torn to hell on the side that it leaks. They are also known for leaking through the tail lights.

[Omega]

There's a lot of factors, actually. Age, Environment, Production Quality, etc. A crappy car in a dry, temperate climate could be in, after many years, still in good condition. A well built one could be in a crappy environment and still good. etc.

As for a '91 probe, well...

Anywho, you could always try window de-fogger wipes (like RainX treatment wipes). I don't know how well they work. Insulating your car (if it's not already) isn't a bad idea, either. Helps block outside noise and hold in the cold/warm, too.

[luciusad2004]

Lol yeah, My cars not the best but i couldn't afford much on my budget. I tried the rain x antifog and it didn't work that well. I looked up some reviews online and apparently alot of people have had bad experiences w/ it. I also found a water and vinegar solution that supposedly keeps your windows from fogging that i might try.

I never thought about insulating my car, Ill have to look in to that. I'm sure my girl friend would appreciate the added warmth. As it is i keep a blanket in the car for her at all times lol. (My heat works fine, shes just always cold.)

[Luke122]

Does your car have AC? In my aunt's Integra, we had to run the AC (with the temp up to HOT) in the winter to keep the windows from frosting/fogging up inside.

[luciusad2004]

Yeah, thats what i do but its largely ineffective. It sort of keeps most of the front windsheild clear and part of the front side windows but the rest fog up. I also have to run the rear defroster almost constantly.

[Luke122]

Well, I'm talking about the AC, not just the defroster. AC also has a dehumidifying effect.. add that to the heat, and you get warming/drying of the air in the car, which will help keep windows clearer.

I would definitely check for water under your spare tire.. I had one car that had several gallons (!!!!) of water amass in the spare tire well, and then freeze into a nice big block of ice. When spring came, and I started to drive it, it began to melt and slosh around.. ugh.

[luciusad2004]

Well, I'm talking about the AC, not just the defroster. AC also has a dehumidifying effect.. add that to the heat, and you get warming/drying of the air in the car, which will help keep windows clearer.

I would definitely check for water under your spare tire.. I had one car that had several gallons (!!!!) of water amass in the spare tire well, and then freeze into a nice big block of ice. When spring came, and I started to drive it, it began to melt and slosh around.. ugh.

oooh, i didn't know that. My ac doesn't work, just the heat. Do you think it would help if i flipped the toggle that lets me choose between outside air and inside air going through the system? I never even thought about that.

[nevermind1534]

If it's cold outside, the outside air might be more humid, but it could be getting some snow in there, as well.

[Twigsoffury]

I mount my amp and inline capacitor under the drivers seat. Cables are shorter and people don't look for amps in the front of the car.


I got a floated 12v line coming off the battery connected to the stereo cage.

Ha ha ha one day i just might find a burnt dead person in my car seat with his hand still connected to the stereo.

got me once i'll be damned if you'll get me twice.

use Anchor bolts w/epoxy sealent to mount your box to the car chassis. use huge washers to dispurse any force that they'll put on the bolts.

They'll prob tear it to pieces trying to steal it but you know least THEY didn't get it. But there gonna be one dead SOB if you touch that headunit and complete the circut. Hey maybe there arm could handle 250A maybe not.

I'd post a picture if it happened. Fark the perma ban lol.

[Omega]

I mount my amp and inline capacitor under the drivers seat. Cables are shorter and people don't look for amps in the front of the car.


I got a floated 12v line coming off the battery connected to the stereo cage.

Ha ha ha one day i just might find a burnt dead person in my car seat with his hand still connected to the stereo.

got me once i'll be damned if you'll get me twice.

use Anchor bolts w/epoxy sealent to mount your box to the car chassis. use huge washers to dispurse any force that they'll put on the bolts.

They'll prob tear it to pieces trying to steal it but you know least THEY didn't get it. But there gonna be one dead SOB if you touch that headunit and complete the circut. Hey maybe there arm could handle 250A maybe not.

I'd post a picture if it happened. Fark the perma ban lol.

In the US it's illegal to booby trap things with the intent to harm or kill another person, even if they're stealing your property. There was a famous court case where a guy rigged a shotgun to a house he owned but didn't live in because vandals kept breaking in. Well, one broke in, got shot in the leg, it went to court and the home owner lost the case because he wasn't in immediate danger.

Also, I don't think you fully understand how car electronics work, unless of course you engineered the circuit completely from scratch, because it should be noted that almost every metal part on a car is connected to the negative, ground terminal on the battery. So what you might have just done is create a short.