CCColtsicehockey

This might be better served on a car audio forum but figured I would start here anyways. I am helping my brother put together a system that I will then be installing in his car. I am right on the borderline of being good with 4 gauge but maybe needing 0 gauge. Would prefer to stay away from 0 gauge if I am safe though. We are installing the amps under the seats. Running a 4 x 100 to an active setup in the front doors and then a 500 x 1 for a sub in the rear. I estimate 9-12ft of power cable to get from the drivers side battery to under the drivers seat where I will split it with a fused distribution block before it goes to each amp. The Amps themselves call for 4 gauge wire in the respective manuals so I planned to keep using 4 gauge on the shorter runs to the amp. Not it would be only about 1ft to the first amp but another 4-6ft depending on cable routing to get to the passenger side for the second amp. Based on the math here it seems I should be fine with 4 gauge but not sure I want to risk it. What Gauge Wire Do I Need For My Amp? Learning Center Sonic Electronix He is on a budget though so jumping to 0 gauge gets really expensive.

What leads me to think I will be fine is only the first stretch of cable from the batery to the fused distribution block will be at the 900 watt load. Remaining two distances will be at much lesser loads that honestly could probably be done with even 8 gauge for how short they will be.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

you should be fine with 4ga to the first distribution block and if you want to save some money at the branch run 8ga to each amp... i'd only use 0ga for over 1500RMS... if you want to play it safe, just go 2ga as an alternative... just make sure that if you do the 4ga/8ga setup, at least pop for good quality wire because as you know not all wire is created equally...

my general rule of thumb is:

8ga <500
4ga 500-1000
2ga 1000-1500
0ga >1500

CCColtsicehockey

Alright sounds good. Figured I was good but was looking for some confirmation as it has been almost 8 years since I installed my full system in the TSX so my knowledge is a little cloudy in the area. Definitely always use good wire. Personally only use Stinger HPM series. So 4 gauge all the way it is just for ease of buying all the same thing.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

yes unless you can save some money buying it by the foot... then i would get a 8ga kit to do both amps, and just buy the 4ga by the foot to get you from the battery to the distr block..

CCColtsicehockey

So the 4 gauge amp kit comes with a 175 amp fuse. That to me seems really high. Both amps we are using each have two 30amp fuses in them. I was going to put an inline 60amp fuse on the distribution block to the individual amps and then 150amp fuse right off the battery. Should I have a higher fuse just before the amp than the amps themselves? I can't find the right calculation on the web anywhere for what I should be doing running two amps off one main power run as far as fuse values. I just know that it is defnitely suggested to run a fused distribution box like I am planning on doing.

Bchester6

You want to do the combined total at the battery so do a ANL 120 amp fuse. Do the 60 amp fuses for each individual amp.
Stinger HPM is always the gold standard and I have used it for many many installs but I recently went with Knuconeptz OFC and it was as good in every way with a higher strand count. In fact, their 4 gauge is the equivilent to most companies 2 gauge so I would feel quite comfortable based on your set up... and you can buy it by the foot

CCColtsicehockey

Thanks. Sounds good. Everything is on the way and should be doing the install sometime in October.