sub amps keeps overheating

I have this posted in the amplifier section, but maybe more people will see it here:


I finished installing a system in my 99 mustang this weekend(the GN is staying stock! Radio atleast). I went for a drive to test it out….and was disappointed. My sub amp kept overheating really quick and going into thermal protection. It can probably only play one song with heavy bass at high volume before it shuts down. Then in a few minutes it comes back on….then will keep shutting down sooner(because of the heat already built up). My sub amp is an Orion HCCA 250R. Its pushing a 1ohm load. I thought these oldschool, high current amps were designed for this???? Or, is this normal? The amp is from 1998, US made(not like the junk they make today), mint condition, and rated for 800W RMSx1 at 1ohm. This is the first “cheater” amp that I ever owned, so I don’t really know what to expect. I’m used to 4ohm stable amps that can run all day. Before I re-wire my subs into a 4ohm load(I have two, with dual 4ohm voice coils) and install a different amp(at 4 ohm mono), I thought I’d ask your opinion.



I have a 200A alternator, 2 gauge from the battery to a cap, 2 guage ground at the cap, extra 2 gauge groung from the battery to the chassis(under the hood), 4 gauge power and ground to my sub amp(800W) and 8 gauge power and ground to my mids and highs amp(300W). I have only these two amplifiers.



I’m thinking that:



#1: High current competition amps get hot really fast, and arent really the best amps for non-competition use? Maybe I should stick to a 4 ohm load and a 4 ohm stable amp?



0r



#2: Maybe I don’t have a good ground? I grounded the capacitor/amps to the rear seat belt stud. I read somewhere not to do this, but I didn’t want to drill holes in my car. It seems like a very solid attachment point. It’s a stud welded to a plate that welded to the floor. Should I ground somewhere else??



Or



#3: I bought the car used 2 years ago and I don’t know how old the battery is. It starts the car ok, but maybe its too weak for an 1100W system?



Or:



#4: Maybe something is wrong with the amp, even though it looks new(circuit board too).? It does sound really good for that one song though.





I’d appreciate any insight/advice. It’s really frustrating to spend a lot of money and time on something and to be disappointed with its performance! Let me know if you need any more info.

 

Its mounted to the back of my sub box. So, its between the rear seats and the box. It should be getting good airflow, because that day I had the back seats down and the windows down. So, there was alot of air circulating around the car. I just might buy a fan for it and see what that does. I think I'm also going to use a diff grounding point(yes, i'm gonna drill a hole). Do you know who sells high-flow fans?

 

Driving a 1ohm mono load is the reason why i always wanted one of these amps. Back in the early to mid 90's I heard excellent reviews on the HCCA amps from the local installers. How you can load them down, how reliable, etc. They did say they ran hot....but nobody ever said they were only good for one song before going into thermal protection!!!! I have the original owner's manual, and it just says 1ohm minimun for mono/bridged operation. Why would they advertise that if it was only for competition(or for only a few minutes). I can be wrong, but I'm thinking its rated at 1 ohm for everyday use. As far as it getting enough current: I have the big 3 already done, a 200A alternator, a cap as my expensive distribution block, and 2 and 4 gauge wire. This weekend I'm going to make a diff ground point and install a fan. I'll see how that works. If I'm still not happy all of my HCCA's are going up for sale on Ebay and I'm gonna rewire the subs for 4ohms and use another amp that I have. If any of you guy's have any more ideas, please chime in. Thanks!

 

Thanks Pedro, that is the manual. My amp is the HCCA 250R(800W at 1 ohm). Maybe some people with oldschool Orion experience will see this and offer some more advice....I'm hoping!

 

Its ok at lower volumes and with songs without tons of bass. My gain is all the way up. I had it set at 3/4 at first but it didn't sound right. This is the first time I've ever had to max out the gain on an amp....maybe this could be something. I have an Alpine head unit, just bought from crutchfield for around $400(I cant remember the model number). It has 5V outputs. My amp can accept up to 5V...so thats why I'm thinking the gain has to be all the way up????? I have the sub output on my radio set at 10 out of 15. Should I max the sub output on my radio and lower my amp gain?

 

I just looked up my CD player....It's an Alpine CDA-9887. Just bought it brand new a few months ago. It says it has 4V preamp outputs. Whats the correct procedure for setting the gain? I'm used to the old radios with lower voltage preouts. I've been away from the car audio scene for a long time!

 

Thanks Electrolytic. I'm gonna turn the gain down and put a fan on it. I'll see how that works out. If it blows, I have a nice replacement for it. I guess all the raves I heard about the HCCA's back in the early 90's was hype. I always find out the hard(expensive) way!

 

Sorry Pedro, just venting some frustration. I think its the new Alpine CD player that screwed me up. I've always set gains aroun 1/2 to 3/4 in the past. With this radio I had to crank the gain all the way up to get decent bass. I have the subwoofer level at 10(out of 15) on the radio. Should I set the radio at 15 and then back the gain down to 3/4?