YOU'RE LOSING PERFORMANCE! How to Measure Voltage Drop and Test Ground
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มิ.ย. 2024
- MORE Voltage means MORE Power! How can we determine where we are losing voltage in our custom car audio system? Where is the best spot to mount a ground wire for an amplifier? Let's test our ground wire to find out and measure voltage drop!
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Hey dudes! Who already knew about this test? Who didn't?
There's no shame in learning something new! What else would you like to learn?
CarAudioFabrication so when I’m playing my music with my car on and running when I hold the rpms over 2000 it keeps the amps on when it drops below it cuts them off two 300 watt amps running of off 4gauge wire each amp powers a q power 15 please help
How do you know how much your stock vehicle alternator amperage could handle including accessories + amplifier?
samuel purvis
Is your wire OFC?? Using ofc vs CCA can definitely cure this issue.
Check for corrosion at the terminal connections. At the battery, and at ground. Could be an issue. Not having a rock solid connection can be it.
I didn't know you could read voltage on the same polarity. Learn something new everyday.
Is it best to run ground to a 2nd battery or on the frame
If u don't want to buy extension leads use speaker wire and do the same thing to measure resistance it works well
How would you use speaker wire?
@@jordanlara751 wrap one end around the positive test lead of your multimeter. (Be sure to check the resistance between the speaker wire) Then stick the other end of the wire on the positive terminal of your battery. Now use the negative lead to test your ground.
Any wire you just need to minus the resistance of the wire and leads.
Thanks for this! I bought extensions and they won’t work! I was racking my brain on how to fix this issue. This helped me a lot! Now I can test
oh man how many times am i gonna say this.. you are just a HUUUUUGE source of good information and a very good teacher.. i didn't even know small things like these matter so much.. i have so much respect for you buddy.. literally the best audio system channel out here..
Really appreciate that! It's not always easy, I was up til 2 am last night editing this, but comments like these make it worth it.
This is by far the best car audio channel on TH-cam. Thanks again Mark!
Doing my best! Thanks!
Agreed
Has to be Doug in disguise
I concur with thT statement song ! 💪🏾
I dont know about the best maybe the most professional.
Video idea; $3 rca vs $30 rca signal cable differences . Love the videos!
Always well demonstrated!!!!!
@Mark Seven quick maths
I have a problem in my sony amplifier it is giving red 🔴light and it is not onning please 🙏 put the vedeo open this
@@abdulsajid1518 you mean you have a red light on , on your amp and your car isn’t on ? Sounds like you wired the remote to a constant current fuse
@@abdulsajid1518 amp is in protection
Great video Mark. Thank you for always improving the craft and helping others (all of us) along the way!
Man I Appreciate your Clear speaking of words & Exact process of the issue at hand. Your videos are Top-Notch and have Evolved my car audio knowledge. Thanks
I learn a lot from you, simple things that i thought was not a problem, thanks bro am all the way from the caribbean (GRENADA)
This video should be required viewing for every tech touching automotive electrical components, whether handling installs, retrofits or forensics. Serious value here. Thank you!
Love this. Thank you. Thank You. You speak so clearly, Not too fast, Not too slow; just perfect. Don’t add any life stories or personal things, Straight to the point. God Bless. Definitely learning car audio here. I’m not big on car audio. Ratio(Handling/Engine/Audio) Car wise is (50/40/10)..... so less is more for me. What’s a good small amp to control 2-4 speakers and maybe a small sub. Toyota MR2 (SW20) 1991 version.
FLIPPING OUT!!! THIS IS WHAT IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR! THANKS! Subbed!
Great video Mark, I'm grateful that you do what you do, u take the time to explain it step by step
Great video. We need this level of accurate sharing in everything! Save that money.
I've done a couple basic installs over the yrs and never thought about this. Great info.
You The Man. Always GREAT Knowledge. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Bro you are really good at what you do I learn something new every time I watch your channel thanks so much. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Man this video is so simple and informative thanks mark
Well you gave me somthing todo when I get home, definitely interested on the outcome of the tests
Awesome vid Mark!
I recently needed to test for voltage drop, the ultimate problem being with my fuse block.
Accidentally installed a washer between the fuse and block, which caused a high resistance failure point.
The fuse for the subwoofer amp began to melt during some serious hip-hop bass segment, but never went full-blown.
Won't be making that mistake ever again.
I get less than .1 volt drop after getting a new fuse block.
The factory amplifier ground points under the seats were never used, and gave me a great grounding spot!
I was aware of the resistance test but never load tested a ground point before, that's a great test!
such a big help, keep on feeding our minds. again, thank you....
Haha, I performed my car audio instalation in my backyard, so I'm not a proffessional audio installer, but I do have 14,20 V at the battery and 14.15 at the amplifier... so thanks Matt for clearing things up !
hello Mark,a huge thanks for being my mentor,i m geting toghether all the parts and tools i need to instal my sound system.i have a huge space where the spare wheel goes 60 cm x90 cm
Used voltage drops for years and would make one small comment on checking your grounds. The body grounds are usually much small than the power side. This one area is easily overlooked when you see a large power cable going to the engine block followed by a tiny wire going to the body. And you have a excellent series of videos didn't start using plastic until I viewed your site.
Great video! This may be the answer to the hiss i am hearing with my new amp
Your video's are so insiteful and so easy to comprehend.
Excellent with example - Great usable information - thanks Mark.
This is the only real audio channel on here. Period.
Very well done. I like that you took the time to explain that voltage drop measurements are to be taken while the system is UNDER LOAD. I will say that the voltage drop measurement you are taking is proportional to the current of the load. Therefore the voltage drop will be higher when you turn up the volume (Vdrop = I_load x R_wire/connections). To add further information, you are testing the voltage drop due to the electrical connections and NOT the system drawing more current than the alternator is capable of providing (therefore resulting in the voltage dropping to battery voltage). You should do a separate video explaining that the alternator can only provide the current it is designed to and that adding extra batteries is not going to solve voltage drop issues. In order to maintain 14.4V+ you need to have an alternator capable of the system demands (or multiple alternators).
kyle3420 thanks for explaining in full what should have been included in this video ... Lots of ppl including myself were confused like how are u dropping .05 volts full tilt .. now I understand better thanks
Excellent info! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome simple content bro. Appreciate it
Thanks for this video man I always wondered how to test good grounds.
Great video! Learned something new again!
That explains alot of my voltage drop, I have 4v of drop under heavy load at specific frequencys and this helped me realize I had to small of a ground wire or cca and not ofc got it fixed now thank you so much
What a great video, spot on! My builds almost done this video will allow me to sleep at night now lol
Good info Mark. I like how you explained voltage drop.
Thanks for watching
Fire explanation & video thx!!!
i got all my installation equipment ready to get intalled, glad i saw this beforehand. thnx for the vid. would like to know more about installing multiple amps
Running multiple amps, i run seperate grounds and positives or a large enough one into a distribution block(1 positive and 1 negative)
Make sure your sub amps grounds are as short as possible. No longer than 18 inches..shorter is better on the negative side
thanx man i have a jeep wrangler and my ground is on the cargo bolt and ive been feeling as though i have not been getting the best performance out my system glad i stumbled across this video thanx man
Thank you. Great help man. 🖒
Thank you very much! I was waiting for video like this :)
glad you found it helpful!
Great pro tips! I never check my grounds for resistance, but I will now... You’ve shamed me into it 😂
Great video. I was always told its better to make yr own ground instead of using existing ground screws or bolts. I've had success with both. Depending on location & voltage. What do you think? Thanks
Another great video Mark
Wow testing resistance on my ground location…I should know better. Gonna do it now. Also measuring voltage drop, too.
Great information well explained.
There's one thing you failed to mention in the video that I noticed Oh by the way excellent informational video, when you're describing testing the resistance the positive lead goes to check your possible ground locations the negative leave goes where to the battery or to the battery cable it's never specified where it goes. Lot of folks wouldn't know, either way excellent work thanks for the information got a good thing going keep it up
hell yes alot of people need this!
Very true video if you do it exactly how you did it I found a tone of resistance for my amp ground the amp was getting hot and clipped now I found a better ground it definitely improved the performance and power of the amp 👍
Good info dude. Thanks!
Have you ever done parasitic loss? If not, id love to see you cover that as well.
Subbed man, your a great teacher cheers
Awesome video would you use the same principles for testing the voltage drop for the speaker and sub woofers wiring to test speaker wiring is Adequate?
I don't usually thank ppl on here, but thanks. Learned a ton in a short span of time. Hoping I don't forget it all.
Well taught.
Keep up the grind my man,just dropped by to say hi buddy 😎
Love your content, thank you for the informative videos. Would you be able to do a video on how to work around the smart alternators in the newer cars these days? Thank you.
Very informative video.... Thanks... 👍🏻🤟🏻
Great Info!!
Thanks Douglas!
i have that exact amp kit in my car and it is a damn good kit
Great content ❤
I just noticed that bro thanks keep up the good work
i am putting a 600 rms system i was goin to go with a orion 4 gauge amp kit but after watching your vid i aid the extra $4 and got the knukoncepts ampkit and am so glad i did thanks CAF!!
Nice video i dint know that mode of the tester 👍🏻
Very good video
Excellent info.
Thank you!
Is a highlighted pinned comment a good thing I just know you make great videos Mark keep up the great work man Thumbs Up
Great amplifier wiring kit. I have the 4 gauge kit in one of my vehicles.
Very nice 👍
Thank you sir
Great vid!!!!
I didn't have any voltage drop when I checked the other day but I rewired some speakers and now I have a ton of noise weird things going on I'm going to redo them and check my grounds. Thanks for the video
Great video
Man... Great Content! I subscribe👍🏿👍🏿
Your explanations are great and easy to follow..
Thanks mate !
Hey mark. Thanks for all your videos. I realize this one is a bit old. I I'm looking for a good ground on the same vehicle. I assume you drilled into the body for that location?
I also used that cargo hold down is a ground on my previous amp which died after a year in this vehicle. I don't know if it was because of a bad ground or because it was 20 plus years old 😢.
Thanks again!
Do you have a video on how to set up a power switch for an amp if we aren't using the remote turn on line. Like a stereo rocker switch style turn on.
I used jumper cable wire to power my amp, and run both power and ground from my battery.
"Next Level"
Great video. You can also test out what spot of your alternator casing is the best ground when your doing the big 3. I ran a 2/0 gauge wire from the front battery to the rear frame under the car to get better ground in my trunk space but this is great info I will check my resistance soon and go from there
What RMS system are you running bro?
@@shubhamparashar1852 only 900rms at the moment (not clamped) I haven't tested my system I've been just doing my own thing. Currently this is my smallest setup. Taking it easy
i used my seatbelt bolt in the back, sanded the heck out of it and put washers on both sides with a locking screw and it’s worked better than grounding to my battery
all videos are so helpful where can i download the 40 hz test tone
Hi great video but a 2.46 what are you connecting the black cable too? Is that the negative from the battery.
@CAF - I just installed a coustom box in my sons 2008 Infinity G-37S and the only way I could built it to get his 2 Duel 2 ohm Skar Audio DDX12’s and Skar 2,000 watt amp in the SMALL trunk was to put the subs facing up with them mounted on top of the box. My question is.., why does it hit harder when the trunk is open? 🤔 I always had my subs facing to the front or back in my younger days of systems. Lol. I feel like I’m not getting the full effect out of the subs. 🤔🤷🏼♂️ Thanks!
Ty for the video.....how much performance loss cam someone expect from a weak ground? Ie 10%...20%??
So how do you test for ground when you connected a secondary battery positive to positive and negative to negative from the primary battery which is in the front stock location?
Do you have any experience with Infinite Baffle installs? If so do you think you can make a video about one. I recently done my first one in hopes to save space and want to hear your thoughts on them.
Sir,my car amplifier has ground pin in high level input. Total 5 pins connection type. What to do with that ground pin?
Can I use a negative speaker wire to extend the negative probe?
How did you go about extending the test leads from the battery terminal to the back of the vehicle?
For car testing, is the fluke 107 multimeter all I need, or do I need like the more advanced models like fluke 117 in your video?
Good stuff
Your the best dude
Hi I was curious on how I could run a 5 channel with all my speakers being component speakers on my 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan( LOL I have more of a mechanic background than an electrical background) but I’m getting infinity kappa 60.11 cs for all four doors and they come with passive crossovers for each woofer and tweeter so how would I go about parallel wiring each front and back speakers to get 1 ohm each because my Kenwood amp is rated for 2 ohm speaker.( I’m sorry for wording this probably wrong but I have no ideal what I’m doing)
I saw when finding the grounding points one side of the lead coming from the multimeter was used to find the ground points but the other was connected to the battery negative ground. Is there another way to test, like connecting the negative to a seperate ground block then testing. The issue I have I am trying to find a long cable that twill go from the front to trunk for ground points. By the way, excellent video!!!
How would the test results be affected by leaving the battery connected during testing?
Hi, so to check the OM I need to put the black wire of the avometer to the disconnected minus cable from the battery and the red wire on the chassis?
Thanks
Did you connect the first probe to the positive or negative terminal at the battery for resistance or ground.
I was wondering how i can bypass my headunits volume controle when low tones are to be heard?
With that being said had you used the original ground point would there be much noticeable difference?
this was interesting, i just tried all these. My audio battery and car battery are in the trunk. rest voltage was 12.7 volt across anywhere i tried .. resistance from all my wiring was 0.00 including my earth points (rear folding centre seat mounts) i'm using 2/0 ofc for everything..
The engine bay fuse/relay box has 2 positives one from the alternator both show 12.67volts (i realized after my interior lights were on if that makes much difference) the only thing i couldn't test was the resistance from fuse/relay box positive to my trunk glad i found this it helped alot since i am adding a 8k rms amp soon and i am pretty positive now my electrical is looking healthy... only thing i have to do is beef up my 140amp alternator
What if your amplifier is running too much for the alternator. Would undersized wire show or is it just bc you have a high power setup?
I have a 2017 Toyota Highlander and the battery is in the trunk, right next to where the amps will go. Would it be best to direct connect the amps ground to the ground of the battery or the chassis?