Possible Way to Prevent Car Fires?...

Sillydipstixs18 · 10-04-2005, 04:25 AM

Okay, So I was spending my usaul monday night off relaxing, when my little brother called me and told me that the wiring between his DB Block and amp had melted and started a small fire with one of his shirts he had laying in his back seat. So, after scolding him for using 10g wire for a 1000w amp, i got on this site and some others and searched for distribution block fires and i found two on here at first glance(by the title of the thread) and numorous ones on other sites. So i started to think of a way to prevent them by alerting you and killing the power to the circuit that is reaching a very hot temp. I did some more search and found only some little thermometers that let out a sire when the temp. was reach. but who wants 3+ of those in their car?

So what about a device, that would have a probe next to major power distribution block, amps, carpc's ect. in your car, and when a certian dangerous temp. was reach, it would alert the driver/user and kill power to that device if the temp. reach a much higher level to prevent it from turning into a fire. Any Ideas?

World705 · 10-04-2005, 04:59 AM

are you sure theres a fuse on the 10gague wire by the battery? if it didn't cut the circuit try putting a smaller fuse in.. for a 1000watt amp is shouldn't be more than 60 or 80amp. tried using a different cable ?

ElKeeed · 10-04-2005, 07:41 AM

Yeah the problem here isnt that fires randomly occur, its that people use the wrong fuse for the wire they are using. If you can't trust them to do that properly then how can you expect them to wire up complicated temp monitoring reliably?

IntellaWorks · 10-04-2005, 09:10 AM

Thats what the fuse's are for (to prevent fires and electrical damage to electronical devices)

Sillydipstixs18 · 10-04-2005, 09:15 AM

i know that.....but defective fuse? ext ext

IntellaWorks · 10-04-2005, 09:29 AM

Not to give you a hard time man, but a defective fuse? I think its highly unlikely. If your using the correct gauge cables with the correct fuse there should be no chance.

On the otherside of things (trying to not kill creativity) a car firealarm system might be useful in some serious car audio/electronic situations. For example some of the cars/truck/vans you see west coast customs design (with plasma TV's, Hot Tubs and any other device that was designed to be used in a house) Fuse's here are used probably instead of fire alarms but I think that if I had that many household electronics in my vehicle id consider a fire alarm system of some sort.

markland556 · 10-04-2005, 09:59 AM

just make sure you use the right sized wires and proper fuses and then nothing like this will happen, the worst "defective fuse" iv ever seen is one that totally exploded and that was probably my stupid *** that caused it to do that.
(side note: AC voltage is not something to mess with

)

Enak · 10-04-2005, 10:11 AM

http://www.firetrace.co.uk/

a-ron · 10-04-2005, 10:31 AM

Come on Man.... Your car/truck will not burn if you used the right items.... Right size wire, right size fuse etc... As for bad fuse.... It will blow faster!! Thats all.

Many years in car audio. Car fires from audio installs are from not installing things right.

I.E. (battery) less than 18" from battery (Right size Fuse!) than right size wire "Don't be cheep!" run wire to amp than at amp (right size fuse again) than amp.

Most installs I have seen that where done by home guys (i.e. garage mechs) They don't put the fuse in by the battery!!! very important!!

maybe he should have a Fire extinguisher with him too!!

Sillydipstixs18 · 10-04-2005, 03:34 PM

It wasnt my car that it happened to thank god. I know how to wire. i just asked to see what people thought of it.

XxAndyxX · 10-05-2005, 02:18 AM

Fire's can start by using crappy fuses too! With some poor quality fuses, if they get hot enough the resistance can change causing more current that you want going through the fuse.

Enak · 10-05-2005, 10:23 AM

The fuse does not limit current except when it blows... If it is getting hot then it is not rated high enough and likely your cabling is not up to the job.

88hondapreludes · 10-11-2005, 04:40 AM

EVERYONE that says 1 fuses cant go bad or 2 that if they do they only blow faster is full of **** I had a short in my stock fog lights the other day and the fuse didnt blow in my dash fuse box yes the factory one still had the factory fuse in it. the fuse got so hot the plastic melted and dripped onto my carpet and all the insulation burnt off the wire all the way from the fuse box to my fog light. Anyone that dont believe me PM me and ill send you pictures. This is a good idea and I think its bull you guys are dogging on him like this. Wait till something like this happens to your car and your standing on the side of the road watching it go into flames and wish you had done something to stop it

Sillydipstixs18 · 10-11-2005, 05:00 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by 88hondapreludes

EVERYONE that says 1 fuses cant go bad or 2 that if they do they only blow faster is full of **** I had a short in my stock fog lights the other day and the fuse didnt blow in my dash fuse box yes the factory one still had the factory fuse in it. the fuse got so hot the plastic melted and dripped onto my carpet and all the insulation burnt off the wire all the way from the fuse box to my fog light. Anyone that dont believe me PM me and ill send you pictures. This is a good idea and I think its bull you guys are dogging on him like this. Wait till something like this happens to your car and your standing on the side of the road watching it go into flames and wish you had done something to stop it

Sorry about that man, that sucks! post the pics if you can...just to show.

mushin · 10-11-2005, 09:48 PM

If you want to be ultra-safe and guard against a bad fuse that doesn't blow properly... use two fuses in series. The chances that both will have the problem will be exceedingly low.