Rep Power: 252

I am currently in the process of wiring my subs/amp. I have all the wires run but when I try to connect the 4ga to the positive terminal it arcs and is getting hot enough to melt the terminal! I have the ground run in the trunk. I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas why it is throwing that much power into it...

For reference it's a Rockford Fosgate 4ga setup with a 60amp wafer fuse.

 
Rep Power: 811

sparks? might be a bad amp.

 
Rep Power: 252

I was thinking that too... But as a test I hooked the wire up without it being connected to the amp and it did the same thing. Without it even being hooked up to the ground(so not a complete circuit)

 
Rep Power: 811

maybe try a test light on the power and ground wires. wear goggles and gloves. if the bulb lights up, all should be good. if it blows up, bad. something is wrong but idk what.

 
Rep Power: 252

Well... I would do that but I can't even connect the positive lead back to the battery with the amp power connected. If I do just the stock wire it's fine. The minute I attach the 4ga wire with it's terminal it starts to spark and melt the battery post. I was thinking that it may be a short in the line(since I had to pull it through the firewall hole) but I checked and it's fine. Also wouldn't a short blow the fuse?

 
Rep Power: 279

where is the fues located at? before the amp or right after the battery? Just currious. sounds to me like you have a short some where in the line if its melting the post on the batter.. Idea: take amp out and hook it directly to the batter and see if it powers on.. ie 12v+ to remot and 12v in. if it arcs you probably hava a bad amp

 
Rep Power: 252

The fuse is in line from the battery to the amp. Probably around 12 inches from the battery.

I'm not sure I fully understand what you are suggesting though. Because it arc'd when I just connected the bare wire, ie not connected to the amp at all. I checked the entire length of the wire and there's no tears or anything.

 
Rep Power: 279

wiat it arced when you didnt even have it connected to the amp? yeah something wrong in that wire.

 
Rep Power: 252

Fantastic. Like I said, I checked the entire wire and there's no splits, tears or melted parts. You'd think that by spending a few more dollars and gettign a decent name brand like Rockford Fosgate I wouldn't have a problem like this.

 
Rep Power: 279

Do you have anything else hooked up? ie a capasitor? or alarm or sometihng?

 
Rep Power: 0

Have to have a short to ground if current is flowing with just the cable connected to the wire. If it is hot enough to melt the terminal, it should be blowing the fuse. It sounds like the short must be prior to the fuse.

Test for continuity between the unconnected power wire and a grounding point. I'd take a careful look at the battery size of the fuse holder - stray strands or maybe a mounting screw in contact with the conductor.