Electrical problems...

[andruxa]

97 v6 XLT 140'000 kms (not miles), very good shape...

This morning is a cold one here, driving to work had to stop for couple minutes to help some fellow get out of snowbank (not pulling, just pushing and digging his 2 wheel drive Ranger (94-95) out of snow)... While parked, I put emergency blinkers ON...

Got back in the truck, noticed bad smell (burned car amplifier), that has been installed there for about a year and a half. Recent changes done: new headunit (about 3 weeks ago)...

I am suspecting voltage regulator, don't know what else could cause the amp to burn... It is RF, just out of warrany now :-( , but I also need to know if anything else might go while I am driving to school after work, and then home...

Questions:

1) Could some sort of a short near the headunit cause the amp to burn? I can not think of a way for it to happen...

2) Could cold weather cause voltage regulator to burn out?

3) What else could have caused this?

 

[Garth]

Your amp should not burn from too much current. The problem must be the amp its self. If it was a voltage thing then the amp would have gone into protection mode or you would have had a blown fuse.

 

[KPT]

I doubt its the voltage regulator. If it surged enough to blow the amp it would have blown other things too.