Alpine radio gets hot

[AwesomeJ10]

Our new little YJ came with a nice Alpine stereo; aftermarket molded box speakers, nice amp and nice sub. It sounds GREAT!

The back of the radio deck gets hot and I mean HOT!! Right on the heat sink.

Is it normal for one to get hot like that? Didn't find much on google.

[will e]

That's why there is a heat sink.

[Stuka]

Its very normal. I can't even begin to touch the bank of my Kenwood (22W RMS x4). Even the plastic of my dash above it (Its in my JK) gets pretty hot. I know some people place small, low RPM 12V fans on the back of them. And it helps a lot. As typically they get zero air flow. So even a small amount helps a whole lot. Fan is set to come on when the stereo is on. And if its low enough RPM, you wont hear it.

[AwesomeJ10]

I really need to get another digital infared heat thermometer... This thing is getting super hot guys. Like it's trying to melt/unravel the electrical tape on the wires.

I really think it's wired correctly though...

we are heading out for a little camping trip this weekend. I'll tell Krystal she can blast her radio but to keep the fire extinguisher handy..

[will e]

Get an external amp!

[serehill]

LOL It has an external amp. yeah I know you mean for all speakers. Not feasible. The unit is built to do this.

The heat is normal

I have an alpine & a Kenwood & wonder why the don't mess up the disk. The factory radio in my Dodge magnum does the same thing.

Harbor freight has a little infrared cheap. I've never owned one but I've heard the work.

[haminawag]

If it's getting hot enough to melt the insulation on the wires you have something wrong. Don't use the radio. Remove it and return it to Alpine for servicing, it might have cooked out all of the dielectric heat-sink grease. If so, one of two things will happen, either the finals in the radio will fry (bye-bye Alpine) -- or something WILL catch fire (bye-bye vehicle). Alpine is an old school company and will happily repair or replace the radio for you, they won't however repair or replace your car.

People often overlook proper wiring practices when installing radios, CBs, lighting, etc., and it's a REALLY bad idea because it can cause a meltdown, for example: typical basic car stereos are very often drawing around 4 to 6 Amps at the least. The power leads are adequate to the task, but if a poor connection is made, or a few strands of copper in a lead are broken, that connection will become very hot very quickly. Always check every connection. Good luck.