Okay.
How big an Amp can a dodge handle?

I finnaly hooked up my 200Watt amp and got my Sub connected.
I decided to hook the remote to the rear light, so while my running lights are on, so is the amp.
The ground was just long enough to reach one of the bolts over the reat wheel well.
The power wire is a rated Amp wire hooked into the fuse box under the hood.

Today, I had it cranked and was enjoying the nice deep sound when, about 30 minutes out, the lights in my instrument cluster stared flashing, and the engine temp guage started to flick up and down.
At this point, I pulled over and unhooked the Amp from the power and the remote, then continued on my way to work. However, the battery light stayed on all the way in.
At lunch, I totaly unhooked the amp from the car and started the engine.
To my releife the Batt light went out, so all seems well.

But, Im wondering what would cause this??
My Saturn and my Geo could handle the Amp no problem. Although, in those, the Amp was acting as an Amp, not a Bass Booster.

Maybe wiring into the rear running light is the issue?.

Anyone experienced the flashing lights as described above??

 

I have never heard of anyone wiring into the lights for the remote, but it doesn't sound like a good idea. Wire the remote to the head unit or to a switch, like it should be. The size of the amp shouldn't be any problem, it should easily handled a much bigger one, so I'm guessing it must be the remote wire.

 

for real, take that wire off your tail lights. you should be running 8GA wire from the battery back, with an inline fuse right by the battery. you can use a ring terminal to hook it to your battery very easily. Next, either hook up your lead wire to your head unit (power att or actual remote turn on, depending on the head unit). or you can run it off your 12V constant and put in a toggle switch. Lastly, your ground is very important... spend the extra 5 bucks on a long enough ground cable to reach a good clean ground. Post up some pictures of what you have now, it may be most helpful...

even if you didnt read my post, TAKE IT OFF THE LIGHTS!!! (im too lazy to read half the time)

 

I found two issues.

a: The amp is bad. The left channel is blown it seems and its leaking voltage to the ground, quite a bit too.
2: the voltage at the tail light seems to be 24 not 12. , which seems like a lot for a running light.

(voltmeter, best diagnostic tool you can have)

<sigh> so its new Amp and running more wire under the trim.

 

you can also hook the remote wire to the ignition wire on the back of the radio.....
never connect any wire for a stereo to anything it shouldnt be connected too.....and hook the power wire directly to the battery before you fry sumthing.....

subs and amps are the worst thing you can put into any car...unless built to hanlde it

cars can handle any amp you put in them....as long as its done right, and make sure it is a nice clean metal ground with no paint on it...

my old r/t once had 4-12's in it......1- 2400 audiobahn high current watt amp for the sub and 2-500 orion watt amps for interior speakers.....the car never had any problems handleing it.....but i also spent countless hours installing it and used 0-gauge wire for the power and ground and a 300 amp fuse......until the amps melted the fuse holder into a large plastic blob