Do I NEED to do the Big 3? New Battery? Or can I upgrade as is...

CURRENTLY this is what I have:
2006 Cobalt SS Sedan
BRZ-1700.1D Amplifier (ran at 2ohms - "1200w" RMS)
4 awg Rockford wiring for Amplifier power/ground
16 awg Rockford wiring from Amp-Sub
1 SA-12 D4
2cuft custom ported box tuned to 34hz (built myself)
1 Rockford farad capacitor (yeah don't judge, put it in years ago on my old Infinity Kappa system, have noticed decreased headlight dimming and seemingly more dbs when I installed a while back but the dbs could just be me haha)
600CCA 330 Load test Amps ACDelco battery
130amp Stock Alternator (90% sure, have to double check)

GOALS:
Adding another SA-12D4 and running the amp at 1ohm ("1700w" rms split between the two before box rise and such)
Building a ~4cuft with probably the same tuning (Probably slot ported again)
Most likely sealing off the trunk if I can figure out how to do it without ruining my trunk

Now, my question is do I need to do the Big 3 on my vehicle and/or add/replace the battery before adding another subwoofer? In this vehicle the battery is in the rear so running wiring requires me to tear apart my car which I'm not too fond of doing. Replacing the Alternator is well out of my budget as well. I'd rather just pick up a 2nd SA-12 so each sub is getting a -maximum- of 850w RMS instead of the max 1200 RMS the single sub is recieving now (so I don't overpower it so much). I know I SHOULD upgrade the electrical to get the most out of the subs, but do I NEED to with what I am running now? Will it harm anything?

To recap:
- I cannot get a second subwoofer AND upgrade the battery/add a second.
- I also cannot afford a new alternator
- The Big 3 really pushes my budget considering supplies for it alone are $100 for the 0 AWG + terminals(ring and batt), including the parts to crimp and solder I don't own and the knowledge to correctly tear apart my car... don't wanna pay BestBuy $80 to do it either.

On one last note, should I replace the power/ground for my amp with 0 gauge wiring and the speaker wire to 12 AWG from the 4/16 that are in it now? Will it make a large difference, and if so what fuse size should I use?

I know this is alot of information, but I would rather be thorough in my initial post than you having to read me respond to 400 questions. This should keep it to under 399 questions ;).

Thanks in advance for the input!

do a big 3 and a battery upgrade atleast. Your electrical system and ears WILL thank you.

Should I add another battery or replace the one that is in it now? And what is recommended, without breaking the bank? I can't afford a new battery, big 3, AND a new box + sub though :( being in college stinks haha

do a big 3 regardless.

i also got RF 4 gauge wire and its badass!

In our cars it's a b!tch. Just tried doing it this past weekend. I have one big extra batt and ofc 0 for my dc 2.0k and I'm sitting at 13.9 as I type this. I just upgraded to batt ground in the trunk. I rarely drop below 13.8 and sometimes it shows 14.8 :0

The Big 3 is always a good idea. It's probably the most effective upgrade dollar for dollar. Plus its pretty simple to do.

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Originally Posted by rebelfromva

In our cars it's a b!tch. Just tried doing it this past weekend. I have one big extra batt and ofc 0 for my dc 2.0k and I'm sitting at 13.9 as I type this. I just upgraded to batt ground in the trunk. I rarely drop below 13.8 and sometimes it shows 14.8 :0

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So you didn't run it to the alternator? And what battery did you pick up, is it the same model as your original or did you mismatch it?

Nope did not run the batt to alt wire and my extra batt is a 100 ah batt

Edited

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Originally Posted by SplAffair

do a big 3 and a battery upgrade atleast. Your electrical system and ears WILL thank you.

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I feel like a battery upgrade/2nd battery would merely strain the Alternator. True false?

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Originally Posted by USAFMileHigh

I feel like a battery upgrade/2nd battery would merely strain the Alternator. True false?

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i mean replace the factory battery with an optima Yellow top or some type of AGM battery when you do this it will actually be easier on the alternator

It seems to me that the wire from the battery to the Alternator is already 4AWG, so perhaps just upgrade the ground? Will that help at all?

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Originally Posted by USAFMileHigh

It seems to me that the wire from the battery to the Alternator is already 4AWG, so perhaps just upgrade the ground? Will that help at all?

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You want the + and - to be the same size. Like splaffair suggested, a AGM deep cycle will transfer current faster than a regular starting type battery and benefit both the alt and the amp.

Hi USAFMileHigh,
Some very good suggestions have already been covered here. I want to pass this along about batteries in general and Optima Batteries in particular. Regardless of brand you use, you really need a dual-purpose, deep-cycling battery. Not all batteries are created equal and work the same so don't let price ruin your day down the road. Dual purpose means the battery will work as a OEM starting battery as well as a deep-cycling battery for your stereo needs. If you will look at the specs on some deep cycle brands, you will find they just don't have the proper CCA or CA like the battery that came in your car. So, as others have suggested, if you buy an Optima, our YellowTop would be the right choice They are dual purpose and as long as you don't add to your system, one battery should handle the demand. If your battery tray will allow and height is ok, I would put as big a battery as possible in. While that would be overkill for the starting purpose, it would always come in handy for extended periods of stereo play with car not running. You can find our specs on all our batteries on our optima battery website.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Bill Howell
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Optima Bill

Hi USAFMileHigh,
Some very good suggestions have already been covered here. I want to pass this along about batteries in general and Optima Batteries in particular. Regardless of brand you use, you really need a dual-purpose, deep-cycling battery. Not all batteries are created equal and work the same so don't let price ruin your day down the road. Dual purpose means the battery will work as a OEM starting battery as well as a deep-cycling battery for your stereo needs. If you will look at the specs on some deep cycle brands, you will find they just don't have the proper CCA or CA like the battery that came in your car. So, as others have suggested, if you buy an Optima, our YellowTop would be the right choice They are dual purpose and as long as you don't add to your system, one battery should handle the demand. If your battery tray will allow and height is ok, I would put as big a battery as possible in. While that would be overkill for the starting purpose, it would always come in handy for extended periods of stereo play with car not running. You can find our specs on all our batteries on our optima battery website.
I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Bill Howell
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.

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:spam:

but regardless i do prefer yellowtops for ease of return if i eve have a problem with them