Advice on adding a battery

[Slammer 10+ year member]

I am experiencing heavy voltage draws in my 2002 GMC Sierra and I am considering adding a battery. I have a 145a alt with a smaller pulley to increase alt rpms. I have done the big 3, but with 4ga. I have a 15" Mojo powered by a Sundown SAE1200D. On heavy notes, I see pulls to 11v and below. Without a load, the cap reads around 14.2. I have a Bosch dual terminal battery and have run multiple grounds to be sure that this isn't my issue. I am concerned by the fact that the Kinetik batteries claim to be the equivelant of a 200f cap, yet my local dealer recommends that the existing cap be left in the line. Should I go with a Kinetik batt, or just put a yellow top in. I have an extended cab truck, but have the 4.25cf (net) box in the rear already and have somewhat limited room. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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[jbizzle 5,000+ posts]

Ditch the cap, add a battery in the back.

 

[csu87 10+ year member]

x2 on ditching the cap. also ditch the store telling you to keep a cap. with the kinetik you shouldnt see much dip after you do the big 3 in 1/0 gauge

 

[pokey_159 10+ year member]

x2

 

[MadAudio 10+ year member]

x3 on ditching the cap

 

[G.W.Kush]

x5

 

[westman995 10+ year member]

Add another to ditch that cap...

 

[gotparts90 10+ year member]

load test front battery and see if its still good. If you need to add a second battery try to get matching ones for long lasting life.

 

[MakeshiftAudio 10+ year member]

Ditch the cap, get a batt and do the big 3 in 1/0(or better).

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

Thanks for the feedback. I am gonna go ahead with the battery later this week. As for the batt under the hood, it is a new Bosch dual terminal rated at 1000ca and is only a few months old. I will check the drop after the install. I got all in it with a meter a while back and wasn't losing very much due to my 4ga or my fuse holder. Only a .1v difference in the voltage at the B+ on the alt and the voltage at the amp. I will also try to gets some pics up. Thanks again.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Load test front battery, ditch the cap. The Kinetik will add something a cap does not and that is current over time.

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

Is it true that the batt series should match the output of the amp. 1200 series batt for a 1200w amp? I am puzzled by the fact that an 800 series kinetik is the equivelant of a 200f cap, but I would need a 1200 series batt for my amp, when 1farad per 500w has always been the rule of thumb. And btw, DAMIT I can't seem to get my pics on here. Will have to work on that. Thanks again.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

Is it true that the batt series should match the output of the amp. 1200 series batt for a 1200w amp? I am puzzled by the fact that an 800 series kinetik is the equivelant of a 200f cap, but I would need a 1200 series batt for my amp, when 1farad per 500w has always been the rule of thumb. And btw, DAMIT I can't seem to get my pics on here. Will have to work on that. Thanks again.

Run a system off of a cap only and the cap will die in seconds if you are even that lucky. A cap is more or less a voltage filter that carries+stores a short burst of power before it needs recharged.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

forget everything anyome ever told you about caps and farads

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

Okay. So definitely gonna scrap the cap. What is the favorite, yellow top or kinetik? Seem to see more kinetiks lately, but the people who are yellow top fans are hella loyal and swear by them. Telling a yellow top fan to run a kinetik would be like telling Richard Simmons to slam a dozen doughnuts. Price is about the same, assuming I go with a 1000 or 1200 kinetik, but the kinetiks are smaller and lighter. Gonna have to build a tray for the batt, which will go in the floorboard of my back seat, right under the rear seat.