Dimming headlights in my RAM

[Jayhull82]

Hey everybody,
So I'm hoping to get some insight on an issue I'm having. My headlights are dimming with the bass. And so are some of the lights on various buttons inside the cabin. The background light for the button so you can see what it is in the dark!
I have a 2009 Dodge RAM 1500 crew cab with stock electrical. I ran 1/0 gauge power to the space where the back seat was behind the driver's seat. I used 1/0 for the ground which I grounded to 2 separate holes that were for securing the removed seat. They were 7/16" bolts. I used a flap disc on angle grinder to get down to bare metal on both spots and used 3 /8" copper lugs.
What I have are 2 Rockville punisher 10D2's in a sealed box with 1.1 cubic feet per side. I have 2 Rockville RVA-M3 V2 amps, 1 for each sub with RCA's individually going into each amp because my head unit has 2 subwoofer outputs. Can't think of the exact model but it's a PLZ 10" single din receiver I got off Amazon. I also have 2 Pyle 5 farad caps, 1 for each amp.
I have everything wired up with 1/0 wiring with 1/0 distribution blocks and copper lugs where necessary. I feel that I have a fairly decent setup and that it's wired real well.
Problem is I can't even get to half volume without the aforementioned dimming.
What would be my next best step? Big 3, bigger alternator, additional alternator, extra battery?
Any and all help will be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jay

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[CarAudio.com - Hal AI Bots]

Hey everybody,
So I'm hoping to get some insight on an issue I'm having. My headlights are dimming with the bass. And so are some of the lights on various buttons inside the cabin. The background light for the button so you can see what it is in the dark!
I have a 2009 Dodge RAM 1500 crew cab with stock electrical. I ran 1/0 gauge power to the space where the back seat was behind the driver's seat. I used 1/0 for the ground which I grounded to 2 separate holes that were for securing the removed seat. They were 7/16" bolts. I used a flap disc on angle grinder to get down to bare metal on both spots and used 3 /8" copper lugs.
What I have are 2 Rockville punisher 10D2's in a sealed box with 1.1 cubic feet per side. I have 2 Rockville RVA-M3 V2 amps, 1 for each sub with RCA's individually going into each amp because my head unit has 2 subwoofer outputs. Can't think of the exact model but it's a PLZ 10" single din receiver I got off Amazon. I also have 2 Pyle 5 farad caps, 1 for each amp.
I have everything wired up with 1/0 wiring with 1/0 distribution blocks and copper lugs where necessary. I feel that I have a fairly decent setup and that it's wired real well.
Problem is I can't even get to half volume without the aforementioned dimming.
What would be my next best step? Big 3, bigger alternator, additional alternator, extra battery?
Any and all help will be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jay

Hey Jay,

It sounds like you're experiencing a common issue known as voltage drop, especially when your bass hits hard. This is typically due to your factory electrical system not being able to keep up with the demands of your aftermarket audio setup. Let's break down your options to address the dimming lights:

1. **Big 3 Upgrade**: This is often the first step recommended for anyone experiencing electrical issues after installing a powerful audio system. The Big 3 upgrade involves upgrading the three main power and ground connections in your vehicle:
- **Battery to chassis ground**: Replace the stock cable with a thicker gauge wire (1/0 gauge is ideal).
- **Battery to alternator**: Upgrade the wire connecting your battery to the alternator.
- **Chassis to engine ground**: Ensure that the ground wire connecting your engine to the chassis is also upgraded.

These upgrades help reduce resistance and improve the overall electrical flow.

2. **Upgraded Alternator**: If you find that after performing the Big 3 upgrade the dimming still persists, you might want to consider upgrading your alternator. A higher-output alternator can provide more power to keep your voltage levels stable, especially during heavy bass hits.

3. **Additional Battery**: Adding an extra battery, often referred to as a “stereo battery,” can also help. This battery acts as a reservoir to supply additional power when your system demands it. Make sure to use a deep cycle battery for this purpose, and consider wiring it in parallel with your starting battery.

4. **Capacitors**: While you already have two 5 farad capacitors, they can help with short bursts of power, but they are not a long-term solution. If you’re still experiencing issues, it might indicate that your overall electrical system needs a more robust upgrade.

5. **Check Wiring and Connections**: Make sure all your connections are solid and free from corrosion. Sometimes, poor connections can lead to significant voltage drops.

Since you've done a lot of the heavy lifting with your installation, starting with the Big 3 upgrade is often the most cost-effective and beneficial first step. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then look into the alternator and battery upgrades.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions or if any members can chime in with additional suggestions.

 

[slater]

you mentioned 2 monoblocks for the subs, any Amps for the sound stage, or did I miss it?
verify all your power & grounds are clean, grounds on bare metal, sound like your solid there....
big 3 couldnt hurt, I would do that for sure...
I have a 1500 w bass amp & 1200 sound stage amp on my kids 2010 ranger, big 3, stock battery & alt, no dimming.
they have sad alternators.....
also look into an agm battery, when the time comes & you need one,
verify your alternator has good voltage output by putting a doom on your battery & put some rpms into the engine.
you want to see 14'ish...

 

[Jayhull82]

you mentioned 2 monoblocks for the subs, any Amps for the sound stage, or did I miss it?
verify all your power & grounds are clean, grounds on bare metal, sound like your solid there....
big 3 couldnt hurt, I would do that for sure...
I have a 1500 w bass amp & 1200 sound stage amp on my kids 2010 ranger, big 3, stock battery & alt, no dimming.
they have sad alternators.....
also look into an agm battery, when the time comes & you need one,
verify your alternator has good voltage output by putting a doom on your battery & put some rpms into the engine.
you want to see 14'ish...

I don't have an amp for surround yet. This was a partial gift/partial compliment what I was given system. That is going to be one of my next steps along with making a custom box.

I plan on doing the Big 3 this weekend. If that doesn't help I'm going to upgrade the Alt. Hopefully that does the trick then.

 

[Jayhull82]

Hey Jay,

It sounds like you're experiencing a common issue known as voltage drop, especially when your bass hits hard. This is typically due to your factory electrical system not being able to keep up with the demands of your aftermarket audio setup. Let's break down your options to address the dimming lights:

1. **Big 3 Upgrade**: This is often the first step recommended for anyone experiencing electrical issues after installing a powerful audio system. The Big 3 upgrade involves upgrading the three main power and ground connections in your vehicle:
- **Battery to chassis ground**: Replace the stock cable with a thicker gauge wire (1/0 gauge is ideal).
- **Battery to alternator**: Upgrade the wire connecting your battery to the alternator.
- **Chassis to engine ground**: Ensure that the ground wire connecting your engine to the chassis is also upgraded.

These upgrades help reduce resistance and improve the overall electrical flow.

2. **Upgraded Alternator**: If you find that after performing the Big 3 upgrade the dimming still persists, you might want to consider upgrading your alternator. A higher-output alternator can provide more power to keep your voltage levels stable, especially during heavy bass hits.

3. **Additional Battery**: Adding an extra battery, often referred to as a “stereo battery,” can also help. This battery acts as a reservoir to supply additional power when your system demands it. Make sure to use a deep cycle battery for this purpose, and consider wiring it in parallel with your starting battery.

4. **Capacitors**: While you already have two 5 farad capacitors, they can help with short bursts of power, but they are not a long-term solution. If you’re still experiencing issues, it might indicate that your overall electrical system needs a more robust upgrade.

5. **Check Wiring and Connections**: Make sure all your connections are solid and free from corrosion. Sometimes, poor connections can lead to significant voltage drops.

Since you've done a lot of the heavy lifting with your installation, starting with the Big 3 upgrade is often the most cost-effective and beneficial first step. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then look into the alternator and battery upgrades.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions or if any members can chime in with additional suggestions.

Thanks for the very clear info and tips. It's good to know I was at least thinking the right thoughts.

I'm going to go the Big 3 this coming weekend. Then Alt if that doesn't help then replace &/ add another if it comes to that

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I don't have an amp for surround yet. This was a partial gift/partial compliment what I was given system. That is going to be one of my next steps along with making a custom box.

I plan on doing the Big 3 this weekend. If that doesn't help I'm going to upgrade the Alt. Hopefully that does the trick then.

Bad boxes can mess with your electrical because of stress it puts on the amp. Yours are sealed just make sure you get a good designed box if you go ported or something.

The alt is the only thing that produces power. It's simple amperage available. You can calculate all potential amperage usage, the car system uses probably a lot of it, there will be amperage ratings for that, then whatever is left over is how much you have for audio.

Usually an easy rough figure is 1 amp draw per 10 watts of power for amplifiers. So if you have 1000w of sub amps, that should be around 100 amps of total internal amp fusing, which would add a maximum of 100 amp load on your alt, if you're full tilt. So like say you have 150 amp alt and 100 amps is used by the vehicle systems, then you'd be 50 amps overdrawn on the 150 amp alt (100 amp vehicle draw and 100 amps of sub amp draw). That's where the voltage drop occurs, which is what causes dimming.

Amplifiers don't draw all amperage continuously with music, but that's a way to start thinking about it. Door speaker amplifiers will typically draw on average a lot less than they can pull because of how music is intermittent sounds instead of continuous tones. Subs are more continuous tones, low frequency reproduction requires high amperage.

There's lot of reasons voltage can drop but if it's only when your sub hits, then you more than likely just don't have enough amperage.

 

[RobGMN Premium Member]

Try ditching the capacitors, and see if you get the same issue.
At $50, it's likely that they are taking away, rather than adding to your system.

That 1/0 - Is it all copper or CCA (and ignore the OFC hype. It's exactly that)?

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

You have 1/0 running from the battery to the back to power everything and you have the same size grounds. That's good but you should have done the BIG 3 first. I am willing to bet that if you run a 1/0 cable from the power out of the alternator to the battery positive and at least one 1/0 cable from the battery negative to the chassis... you will have less dimming. I am going to guess the factory alternator power wire to the battery is like 4awg at best. Your factory grounds may be smaller as there are more of them.

Also, the CCA vs OFC is NOT a myth. They will carry the same current over the same distance to a point, however, the CCA will get hotter, quicker reducing its carrying capacity and increasing risk of fire. I ran 1/0 CCA on aprx. 1,500w and was fine... for the most part. Had dimming lights. I have not experienced dimming lights with OFC.

Ditch the Pyle Caps.

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

This is a long video but educational. Compared are CCA and OFC.

 

[Old_Slapper]

Try ditching the capacitors, and see if you get the same issue.
At $50, it's likely that they are taking away, rather than adding to your system.

That 1/0 - Is it all copper or CCA (and ignore the OFC hype. It's exactly that)?

Rob,
You just made me spit out my Dr Pepper. Are you saying CCA is just as good as OFC?

For those who read that, OFC is significantly better than CCA. Copper is a lot better conductor than aluminum. CCA is Copper Clad Aluminum. It is aluminum strands with a copper coating. OFC is Oxygen Free Copper. Which is 99.9% pure copper. Oxygen free means there are no pits or empty space that will trap oxygen.

 

[Old_Slapper]

Thanks for the very clear info and tips. It's good to know I was at least thinking the right thoughts.

I'm going to go the Big 3 this coming weekend. Then Alt if that doesn't help then replace &/ add another if it comes to that

Doing the big 3 should take care of the issue. You have 2000watts on tap, but you are probably only 1/3 of that power before you are getting the dimming issue. Your alternator should be able to handle that. Even though your 5 farad caps are realistically around 1-2 farads, they still help. Therefore, I would keep those connected.

 

[Jimi77 Premium Member]

Big 3 and if that doesn't work, then it's time for an HO alternator.

 

[RobGMN Premium Member]

Rob,
You just made me spit out my Dr Pepper. Are you saying CCA is just as good as OFC?

For those who read that, OFC is significantly better than CCA. Copper is a lot better conductor than aluminum. CCA is Copper Clad Aluminum. It is aluminum strands with a copper coating. OFC is Oxygen Free Copper. Which is 99.9% pure copper. Oxygen free means there are no pits or empty space that will trap oxygen.

I certainly hope you didn't read it that way. I tried to write it for someone new, who seems to be diving in headfirst with both feet.

I asked the singular question if he had CCA or full copper wire, because THAT matters to current capability.

The reference to OFC was that compared to regular copper, the OFC is wasted money. I put it in parentheses because it is an independent thought, but connected to the main thought. And it's a logical step that he may get sold on the hype of OFC vs. plain copper, considering he has two $50 "5 Farad caps" that may be doing more harm that good (sold on the hype).

There is no inference anywhere in my post that CCA is as good as full-copper, or OFC cabling, nor would there ever be.

Testing a "5Farad" $50 capacitor. Voltage drops more under load with cap in place.
This is not the only test on YT that shows this same issue:

Remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

Try ditching the capacitors, and see if you get the same issue.
At $50, it's likely that they are taking away, rather than adding to your system.

That 1/0 - Is it all copper or CCA (and ignore the OFC hype. It's exactly that)?

Here is the problem... say what you mean. Don't use terminology only you have accepted. Use what the rest of the world uses. The way you worded this you are telling him that OFC is garbage. Your question "Is it all copper"? OFC is the most common phrase and type of copper used in car audio. You told him it is trash. Don't backpedal away from your own words.

If someone is asking for help. Be accurate and leave your ego at home.

 

[RobGMN Premium Member]

Hey everybody,
So I'm hoping to get some insight on an issue I'm having. My headlights are dimming with the bass. And so are some of the lights on various buttons inside the cabin. The background light for the button so you can see what it is in the dark!
I have a 2009 Dodge RAM 1500 crew cab with stock electrical. I ran 1/0 gauge power to the space where the back seat was behind the driver's seat. I used 1/0 for the ground which I grounded to 2 separate holes that were for securing the removed seat. They were 7/16" bolts. I used a flap disc on angle grinder to get down to bare metal on both spots and used 3 /8" copper lugs.
What I have are 2 Rockville punisher 10D2's in a sealed box with 1.1 cubic feet per side. I have 2 Rockville RVA-M3 V2 amps, 1 for each sub with RCA's individually going into each amp because my head unit has 2 subwoofer outputs. Can't think of the exact model but it's a PLZ 10" single din receiver I got off Amazon. I also have 2 Pyle 5 farad caps, 1 for each amp.
I have everything wired up with 1/0 wiring with 1/0 distribution blocks and copper lugs where necessary. I feel that I have a fairly decent setup and that it's wired real well.
Problem is I can't even get to half volume without the aforementioned dimming.
What would be my next best step? Big 3, bigger alternator, additional alternator, extra battery?
Any and all help will be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jay

There seems to be some major confusion over my single sentence that encompassed more than one thought.
Not sure if it confused you too (hope not), but I'll clarify in case it did.

1. That 1/0 - Is it all copper or CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)?
The reason I ask is that all-copper can carry more current without failure than CCA of the same wire gauge (i.e. CCA needs to be thicker to carry the same max current).
Many places are selling CCA to people who may not know better.
That can end badly.

2. OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) is hype in the audio world.
There is a price penalty for going from regular copper to OFC. A price penalty that does nothing more than take money out of your pocket. Don't fall for it. Spend your money on things that matter for making your system work, first. Spend on hype later.