06 cobalt, dimming

[ak05 10+ year member]

Hey, i have a 2006 chevy cobalt. I recently installed a 1600w amp, and two alpine type Rs. They're wired @ 2 ohms. Anyway, my headlights dim to the beat, and my battery has been killed once, i assume it's because the amp is too much for the battery / alternator/ big 3 wires, whatever.

i don't know too much about this, i've read the big 3 thread. but my question is if i perform the big 3 mod on my car will it COMPLETELY fix the problem? If not what else could i do, or what could i do instead of the big 3 mod?

Also, my battery is in the trunk. Does this mean i would need to run wire to underneath the hood, or are all the wires extended to my trunk?

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[skmfkr 5,000+ posts]

to your battery

 

[ak05 10+ year member]

you mean the wires are extended to my battery? that's not a complete sentence

 

[skmfkr 5,000+ posts]

you have no clue about your cars elec system i see

 

[Kenny Pollock 10+ year member]

Your battery's stock location is in the trunk, and your alternator is under the hood? That's a lot of 1/0 wire for the big 3...

BTW, it won't completely help it (or it could, but no guarantees) - in any case, it's a cheap fix if it does stop the dimming... it will definitely help it. Putting a second battery in my car almost completely got rid of the dimming.

 

[ak05 10+ year member]

you have no clue about your cars elec system i see

you have no clue about sentence structure or punctuation i see. i don't know shit about it, you're right. that's why i'm HERE. to get help, not to get flamed. if you're not going to post anything productive, why post something? go torture bugs if you feel the need to pick on 'inferior' beings.

theres definatly no alternator in the trunk. i'm not sure what wires i'm looking for though. but i'd probably have to run it from the hood to the trunk your right.. is it really worth it?

 

[phyphoestilic 5,000+ posts]

you have no clue about sentence structure or punctuation i see. i don't know shit about it, you're right. that's why i'm HERE. to get help, not to get flamed. if you're not going to post anything productive, why post something? go torture bugs if you feel the need to pick on 'inferior' beings.
theres definatly no alternator in the trunk. i'm not sure what wires i'm looking for though. but i'd probably have to run it from the hood to the trunk your right.. is it really worth it?

ur talking alot of cables and wiring, it would help but probably wont stop it. Getting a 2nd battery would help too but if ur car cant even charge the 1st battery the 2nd battery will probably die, than the first and u have the same problem again. Get a High output Alternator, its gonna cost a little bit but it'll be worth it.

 

[ak05 10+ year member]

yes i had a feeling that was going to be nescessary. i understand that caps seem to be frowned upon around here, but would it be a temporary quick fix? I don't have the money to buy a ho alternator today, but i could swing a cap. an alternator is doable eventually..

 

[05AztecRed 10+ year member]

Caps act exactly like a battery. They store energy until needed, and get recharged... There is NO point in getting a cap if your cars alternator can't keep the stock battery charged.

If your battery is in the trunk, and you want to do the "big 3", than yes, you will need to run 1/0 wire from the alternator to the trunk for the postive upgrade. I would definitely fuse it in this situation.

You will either need to lower the volume in your car, or get an HO alternator to keep your battery chraged.

 

[MrSwiss 10+ year member]

a HO alt will fix pretty much all your problems at this point. that and possibly a good aftermarket battery.

 

[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

Caps act exactly like a battery. They store energy until needed, and get recharged... There is NO point in getting a cap if your cars alternator can't keep the stock battery charged.

Dear god. I'm ashamed to be in the same state as you. Go and learn about capacitors please. You're right to say that he should not get a cap, but please don't compare them to batteries.

 

[skmfkr 5,000+ posts]

you have no clue about sentence structure or punctuation i see.

its the interweb, not english class

anyways if u had a clue about the elec system and the big 3 you would kno that you would upgrade the wire from your atl + to batt + and batt - t chassis and batt - to engine block...so yeh the wires go from your batt in the trunk to your alt and engine block under the hood, really dont kno why they newer cars put the batts in the trunk

 

[ak05 10+ year member]

it doesn't matter if we're in english class, on the internet, or purchasing a dime downtown, it still makes you look like a jackass. especially since you could have said everything you just did 3 posts ago and HELPED me instead of being a jerk and posting 5 words of bullshit. thank you for finally posting something productive.

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

Check some local welding supply places for 1/0 or 2/0 wire as it might be cheaper to do the BIG 3 upgrade.

GF has an '05 Cobalt and it also dims slightly, but it's never killed the battery. I'm "assuming" you did that listening with the car off. If not then your alternator is going out or not able to keep up with your system.

Is your amp 1600w RMS or peak?