Advice on adding a battery

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

i like deka intimidators

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

get a batcap

 

[Enellz 10+ year member]

Their are alot of good batteries out there. But always plan ahead, and if you plan on upgrading get the best battery you can. I had my kinetik 2400 on my kicker zx1500, but I over due everything.

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

Thanks for the help guys. Gonna either put a yellow top or a kinetik in, in a few days. I will post the results.

 

[pawn man 10+ year member]

deka

 

[basscort2009 5,000+ posts]

buy one of my batteries. equal to a kinetik 3800 and way cheaper than deka and kinetik. link is in my threads. these are great batteries. pm me if interested. thanks

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

Okay, did the yellow top test and got some very disappointing results. Put the yellow top in the backseat of the truck and ran my wire from it to the amp. Battery was at 12.65 volts (on the shelf) and after putting it in, I let the truck run for just about 10 minutes to be sure it was charged up. Played several heavy tracks (Lost, White Girls, Patrone, etc) and within about two minutes, the voltage was dipping again. Running, voltage is between 13.6 and 14.2. During the heavy notes and excursion, the voltage would drop down to 12.8!!? This is with a fully charged yellow top. I am only running an SAE1200d on the Mojo. I have the gain at less than half and the bass eq is off. Crossover is at approximately 60hz. Has anyone heard about GMs having the output of the alternator/regulator controlled by the pcm? I have read a technical service bulletin which states that the pcm controls the output, and will ramp it up in increments, which can take up to 10 seconds under heavy load. I have a 145a alt, but am worried that I am not getting the full output until I have depleted the stored energy in the cap or the batt. I am going to try the yellow top again tomorrow, but with the cap still in the line. Really getting pissed on this one. Got a bud with a 98 Ranger (base model with 95a alt) and he has a 500 watt amp with a pair of 12s and no cap/batt. He can not MAKE his volt meter pull below 14........ Any insight on the GM charging situation would be helpful.

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

Did some research last night and found some info on "Missing Link Audio" (MLA). They make a voltage module which is specifically designed for cars with alternators which are controlled by the car's pcm. Looks like Steve Meade runs one as well. I was wondering how he ran four alts, if the pcm was still in charge of the output. Websits sucks and has very little info, so I'm gonna give them a call today. Saw several threads claiming that it was the most amazing fix every......... We will see.

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

Waiting for a call back from Chris at MLA, regarding availability of the voltage module. In the meantime, I put the yellow top back in and kept the 2f cap in the line as well. On heavy bass notes, the voltage fell from 13.6 all the way down to 11.7? Not good. I don't think it would matter if I had a pair of yellow tops or kinetiks in the back. With the alternator's output limited by the pcm, the battery and cap are not realizing a "full" charge, therefore limiting their ability to function as the buffer which is the intention. Hope to get a module ordered from Chris tomorrow and get put in sometime next week. If that isn't the fix, F*$K if I know what to do next. NEVER would have thought a 1200w amp (class d) would pull the system down to the extent that it does.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

the cap is just another load on you electrical

 

[Ellsworthz 10+ year member]

hmm, im running 1400watts on stock electrical 105A alt, and a cheap autozone batt. and my voltage goes from about 14.2ish to around 12.8 full tilt on heavy songs. hopfully a kenitik 2400 will do.

 

[iwearpro 10+ year member]

Kinetik FTW 1200 OR 1400 at least. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/thumbsupwink.gif.129404938effda6ad9cca39e7f4b58a3.gif

 

[Slammer 10+ year member]

I am told that the primary issue is the voltage coming from the alt, before the issue with the cap/secondary battery. I have a 145a alt, but the voltage rarely exceeds 14.0. Maybe when it's cold, otherwise it is at about 13.5 or 13.6 volts. The fact that I am not getting the necessary voltage out of the alternator is what I am told is hampering the cap/second battery's performance. There is not enough voltage coming out of the alt to have them fully charged. I have a bud with a base model Ranger with a 95a alt. He is running a Memphis PR500 with a pair of 12s. He has no cap or batt, and his voltage doesn't fluctuate, even with the gain cranked up. I did not get the call back from MLA that I was waiting for and will be on vacation next week. The MLA module is around $225, which is about what a batt would cost anyway. If this is going to help with the initial problem, it will be worth it. I don't think it would matter if I had a pair of yellow tops or kinetiks in the back if I am only getting 13.5 volts to them. Here are few pics too.......