Alternator at Idol?

[Oak244 10+ year member]

OK I had a funny thing happen today. I got stuck on the Interstate in a traffic jam. I did not hit the accelerator for well over an hour. Just yesterday I installed a Arc Audio 2500XXK wich is running my CDT ES520 set. Thats all. Anyway, it was raining so I had the lights on, windshield wipers going and my music was on. Suddenly the raidio cut out and kept going in and out, then finally the car stalls. I turn the key and the thing is sucked dry. The engine would not even turn. The good thing was I was surrounded by cars going nowhere fast and the guy next to me had jumper cables. So He jumped me.. the car started right up and I left the radio off for a while...

Now I am wondering.. would this have happened even if I had a high output alternator since the car never really went above Idol? I thought I would have to get a new alternator sometime, but not untill I had all my amps in and it was running my sub. I mean my lights do not dim or anything so I was not expecting this. Or is there something wrong with my electrical system to allow it to **** totally dry while sitting at idol? Thanks

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[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

What kind of car? What kind of alternator?

This sounds like a BAD alternator, bad exciter, or another problem.

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

i meant what size alternator, not what kind

 

[Oak244 10+ year member]

Stock Alternator on a 1991 Geo Prizm, so it would be a 1991 Toyota Alternator.

 

[Beat_Dominator 5,000+ posts]

Sounds odd if you didn't have dimming..... if it's not just the battery it could be the voltage regulator or something like that?

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

Oh man, i'm guessing 80A> peak.

Even a HO would put out more at idle.

Honestly, if the car's got a lot of miles, that alty might not be putting out 1/2 it's peak anymore.

I had a factory 120A alternator, and i didn't have dimming (hid's don't dim) but i had voltage drops like nobody's business, and now i got an iraggi high output/low idle voltage 240A model, and even at idle i have no voltage drops, even tho this pus out less than the factory alt did at idle.

So it could just be a dying alternator to begin with.

 

[mtdewelf 10+ year member]

Idle //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[Oak244 10+ year member]

Yeah just to be sure I just tried starting the car 3 hours later now and it starts right up, which means the rest of the trip home, the Alternator recharged the battery.

 

[Oak244 10+ year member]

Well the car is of course 15 Years old, and it has 114,000 miles on it. The Alternator would be original. This was my grandfathers car before he passed and I then bought it. I know he never changed anything, and I know I have not changed it either, so pretty much positive its original.

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

it's still got lots of life left in it

mine had 188,000 on it since 99...... it was crying

 

[NoRemoteNoTV 10+ year member]

well I got the bad end of my HO alt. cuz it doesnt even turn on for charging until 1600rpm and with a 1:8 ratio on my rpms my car has to be around 1k rpm idle to charge 1.7amps....and most of the time with my car it only gets up to about 2k rpm so about 3500rpm alt speed so at that speed Im getting around 120amps of my 180amp alt, Ill never be able to get the 180amps out of it cuz it needs to spin at 7000rpm to get that and a smaller pulley would slip so Im all out of luck

my stock 90amp alt gave the 90amps at way lower rpms Im sure so not as high of a peak charge but more of a constant and higher charge at an idle, but then again it depends on your idle and what ratio you have, just a warning before u buy a high output alt. I spent 400++ for mine and my stock one works better for lower rpms

I would check out all the stats on them what rpm does what for what before spending alot of money on it, all I know is my charge light never came on before I installed the high output one and now it flashes really bright whenever my sub hits, I might just try raising your idle before putting a new alt on ur car

 

[Oak244 10+ year member]

Yeah the car runs like a champ. I just need to know if this is going to happen every time or if there is somthing I can fix. See when I am stuck in a traffic jam, I do not want my car to totally die on me everytime! lol And in time I plan to add a second 2500XXK and a 2050XXK, so its not like the draw will be getting less lol! I guess I just expected to see the lights dim when the music plays like my old Probe did. I always knew when its alternator was going out. This time I really had no signs, but then again I was doing nothing but picking my nose lol!

 

[Oak244 10+ year member]

Any thoughts on where to look for a nice Alternator upgrade? I have talked to http://www.excessiveamperage.com and he could make me a 180 Amp alternator. What I do not want it an alternator with a tiny pulley that I have to try to find smaller belts to make work. I had one of those with my Probe and it caused noting but trouble. The Idol was always messed up, and I constantly was trying to adjust the Idol to make it faster. I really just hope there are some out there that are just like putting a stock one in, but it has more power.

 

[NoRemoteNoTV 10+ year member]

everybody talks about the iraggi alts. so I would ask somebody where to get those, they have to be good if everybody around here reccomends them

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

If that alternator is a Delco-Remy unit then have it rewound rather than replacing it with an HO unit - much cheaper option.

If it is the same as the alternator on a '95 Prizm (completely different body but essentially the same motor) it is a 75a alternator //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

(Prizm electricals is something I have a bit of experience with //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif)