Any Advice Would be Appreciated

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

96 mustang GT with stock alternator, battery and mach stereo system. I believe the stock alternator is 110 amp.

Only added 1 12 inch sub with 1000w amp.

Battery voltage reads 12.75 with car off. With car idling it reads 14.6, but when I turn on the stereo the voltage starts dropping and will be at 14.4 within a minute or 2. I have not driven or let the car idle long enough to see how far the voltage continues to drop.

Would the big 3 solve this problem or do I need to do the big 3 and get a new alternator or do I have some other problem?

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[michaellane 5,000+ posts]

big 3 should fix it but to keep your voltage at a straight 14.4 volts in park you may need a bigger alt...dropping .2 volts isnt a big deal honestly

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

Would the big 3 solve this problem or do I need to do the big 3 and get a new alternator or do I have some other problem?

you already answered your own question. But buy a real battery. Contact Dbeez on this site, he's selln' em cheap.

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

big 3 should fix it but to keep your voltage at a straight 14.4 volts in park you may need a bigger alt...dropping .2 volts isnt a big deal honestly

Yeah I realize that dropping .2 volts isn't a big deal, but that's also with no lights, AC/heater, etc running.

My concern is that the voltage would continue to drop to the point that the car would stall (Not sure I want to test that to see if it happens or if the voltage stabilizes at some point)

Also do you think an upgrade to a 135 amp alternator is good enough? (They're pretty cheap compared to some of the 200+ alternators)

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

you already answered your own question. But buy a real battery. Contact Dbeez on this site, he's selln' em cheap.

Just out of curiosity, why would I need to buy a new battery since the current battery is fine?

 

[Burton6431 10+ year member]

alot of people that bring me systems drop from 14s to low 12s high 11s and do fine.

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

alot of people that bring me systems drop from 14s to low 12s high 11s and do fine.

Are you saying that eventually it will stabilize and it won't just continue to drop to the point that the car will stall?

I only drive this car once or twice a week and only for 10-15 minutes at a time, so I've never driven it long enough to see what will happen, plus I don't want to find out the hard way that it will continue to drop to the point of stalling the car and possibly damaging something.

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

No, it won't get any worse than it is. A car typically starts to stall at 9v. And you'll never get there unless your alternator fails. The bigger alternator wont make a difference until you get over 200 amps.

I say get a real battery because a stock battery is just that - stock. And not meant for doing anything more than the original electrical requirements.

 

[Burton6431 10+ year member]

Are you saying that eventually it will stabilize and it won't just continue to drop to the point that the car will stall?
I only drive this car once or twice a week and only for 10-15 minutes at a time, so I've never driven it long enough to see what will happen, plus I don't want to find out the hard way that it will continue to drop to the point of stalling the car and possibly damaging something.

yes when bass hits it will drop to 12 when bass stops it goes back to 14+, research man cus you dont know bout batterys/electrical lol

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

yes when bass hits it will drop to 12 when bass stops it goes back to 14+, research man cus you dont know bout batterys/electrical lol

Hmm... I'm a licensed electrician, so I'm betting I know more about eletricity than you do, but what I am confused about is why you feel the need to insult someone asking for some help.

Also if you would have read my posts more thoroughly instead of insulting me, you would have read that the voltage slowly goes down. It does not drop when the bass hits and then go back up. The stereo is playing the whole time, but the voltage gradually decreases.

 

[sexy 10+ year member]

batteries are for storage only they do not make power There is always some idiot trying to sell batteries on this site. A 200 amp alt will usually make less power than a stock alternator at idle that’s a fact. Now in terms an electrician can understand put an amp probe on your batteries positive wire turn your stuff all on see how many amps your pulling if its 120 amps then get an alt that does 135ish you can get 140s 160s and even 180s from a junk yard for around $25 and take them to an auto parts store to test them to make sure they work good before you waste time putting them in. I like 2000 and newer escalade alts because they do 160 and up to 180 amps and I can put them in a ford or jeep or anything I want. What you will damage by low voltage is usually going to be an amplifier first.

 

[FenixAudio 10+ year member]

Lic. Electrician does not = Certified car audio installer. And vice versa. All because u can talk ac voltage it doesn't act the same as dc especially in a car.

Same laws different application. Your voltage drop of .2 volts is most likelly a loss of static charge. You should worry if you get a drop below 12v. Deff means your alt is having issues since the system runs off of the alt not the battery. Battery only helps as a filter once running.

 

[Burton6431 10+ year member]

Hmm... I'm a licensed electrician, so I'm betting I know more about eletricity than you do, but what I am confused about is why you feel the need to insult someone asking for some help.
Also if you would have read my posts more thoroughly instead of insulting me, you would have read that the voltage slowly goes down. It does not drop when the bass hits and then go back up. The stereo is playing the whole time, but the voltage gradually decreases.

dude gtfo of here with that bullshiz, i was nice to you and helped/answered your question, sorry im not offering free bj's to go with.

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

You did neither. You didn't answer my question and if that's your idea of being nice....

Thanks to those who did actually give me good advice and answered my questions.

 

[Burton6431 10+ year member]

this is your question

96 mustang GT with stock alternator, battery and mach stereo system. I believe the stock alternator is 110 amp.
Only added 1 12 inch sub with 1000w amp.

Battery voltage reads 12.75 with car off. With car idling it reads 14.6, but when I turn on the stereo the voltage starts dropping and will be at 14.4 within a minute or 2. I have not driven or let the car idle long enough to see how far the voltage continues to drop.

Would the big 3 solve this problem or do I need to do the big 3 and get a new alternator or do I have some other problem?

this is my answer

alot of people that bring me systems drop from 14s to low 12s high 11s and do fine.

this is you realizing whats actually happening, that when you turn the radio on it consumes .2 volts, and you answer your own question that .2v is all it will take not constantly drop.

Are you saying that eventually it will stabilize and it won't just continue to drop to the point that the car will stall?
I only drive this car once or twice a week and only for 10-15 minutes at a time, so I've never driven it long enough to see what will happen, plus I don't want to find out the hard way that it will continue to drop to the point of stalling the car and possibly damaging something.

this is me explaining that your car is constantly charging itself through the alt and that it is doing no harm, then i state if you actually did your research and hit the search button (which is kindly located to your top right) you would understand that its not doing any harm.

yes when bass hits it will drop to 12 when bass stops it goes back to 14+, research man cus you dont know bout batterys/electrical lol

This is you huffing and puffing thinking your king douche by being licensed in whatever the hell you think you know and also making up that i insulted you by saying you shouldve researched this more and find out about electrical in cars, which is what anyone should do when running a system.

Hmm... I'm a licensed electrician, so I'm betting I know more about eletricity than you do, but what I am confused about is why you feel the need to insult someone asking for some help.
Also if you would have read my posts more thoroughly instead of insulting me, you would have read that the voltage slowly goes down. It does not drop when the bass hits and then go back up. The stereo is playing the whole time, but the voltage gradually decreases.

this is you being macho fauck boy

You did neither. You didn't answer my question and if that's your idea of being nice....
Thanks to those who did actually give me good advice and answered my questions.