Menu
Forum
What's new
New posts
Live Activity
Search forums
Members
Registered members
Classifieds Member Feedback
Car Audio Discussion
General Car Audio
Car Audio Build Logs
Car Audio Equipment
Subwoofers
Speakers
Amplifiers
Head Units
Car Audio Help
Wiring, Electrical and Installation
Enclosure Design & Construction
Car Audio Classifieds
Car Audio Classifieds
Car Audio Wanted
Classifieds Member Feedback
Gallery
New media
New comments
Search media
SHOP
Shop Head Units
Shop Amplifiers
Shop Speakers
Shop Subwoofers
Shop eBay Car Audio
Log in / Join
Test
Forum
Search
Search titles only
Search titles only
Log in / Join
Search
Search titles only
Search titles only
What's new
New posts
Live Activity
Search forums
Members
Registered members
Classifieds Member Feedback
Menu
Reply to thread
Forum
Car Audio Discussion
General Car Audio
battery or alternator
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Message
<blockquote data-quote="geolemon" data-source="post: 527454" data-attributes="member: 547749"><p>Upgrading the alternator is massively expensive, vehicle warranty-voiding in many cases, and in many cases - fundamentally deceptive.</p><p></p><p>Not something to be entered into lightly - to spend hundreds of dollars on a '200a alternator'... that doesn't make it's "200a" until something like 3000RPM, when that alternator perhaps has a similar current output at idle that your stock alternator did - or worse, even less! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif</p><p></p><p>Not to mention - if you have enough power in your car to seemingly warrant an alternator upgrade, and you can actually stand to be in the vehicle - there's a much larger scale problem at hand than an alternator that isn't large enough - you've got some serious efficiency problems, that can be caused by numerous things - whether that's enclosure size for subwoofers, or inadequate baffling for main speakers. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif</p><p></p><p>Adding an auxiliary battery, on the other hand, can be done on the cheap... no isolator required even, just hang it off your distro block in the rear, let it help supply current, and augment the key-off run-down time of your car naturally.</p><p></p><p>And don't use a deep-cycle battery for the rear battery - they are built more durable via the use of thicker plates in the battery - which make for slower transient response - transient response being something batteries are already inherently slow with, even non-deep-cycle types.</p><p></p><p>To that end - if something along the lines of light dimming are your symptoms..</p><p></p><p>Perhaps neither the battery nor the alternator would be truly suitable upgrades!</p><p></p><p>You may exceed your alternator's amperage at some RPM, with some music, at some output level regardless of alternator size, or even quantity.</p><p></p><p>And the battery really only helps augment either key-off time, or filling in for those times that the alternator can't supply the current alone.</p><p></p><p>So what to do?</p><p></p><p>Much of the drama of the light dimming is caused by that transition period, the brief moment in time where the alternator can't supply all the voltage, and system voltage is falling to the 12v level of the battery, and then the battery rising to respond to augment the alternator (the transient response I spoke of).</p><p></p><p>If light dimming drama is embarassing, adding a capacitor can be the utopian upgrade.</p><p></p><p>They can be had for under $50, they begin augmenting the moment the voltage begins falling, and have adequate charge to cover the milliseconds worth of transition period until the battery does rise and take over augmentation duties.</p><p></p><p>At this point - is it too much to ask - why are you considering upgrading either?</p><p></p><p>ie. What are your symptoms?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="geolemon, post: 527454, member: 547749"] Upgrading the alternator is massively expensive, vehicle warranty-voiding in many cases, and in many cases - fundamentally deceptive. Not something to be entered into lightly - to spend hundreds of dollars on a '200a alternator'... that doesn't make it's "200a" until something like 3000RPM, when that alternator perhaps has a similar current output at idle that your stock alternator did - or worse, even less! [IMG]//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif[/IMG] Not to mention - if you have enough power in your car to seemingly warrant an alternator upgrade, and you can actually stand to be in the vehicle - there's a much larger scale problem at hand than an alternator that isn't large enough - you've got some serious efficiency problems, that can be caused by numerous things - whether that's enclosure size for subwoofers, or inadequate baffling for main speakers. [IMG]//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif[/IMG] Adding an auxiliary battery, on the other hand, can be done on the cheap... no isolator required even, just hang it off your distro block in the rear, let it help supply current, and augment the key-off run-down time of your car naturally. And don't use a deep-cycle battery for the rear battery - they are built more durable via the use of thicker plates in the battery - which make for slower transient response - transient response being something batteries are already inherently slow with, even non-deep-cycle types. To that end - if something along the lines of light dimming are your symptoms.. Perhaps neither the battery nor the alternator would be truly suitable upgrades! You may exceed your alternator's amperage at some RPM, with some music, at some output level regardless of alternator size, or even quantity. And the battery really only helps augment either key-off time, or filling in for those times that the alternator can't supply the current alone. So what to do? Much of the drama of the light dimming is caused by that transition period, the brief moment in time where the alternator can't supply all the voltage, and system voltage is falling to the 12v level of the battery, and then the battery rising to respond to augment the alternator (the transient response I spoke of). If light dimming drama is embarassing, adding a capacitor can be the utopian upgrade. They can be had for under $50, they begin augmenting the moment the voltage begins falling, and have adequate charge to cover the milliseconds worth of transition period until the battery does rise and take over augmentation duties. At this point - is it too much to ask - why are you considering upgrading either? ie. What are your symptoms? [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forum
Car Audio Discussion
General Car Audio
battery or alternator
Top
Menu
Home
Refresh