Confused..If cars run off a 12 volt system then how..

[Bipolar 10+ year member]

Confused..If cars run off a 12 volt system then how are some guys putting 14 or 16 volts to there amps? When you upgrade your alt or add battery's does it make you put out more volts?

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[mdillon 10+ year member]

are you joking?

 

[Alpineforever 10+ year member]

A standard car batter has a standing voltage of 12.6 volts (or so) when fully charged. Now when it's being charged by an alternator that has a charging voltage that is higher this raises the battery's standing voltage to anywhere between 13.8-14.4 volts.

How much power you see depends on how much of that possible amperage is being consumed.

 

[Falder 10+ year member]

are you joking?

Some people don't know, no reason to bash them.

When you car is running your usually running in the 13.8v - 14.4v range.

 

[GemaRastem 10+ year member]

basically a car battery is 12 volts, but the battery is mainly for starting the car and after the car is started the alternator takes over the job of providing power. The alternator is usually around 14 volts because in order to properly charge the battery at 12 volts you need a higher voltage to compensate for the inner resistance of the battery/wires. Therefore once your alternator is spinning, your cars electrical system is running at 14ish volts instead of 12.

 

[_JaY_ 10+ year member]

Some people don't know, no reason to bash them.

When you car is running your usually running in the 13.8v - 14.4v range.

usually...unless its sum noob with a bestbuy system...lol..thenn probly 10volts clippin the holy hell outa it.

 

[mdillon 10+ year member]

how is asking a question bashing?

 

[Alpineforever 10+ year member]

You can also get 16 volts by wiring two 8 volt batteries together in parallel

 

[phil306 10+ year member]

or just buy a 16V battery. lol

but alts that have an adjustable voltage regulator can be changed to charge at a 16v level

to accomplish this you need a separate alternator strictly for audio. along with the 12v alt for the car's electronics

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

People run 16, 18, 24v systems by getting a 2nd alternator and running it purely for the audio system, coupled with a corresponding battery. In this case they are generally externally regulated and adjustable.

 

[budahbuddy803 10+ year member]

how come i get more volts when its in the morning? Does that mean that my alternator is small or something causing it preforms better after have a super long break over night? When i crank up in the morning and on the 5 min ride to school i get a constant 14.4v even with my system as loud as i turn it. When i crank up after school being in there for 8 hrs. I crank up with like 13.8v and it fluctuates from about 13.3-13.8v.

 

[goonandbuck 10+ year member]

You can also get 16 volts by wiring two 8 volt batteries together in parallel

you wire them in series

 

[Bipolar 10+ year member]

To all they guys that are helping thanks, I appreciate it.. to everyone else.. please go bother someone besides me.. I am a newb to alot of this stuff especially when it comes to mechanical electronics, I have just never learned this specific thing before.. tomorrow I will know and wont have to ask again. Does that mean that tomorrow I wont be a newb? No.. Although I dont have a best buy system and im NOT running my gains high & not clipping I still need help understanding some things.. I started reading car audio books when I was 14 im now 33, its just something I have never understood or addressed .. sorry if I wasted you time.. thanks anyway

 

[ultimate157 5,000+ posts]

how come i get more volts when its in the morning? Does that mean that my alternator is small or something causing it preforms better after have a super long break over night? When i crank up in the morning and on the 5 min ride to school i get a constant 14.4v even with my system as loud as i turn it. When i crank up after school being in there for 8 hrs. I crank up with like 13.8v and it fluctuates from about 13.3-13.8v.

Heat. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Bipolar 10+ year member]

A standard car batter has a standing voltage of 12.6 volts (or so) when fully charged. Now when it's being charged by an alternator that has a charging voltage that is higher this raises the battery's standing voltage to anywhere between 13.8-14.4 volts.
How much power you see depends on how much of that possible amperage is being consumed.

OK, so by doing the big 3, and having say a 200 amp alt instead of a stock 80 amp like on my neon and having extra battery's, then my electrical system will be more "stable" and have more standing voltage resulting in better output or higher volts to a point...hence making my amps produce more power then it would on a stock electrical system...correct?