dimming issue

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

i installed my 260 amp iraggi on saturday and did the big 3 in 0awg. today i built a box for my Q's and threw them in with my M2D2. i was in a huge rush, so i didnt have time to set the gains or check any setting, but i havent touched the knobs since i installed this gear in my blazer (years ago). also, im using all the same equipment, except for subs, so the signal should be identical. well i was headin back up to school tonight and noticed some pretty ridiculous dimming in my headlights even at high RPM and with my HU at just past half volume. my amp is only 1500w cont and my x200.4 isnt currently hooked up. i was thinking about it while driving and realized i ****ed up with the coils. im so used to wiring D4's that i just went ahead and wired my Q's D1's in parallel, so my amp was seeing a 1/4Ohm load //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif the second i realized that i turned my sub off of course. but i started thinking....theoretically at 1/4Ohm id be getting 6kw cont. but there no chance in hell that my amp would be capable of that. but just how much is it capable of? i had some serious dimming and i have a pretty hefty alt. you think its just the coil wiring? or could there be some other electrical issue, perhaps with the big 3? im most likely gonna rewire the coils tomorrow. i just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas incase that not the problem.

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[terra 5,000+ posts]

i pity ur amp. but then again i sent my hk4000d on a nice .35 ohm load run for a couple song before i notice the thermometer reading

 

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

i pity ur amp. but then again i sent my hk4000d on a nice .35 ohm load run for a couple song before i notice the thermometer reading

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif yeah, poor thing was probably in pain. at least i didnt listen to it for very long. i honestly couldnt even turn it up all the way, it was too much. just to see what it would be like, i turned it up to the max b4 clipping, then put on a low bass song (akon - i wanna love you, i think), and it was rattling my passenger window so bad i honestly thought it was going to shatter. im not being n00bish here either, it sounded like glass banging really hard against metal //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif i also noticed how god AWFUL the SQ was, which is what made me think of the coils. the bass was hollow, but it hit REALLY hard on certain notes. sounded like poop. cant wait to get it right and see what these Q's can do.

 

[ProgMtl 10+ year member]

Try hooking the subs up right and see if the dimming still exists...a 6k load just may have dimmed them despite the big alt.

 

[Ken448 10+ year member]

alternator may be starting to take a poo. See if the Elecrrical system is holding a strong 14.4V

 

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

Try hooking the subs up right and see if the dimming still exists...a 6k load just may have dimmed them despite the big alt.

yeah, well i doubt my amp could put out 6k. but im gonna see if i can fix it today. its like 2 degrees out here though, its gonna be a painful fix //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

alternator may be starting to take a poo. See if the Elecrrical system is holding a strong 14.4V

it better not be! i just got it! it reads 14.3V on my DMM

 

[MikeyB 5,000+ posts]

I would definately double check all your wiring. It sounds to me like you wired the subs wrong and the merlin is seeing a far too low of a load. I have heard of people running them at 1/2 ohm without any problems daily. I had one not too long ago and didnt have any dimming with a 120amp alt and a yellow top. They are underrated amps and very efficient, I wouldnt be suprised to see ~1800wrms out of these as thats what flakko had stated when they first came out.

Im sure its just your wiring, but I would unhook the subs from the amp before you damage it, and re-wire them to the correct way. Use your dmm to measure the resistance at the wires before you connect them to the amp, so you will have some kind of idea as to what load the amp will see.

There should be no dimming at all if everything is in working order and wired correctly.

 

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

I would definately double check all your wiring. It sounds to me like you wired the subs wrong and the merlin is seeing a far too low of a load. I have heard of people running them at 1/2 ohm without any problems daily. I had one not too long ago and didnt have any dimming with a 120amp alt and a yellow top. They are underrated amps and very efficient, I wouldnt be suprised to see ~1800wrms out of these as thats what flakko had stated when they first came out.
Im sure its just your wiring, but I would unhook the subs from the amp before you damage it, and re-wire them to the correct way. Use your dmm to measure the resistance at the wires before you connect them to the amp, so you will have some kind of idea as to what load the amp will see.

There should be no dimming at all if everything is in working order and wired correctly.

they are wired wrong like i already said. i really hope thats just the issue. i was in such a huge rush during the install yesterday i didnt even think of the D1 coils //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[MikeyB 5,000+ posts]

they are wired wrong like i already said. i really hope thats just the issue. i was in such a huge rush during the install yesterday i didnt even think of the D1 coils //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

Well Im sure thats just the case, as long as nothing was damaged while they were wired wrong I think you should be fine.

 

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

ok i fixed the wiring and it appears that was the problem. kinda supprising that the current draw would be that much more since the amp is only rated at 1500.

 

[SPL140.2 5,000+ posts]

what size wire did you install from the alternator to the battery?? Did you buy a shorter belt for the pully?

egg

 

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

what size wire did you install from the alternator to the battery?? Did you buy a shorter belt for the pully?
egg

at the moment my alt to bat is only 2awg (others are all 0 awg), but thats all my m2d2 needs anyway. the issue is fixed btw.

and no i didnt buy a smaller belt. should i have? it seems to work fine

 

[SPL140.2 5,000+ posts]

at the moment my alt to bat is only 2awg (others are all 0 awg), but thats all my m2d2 needs anyway. the issue is fixed btw.
and no i didnt buy a smaller belt. should i have? it seems to work fine

yes you should always buy a shorter belt with Iraggi Alternators and any other alternators that have a smaller pulley. You measure the original pulley on your stock alternator than you measure the pulley on the Iraggi or other. You subtract the difference and you go to autozone or advanced auto or someplace that sells them and tell them you need an alternator belt for your ride but smaller by that difference from your measurements.

Example

stock pulley 3.5"

iraggi pulley 2"

You have to find a belt thats 1.5" smaller than your stock alternator belt.

egg

 

[fatryan 5,000+ posts]

yes you should always buy a shorter belt with Iraggi Alternators and any other alternators that have a smaller pulley. You measure the original pulley on your stock alternator than you measure the pulley on the Iraggi or other. You subtract the difference and you go to autozone or advanced auto or someplace that sells them and tell them you need an alternator belt for your ride but smaller by that difference from your measurements.
Example

stock pulley 3.5"

iraggi pulley 2"

You have to find a belt thats 1.5" smaller than your stock alternator belt.

egg

well if its workin fine and not slipping, i dont see the point. but actually my belt doesnt look to be in too good of condition, so ill probably get a smaller one when i replace it.