Do i need a HO alternator?

[petethedog 10+ year member]

I was looking at a pair of re sx 12" i would run either a 1500 or 2000w amp

Can i get by with the big3 or do i need a HO alternator?

Can i just get a high output battery?

The car is a 2000 jetta vr6

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[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

I'd try the big 3 and a decent battery first, if you get a lot of dimming then go with the HO Alt. Go with the largest battery you can fit in the stock location.

 

[DidUHearThat? 10+ year member]

Depends on how hard and long you pound. A good 1500 watt amp can easily kill the tiny electrical in that car. I don't think you'll really be able to 2000 watts from more than about a couple of minutes before you kill your batt or alternator.

If your serious about wanting that much power, then you'll have to get serious about getting an alt that can supply that much power.

 

[petethedog 10+ year member]

How big an alternator should i be looking at?

also will this place more stress on the engine?

 

[billjones42 10+ year member]

a decent ho alt won't draw on the engine any more than a stock alt. Your engine would be fine.

 

[skittlesRgood 10+ year member]

i have the same setup. i needed the HO alt. i would get massive dimming if i ran my full power on the stock alt. i bet i would put my amps into protect if i didnt have my ho alt. but some people get by with little problems on the same power. depends on the car.

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

Before I upgraded my electrical system I was running 2200 watts daily, big 3 was done and an Optima Yellow top under the hood and never had any dimming problems. It's all going to depend on your factory electrical system, like your alt. My stock Alt is a 105 amp, most imports won't be that high, and that will make a difference.

 

[stevew007 10+ year member]

a decent ho alt won't draw on the engine any more than a stock alt. Your engine would be fine.

not true! I had a large case chevy on my crx and when i started in on the system the car would bog down. If i were you i would do the big 3 and put a smaller battery in the back of your car.I have a stinger spv44 in the back of my 02 eclipse off the stock alt it has never givin me a problem.

 

[petethedog 10+ year member]

how about a capacitor?

do they do anything?

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

how about a capacitor?do they do anything?

Yeah, they waste your money. It's like putting a couple of AA size batteries in your car, instead of a car battery. Capacitors don't hold much of a charge at all compared to a smaller battery like a Kinetik HC600 or HC800.

 

[ganggreen 10+ year member]

A better alternator never hurts