does your RPMS drop when your idling?

[cappy72 10+ year member]

Unless you have a battery isolator you need to only run the yellow top. Without that isolator batteries need to be the same if there are multiple.
Have you always had the problem of rpms dipping or is it just since the short trips started? The problem we got on a tangent about is related to you in a way since the problem does come from a weak electrical system, now we just have to help you pin point it. I would suggest first to go drive around a while with everything turned off, at least 20min or so just to be sure, then play the stereo like you were before. Do the rpms still dip? Did it help at all and if so how long?

One last question, have you upgraded any of the car's wiring, like alternator or battery grounds and such?

I have upgraded the big 3 and some in the engine compartment.

I dont have an isolater... from what I have read and been told the isolator only prevents the power from the battery in the trunk, to get used by the battery in the front. Basically if my headlights are on it will allow me to jumpstart my own car with the battery in the trunk...

As far as the RPMs dipping, this has only occured when I was in Park and bass was all the way up, volume up as well... When I have it in drive it is fine. I have a volt meter inline right before the battery and from what i can see it doesnt go below 12 on the meter... I should go test it in a parking lot... in fact Ill be right back...

netherland24_ this topic really helped me out, i have one question though i just got 2 1200 mono concept amps and i dont know subs yeah but whatever, i have a die hard Gold battery, with a 130 stock alternator. in a ford windstar would it be able to take 2400 watts? all original wiring under the hood. thanks

bottom line is you can run it off the current alternator but you are going to kill it sooner or later...

 

[netherland24_ 10+ year member]

what size of alternator would be good for less then 3500 watts? and would battery caps help out alittle?

 

[cappy72 10+ year member]

I dont know much about alternators but I would think that you would need about 200amps and caps only help stabilize voltage dips and peaks... they dont make more amps...

 

[netherland24_ 10+ year member]

well i might just get 2 caps just incase since i know i will have dimage badly. thanks man sorry to steel ur thread.

 

[cappy72 10+ year member]

its no problem, but you should save that money that you are going to spend on the caps, the first thing that I would do in your position if you are planning on running 3500 watts is get a HO alt...

as far as my rpms are concerned I just ran out and tested them, there is minimal dipping, there is some but it wasnt as drastic as before...

 

[Spkrman]

well i might just get 2 caps just incase since i know i will have dimage badly. thanks man sorry to steel ur thread.

if you can get 2 caps you can get an additional battery or a bigger alternator.. both of which will help more than the caps - which in your situation will be pretty useless.

 

[netherland24_ 10+ year member]

well i say 3500 if i ever want to upgrade from my 2400 and mybe 200 for speakers so say 2600watts is what i will have MAX for my system. would that hold out with what i have?

 

[cappy72 10+ year member]

listen to be honest i have about 2000 watts running through my system right now, I know that this is over drawing my alternator, infact I am planning on getting a HOalt... you can be good for some time but until that stock alternator is replaced or killed you are in jeopardy

 

[netherland24_ 10+ year member]

sheet how much do those alternators cost around?

 

[drkodin 10+ year member]

wow, you guys talk a lot //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif .

cappy72: it is possible to run different batteries without an isolator, but it is also a good way to kill both a lot quicker. In a lamens explanation, each battery wil continually try to charge the other since neither will ever be the same, they will never be able to equal out is another way to put it. and as for your origional question about the rpms, with you testing it the way you did i wouldn't worry too much. It would be good to run it at max volume with at idle, but it won't hurt you all that bad.

netherland: i run 3kWrms off a stock 150a alt and two yellow tops and have zero problems, to get my headlights to even dim it takes be being just stupid loud. However, if you intend to compete and will be blasting tones you will need at least 180a alt and a bank of 3-4 batts.

 

[drkodin 10+ year member]

oh, and another thing, HO alts are NOT the alternators to be getting. HO alts make the power they do at high rpms and high rpms only, if you are sitting at idle they wil actually make less power than your average stock alt. The best thing to find is just a regular alternator designed to produce large amounts of amperage over a broad rpms range(like an ambulance alternator) but not designed as HO alts.

 

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

I just parked my car and I was finishing the rest of the song when I noticed that my engines rpms would noticeable decrease when the bass hit.... I dont have a high-out alternator...
does anyone else have this? or is this suppose to happen?

It might be that your RPM guage isn't getting enough power when your bass takes it all, and so it dropes. Your RPMs might not be dropping, just your guage.

Play a really long base hit and see if you can tell be listening to the engine.

 

[cappy72 10+ year member]

that is a good possibility... I have a test tones cd so I will try that out

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

It might be that your RPM guage isn't getting enough power when your bass takes it all, and so it dropes.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[vosschs 5,000+ posts]

I just parked my car and I was finishing the rest of the song when I noticed that my engines rpms would noticeable decrease when the bass hit.... I dont have a high-out alternator...
does anyone else have this? or is this suppose to happen?

hmm i know nothing about this but usually mine increases when bass hits at idle speed, but thats when the volts drop