Electrical System Upgrade Questions

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

I am currently installing in a 2008 Escalade, and know I need an upgrade on the electrical system - this isn't a "do I need to" thread"; what I am look to have answered is which option will work best or if there is a difference

I am installing the following:

1 X Kicker 650.4 (Components)

1 X Kicker 2500.1 (Subs - 2 X 12" @ 4 OHM)

2 X New Batteries (no idea what brand ot type, the factory one year old AC Delco battery doesnt start at -20C and colder - 615CCA isnt enough)

Big 3 (@ 0 GA) on dual batteries

All cabling (Big 3, Amps, Grounds) all 0 GA

Now, I know I will need an alternator upgrade, the real question is single or dual.

If I run a single 300A DCPower unit, I would run the batteries in parallel, with no isolator and then the drain would be on both batteries for the system on big hits "IF" there was more draw than the alternator coud supply. The benefit to this is at start up there would be more available amperage and less voltage loss - dumbed down, basic theory - this isnt the issue.

Option 2 would be to buy a dual alternator kit from DCPower, adding a second facotry alternator. This would allow me to completely separate the audio system form the rest of the vehicle. Deck and amps would all run off of the second battery/alternator with no tie in to the factory running system.

In either option, will there be enough power to run the system? would one system be preferred over another, if so is there a particular reason?

Thanks!

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[Roland 10+ year member]

Option 2 would be to buy a dual alternator kit from DCPower, adding a second facotry alternator. This would allow me to completely separate the audio system form the rest of the vehicle. Deck and amps would all run off of the second battery/alternator with no tie in to the factory running system.

In either option, will there be enough power to run the system? would one system be preferred over another, if so is there a particular reason?

Thanks!

Option 2 all the way.It's a car, they break down eventually, having a separate audio electrical system makes trouble shooting a problem much easier. Also it will eliminate the chance your audio system drain your battery and get you stranded... Also protects the car's cpu from potential voltage spikes... also your batteries are better off isolated... and you can have a deep cycle battery (or ___) on your audio system side ...

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

Thanks Roland, will there be enough power from the single isolated second factory type alternator in this application to run this equipment with stereo playing 1/2 volume 50% of the time?

I know there is less draw when an amp is running 4 ohms, though I don't want to have to replace components later.

Regardless I will be buying 2 new batteries, so my deep cold no start issue will be gone.

 

[Roland 10+ year member]

My stock alternator in my GM truck was 115 amps and GM has 150-160 amp factory alternator for just a little more cash. so if you get the GM HO alternator you will be fine, and then some.

Your system (amps) really do not look that demanding to me. I'm no expert on Kicker, but just looking at what i think your amplifiers will pull & what you say (4ohms...) i doubt you would pull more than 60-70 amps ever.

 

[Mr.G6 10+ year member]

haha to the only pulling 60 to 70 amps..

even at 4 ohm.. thatd be all of about 800ish wattage

that amp is "fused" for 300amps even at 4ohms you going to be pulling 120 140amps plus the 4 channel which is going to draw 40ish amps also ( fused for 80)

my answer is do like the 10000s of other people who run a system.. use 1 alternator keep it simple.. one 300amp dc power alt will power EVERYTHING just fine.. pair that up with a group 31 agm under the hood and a smaller one in back and you WILL be golden..

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

I had calculated 150 amps, using an approximated value of 1,800 watts at 12 volts - again low level ohms law calculation without efficiencies or exact voltage taken into consideration.

Maximums from the amps based on full volume and 4ohms:

Kicker 2500.1 = 1250 watts

Kicker 650.4 = 480 watts

This basic and very simplified estimation with ohms law assured me the factory alternator left alone will not hold up to the demands of the audio equipment. I know I will never see 100% volume or system load, and the odds of adding more equipment later is slim to none in this vehicle.

As far as dual vs. single, both are simple and very easily accommodated. For batteries; I will be placing both in the engine compartment, as GM was good enough to supply dual battery trays from the factory. I do like the idea about having the stereo isolated, though has anyone ever had an electrical spike from stereo current draw that caused catastrophic failure to other electrical components?

When I head out to the shop today to complete the wiring I will be measuring to see if I can fit a Group 65 battery in both locations. It would appear the additional 2" in length offers a massive difference in CCA and Reserve Capacity accross most manufacturers.

 

[Falcons 5,000+ posts]

Yeah bro go with 1 300 amp alt. it will run everything just fine and you'll save yourself some money. You could run a 5000 watt amp at 1 ohm with 1 300 amp alt and batteries in the back. Your not gonna have any voltage drop.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

1 300 amp alt and the 2 batteries in the back.you wont have any issue ever.when running the 2 separate alts like you said can run into some issues,plus the alts are for recharging purposes only ,your system draws from the battery bank ,so you need to be able to have the charging system keep up with the draw from the amps ,i just dont see the smaller alt doing that .you also need to consider that most vehicles electrical draw is usually half of the alt maximum out put or just a bit more .so if you have a alt thats 150 amps at idle its about 75 -80 amp which is what your cars electrical needs to function properly .also stock equipment isnt built to take the abuse from larger system .if you look at the windings in a stock alt compared to a ho alt there's a really big difference ,also the rest of the internal parts are beefed up as well. even 2 stock alts with an isolater wont hold up as long as you might think,they just aren't built that way .

 

[Roland 10+ year member]

haha to the only pulling 60 to 70 amps..even at 4 ohm.. thatd be all of about 800ish wattage

You're absolutely right, i should not have said that, I was thinking about the way i listen to music..

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

running that amp at 4 ohm is a shame

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

*UPDATE* There is zero room for anything bigger on the battery side of things. A Group 65 battery will not fit.

Whom makes the highest amperage (CCA I mean) of all Group 48 or 91 batteries, or does anyone know what other size battery will fit and hopefully be 850+ CCA?

 

[Mommy Wagon 10+ year member]

OPTIMA® Batteries 8003-151 34R REDTOP® Starting Battery (Reversed Post) :: OPTIMA® Batteries

The Group 34 is listed as a direct fit on the Optima website. Will a Redtop optima serve my needs for daily use? I assume that 800 CCA might be good enough in the cold Canadian winters. It's still 185 CCA more than the factory AC Delco that I have now.

I personally have not owned an optima battery, I know others that have, and the reviews are mixed.

Anyone have information or opinions on Optima?