electrical

[va tech7 10+ year member]

I'm ordering my idmax and my phoenix gold amp on monday and I was just thinking, is having 1000 watts running to my sub gonna drain the electrical system? I dont mean will the battery melt but my friend has 600 watts in his car and is noticeable in the dash dimming and everything, am I going to be annoyed by a lot of drastic headlight and dash dimming? If so is there anything I can do short of spending a lot of money on an alternator? maybe a good battery?

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[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Depends on your alternator.

I'm running 1.7kW with no dimming, but I've got a 135A that came stock...put that same load on a 70A alt and you're going to have drastically different results.

 

[tRiGgEr 5,000+ posts]

Upgrade to a deep cycle battery. Maybe a Optima red top as those are readily available. Make sure to use large enough wire. 1/0 gauge is perfect. Not much will need larger wire. And make sure to properly ground your amp. Do a search on the Big 3.

After all this, if you still have dimming. Then look in to a HO alt.

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Depends on your alternator.
I'm running 1.7kW with no dimming, but I've got a 135A that came stock...put that same load on a 70A alt and you're going to have drastically different results.

Not to steal the thread or anything, but I get dimming with a 220A altenator and ~2000w at high volumes... I have done the Big Three, my next step is a yellowtop under the hood. If the dimming persists should I add a second battery? Or could there be something wrong with the alt? It is an Excessive...

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Not to steal the thread or anything, but I get dimming with a 220A altenator and ~2000w at high volumes... I have done the Big Three, my next step is a yellowtop under the hood. If the dimming persists should I add a second battery? Or could there be something wrong with the alt? It is an Excessive...

Anyone wanna help me out?

 

[DiamondFanatic 10+ year member]

Upgrade to a deep cycle battery. Maybe a Optima red top as those are readily available. Make sure to use large enough wire. 1/0 gauge is perfect. Not much will need larger wire. And make sure to properly ground your amp. Do a search on the Big 3.
After all this, if you still have dimming. Then look in to a HO alt.

Unless I'm mistaken a red top is not a deep cycle. The yellow top is.

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

Unless I'm mistaken a red top is not a deep cycle. The yellow top is.

yup blue and yellow I think.

and phattony, get the battery then worry about it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

So why is the Red Top the most expensive of the three?

 

[bimma85 5,000+ posts]

So why is the Red Top the most expensive of the three?

triple the warranty?

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Okay, anyone wanna comment on my voltage problem...?

 

[msrpIZtooMUCH 10+ year member]

PhatTony,

220amp alternator at what RPM? Some HO alternators don't put out their rated power untill they reach roughly 3000 RPM. Any less than that, and they are no better than stock. Are you using the same pully? Larger diameter pully = Less RPM @ alt. = Less output...Just a thought.

You replaced the wire from alt. to battery positive, engine block to frame and frame to battery negative...what guage wire?

In my experiance, a second battery does not do much if you dont listen to the stereo with the motor turned off. Some might argue that it does strengthen the electrical system a bit, but thats debatable. In your case (unless you plan on listening to the system with the motor off) it would be a band aid for a larger problem.

If the alt. is rated to put out 220 @ idle AND you used proper guage wire all around (Big 3, power, ground etc.) AND all your connections are sound, then I would say that either your alt is going out or your alt isn't big enough.

The only thing that a yellow top will do is allow you to drain the battery and recharge without damage to the cells. I don't think that this is the answer to your voltage problem.

How big was your stock alt?

Did you grind off ALL paint, dirt, rust etc. then clean the metal with paint thinner for ALL of your ground/electrical connections?

Have any connecton come loose?

How old is your battery?

What kind of vehicle?

These are my thoughts on your situation.

 

[dleccord 5,000+ posts]

^ well said, where can I find smaller pulleys for my alt, msrpIZtooMUCH ? and is it worth it to go this route rather than HO alt?

 

[msrpIZtooMUCH 10+ year member]

There is a fabricator that I deal with that made mine. Sometimes pullies of different diameters will interchange from alt. to alt., but that wasent the case for me. I don't know of any company that offers pullies of different diameters. Changing the pully is not an alternative for a HO alt. This is just a means getting the most of a HO alt. that doesent put out it's rated amperage at idle, but instead kicks in at 2000-3000 rpm.