Experience with Mustang 460 systems???

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

I have a 96 GT with the stock mach 460 system and an aftermarket Pioneer deck with a small amp running two 10's in the trunk.

A few nights ago I had the headlights, heater and stereo on and was getting huge voltage drops. Eventually I had to turn the stereo down for fear of the car dying.

The car has a 130amp alt and the big 3 is done. Normally during the day (no light or heater on) the car runs fine and the stereo playing at full volume doesn't effect anything.

Does anybody know what % of the car's stock voltage is being used before the addition of any aftermarket stereo equipment?

I'm wondering if the fairly small amp (400 RMS watts pushing to 10's) is putting the car over it's voltage limit and I need a stronger alt, or if my current alt is dying or what the hell is going on.

I'm also debating ripping out the 460 equipment and just getting a 4 channel amp to run those speakers.

Thanks,

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[Phoenix Risen 10+ year member]

check your grounds, i have had my mid and high amp make my lights dim when my sub rattled my ground loose.

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

Yeah, I will double check them all again before I go out and spend even more money on this car.

But I have read that Ford doesn't leave alot of "extra" room in their mustangs for additional aftermarket electronics. No luck finding out how much of the stock voltage is already being used, but you wouldn't think my tiny 400 rms watt amp would kill it, even with the lights and heater on. But who knows with that 460 system taking up alot of voltage.

Think I need a new battery, but I don't think that would cause my problem and before I go spending several hundred on a H/O alt, I'd like to rule everything else out.

Man, cars are frustrating sometimes.

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

your sig says 1 MTX 12 inch sub......hmmmmmm

 

[Phoenix Risen 10+ year member]

it also depends on the reserve capacity of your battery and how quickly you alt kicks in when the voltage gets below normal.

 

[9515ROB 10+ year member]

it might be your front battery i would go get it load tested and go to DB electric.com its something like that they aint the best alts in the world but they work pretty dam good and are a good price

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

your sig says 1 MTX 12 inch sub......hmmmmmm

Haven't bothered to update it. Especially since it hasn't been working so well.

Plus, my plan is to put two 15's and a bigger amp in there, if I can get my problem figured out.

 

[9515ROB 10+ year member]

Haven't bothered to update it. Especially since it hasn't been working so well.
Plus, my plan is to put two 15's and a bigger amp in there, if I can get my problem figured out.

hahaha good luck with that one i only could get 1 15 in my trunk and that was up firing and the boxed used the whole trunk and the spare tire well

 

[Phoenix Risen 10+ year member]

hahaha good luck with that one i only could get 1 15 in my trunk and that was up firing and the boxed used the whole trunk and the spare tire well

im at the same point, the box im working on has to have cutouts for the batteries to sit in to give me the space i need

 

[ColterDC 10+ year member]

I guess since I was planning on doing a sealed box (Plenty of room for 3 cu ft) and because I was thinking I wouldnt need any extra batteries in the trunk, that I'd have enough room.

Come to think of it, when I swapped out the one 12 that was back there for the two 10's, I also changed amps and had to move the ground wire. I'll have to check that again.

If my battery is dying or has a bad cell, would that cause a voltage drop problem? I thought that once the car was running that it was all on the alt?