First Brand new car....need *expert* advise

[simpsonbuck 10+ year member]

I've owned a few vehicles in my lifetime but this is the first car where I have no co-signer and all the financial load is on me. I want to do everything in my power to not damage my electrical system. I depend on this car to get me to work and such.

That being said. I have a soundstream pca2000d class d amp that will do 1100Wx1@4 ohms. I have two dual 4ohm type r's in a sealed box.

I'm not sure how much a 08 Cobalt's electrical system can handle without being damaged. The battery is in the trunk and it says 590 cold cranking amps. I'm not sure what the alternator is rated at.

The dealer said I can upgrade the electrical system without voiding the warranty but it has to be able to sustain the audio system and keep normal car functions working properly. Almost everything on this this is electrical, no hydro power steering it's run off of a motor.

I'm trying to decide to upgrade the system or just sell what I have and maybe get new speakers and amp them. I'm not a bass head but I do like a little thump.

If this is gonna cost too much and be too risky I might just have to sell my equipment.

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[geowick07 10+ year member]

Do your Big 3, and upgrade your stock battery, and see how that helps.

 

[JohnBlayz142 10+ year member]

I highly doubt you'd see full power out of that amp with a stock electrical system....if it were me and I had the concerns you have, I'd probably do 500wrms or so for the sub(s) and 150 or so on a front stage.

As geowick said, big 3 and a battery should help. Throw an Optima in there in place of your OEM battery.

If you're not metering this setup that will be plenty of power to achieve some decently loud bass.

edit: you could run 1 of those R's ported at 8 ohms on that amp, and I imagine it would sound pretty good.

 

[simpsonbuck 10+ year member]

Well, I'm thinking about just selling the amp and running 1 of my 10" r's in a ported enclosure. I just want some decent output. The stock speakers but pretty good already, enough to shake my rear view.

I bought it off of mazzasec so he can vouch for me. I haven't even got a chance to give it any juice.

I really just want to stay away from upgrading my alt. This amp is friggin massive....I almost crapped myself when I opened the box.

I'd let it go for 250.00.

 

[simpsonbuck 10+ year member]

I work at autozone so I can get a 20% discount on a red top optima.

Is there a way to adjust the power the amp puts out to about 800w, 400 to each sub?

I really don't want to let it go.

For the front I'm just gonna replace the 6 3/4 door speakers. I think they will sound fine for my taste off of my stock h/u unit which I like.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Well I have a 2006 ford focus ST and all stock electrical besides the big 3 done, 2 kinetek batteries and all 0/1g to 4g distro to amps. On my 1000rms Lanzar old school amp my lights would dim like crazy and had all this done to it. This was on one FI Q 12" sub. Now I have a Autotek 750.1 on a CVX Kicker in same box and it is louder and sounds just as good. So went down in power and now my lights don't dim what so ever. So a lot has to do with how efficent your amp is. My Lanzar also got very hot to where my Autotek don't, both A/B amps too.

Not sure if this will help, just giving you an idea.

 

[JohnBlayz142 10+ year member]

I work at autozone so I can get a 20% discount on a red top optima.
Is there a way to adjust the power the amp puts out to about 800w, 400 to each sub?

I really don't want to let it go.

For the front I'm just gonna replace the 6 3/4 door speakers. I think they will sound fine for my taste off of my stock h/u unit which I like.

Thanks for the help guys.

If it puts out 1100@4ohms, the only way to reduce output a bit would be to wire one sub @ 8 ohms, but then you couldn't run a second.

You could also keep your gain low to the point where it doesn't interfere with any of your electronics when the bass hits and be alright too.

I run a 1000wrms amp on a stock electrical system in my Acura...I doubt it puts out full power, but when I want to turn it up, it does just fine. I'm not competing, so it's plenty loud to the ear and my HID headlights don't dim anyhow.

 

[Ptown_TSxxx 10+ year member]

Big 3 and replace the battery and also look into orbital batteries, they are pretty good.

 

[Lingerfelt 10+ year member]

I had a BXi2006D and two 12" R's in my girlfriend's Ion (which I assume would have the same electrical as the Cobalt).

Gains were set at 3/4. Didn't experience much dimming.

But that might be because I had a capacitor. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

Sorry for the very unprofessional response, but eh.

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