headlight dimming, need advice

[CarAudioNewb! 10+ year member]

hey guys, this is my first post on a forum and id appreciate any helpful suggestions anyone has. My question is about headlight dimming, my system though consists of HU-kenwood ddx 318, boston acoustics 5x7 door speakers powered by a JL XD 400/4, sub is JL 12w7 (anniversary edition) powered by JL HD 1200/1 with gain lil below half, Big 3 upgrade, with extra ground on main battery, 0 gauge wire for big 3 and power runs for amps, 4 gauge for door speaker amp, xmax charge tank CT600 i believe it is in trunk for sub amp , fused with isolator. my question is, when I put the system bass knob on dash all way up, and volume up to 30 on heavy bass hits the lights slightly dim if i keep bass knob half way and volume around 22 no dimming occurs, alternator is 150 amp, its a 2009 escape, 3.0 v6...What can i do to stop the dimming if i crank it ..volts dont drop ever under 12 to 12.5 mostly stay at 14 to 14.5 on most songs, I want to do all i can to stablaize volts from moving and lights dimming if i crank on it, but i dont wanna change out alternator cause might sell car within the year what options or what would be best to do,I dont know if I get rid of trunk battery and get a lil bigger one if that would help or if I get a capicator, ( but Iv never believed in capicators so im not sure) any advice would greatly be appreciated...each audio shop by me iv taken it to I get told something different so I dont know.

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[rebelfromva 10+ year member]

Don't use a cap. Also check all grounds. When you upgraded your big three to bigger wire it allowed for more draw also so keep that in mind. I run an aq2200 and my volts stay 12.0-13ish at .5ohms and lights don't dim, so my guess would be a ground somewhere.

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

better to get a battery

 

[CarAudioNewb! 10+ year member]

Do you have an HO alternator with that set up? I watch my volt meter when driving and it has never once dropped below 12.0, mostly stays between 14.5 and 13.0 only time lights will dim ( i say dim cause what they all say but guy at audio shop even said if you arent looking it, the dim is so slight you wont notice it, I just wanna make sure everything is ok) when sub and door speaks are up high where mirrors are shaking from bass etc, Iv heard back and forth things about yellow tops too some told me there good some said they died on them, would just getting a deep cycle main batter help? stock main battery still in, car is bout 3 years old.

 

[cleansoundzz 10+ year member]

When I got a ho alternator for my truck with an Optima Yellowtop up front, then my dimming stopped. My cap did make a difference but in the end it was a band-aid for poor electrical in the truck.

 

[CarAudioNewb! 10+ year member]

im thinking im going to check all the grounds tomorrow make sure its metal to metal, would a good course of action be to get a good main battery and see if that helps, if i cant crank on it at night while driving im ok , i can still have it loud and get bass loud enough i can feel it upfront in my seat without the lights dimming, its only if i crank it up to 30 they will a bit, i can have it going good and loud and volt meter doesnt even budge off 14.5 so im hoping thats a good sign for something, and that hopefully its just main battery which is acid,and 3 years old just cant recharge fast enough and is getting old to begin with. ....one audio place offered me a pair of 12in rockford P2s or P3s in ported box, with amp for my jl w7, saying its lower RMS so itll run better, but I saved forever to get my w7 im not giving it up for a P2, no offense to anyone who has it, iv have rockfords before myself.

 

[rebelfromva 10+ year member]

No ho here. Stock alt. I'll give ya 4 p3s for ya w7 lol. jk keep it since you already have it and worked hard for it. Nice sub. How did you set your gain?

 

[CarAudioNewb! 10+ year member]

for the w7 i had an audio shop set gain for it actually , cause i didnt want to set it to high or low, cause how much invested into the sub i was, but all audio shops around me that i have talked to dont have meters to set it all, they turn volume up on a song, and turn gain up to get it hitting hard until hear distortion, so im not sure if i turn gain down it that will help since lights only dim when its cranked as loud as bass knob will go basically and volume up high or what, but the gain setting is just under the half way part on the dial

 

[CHRIS 323 10+ year member]

i had one battery but when i added 2 more batteries 3 yellow tops the dimming went away

 

[VisceralSound 10+ year member]

for the w7 i had an audio shop set gain for it actually , cause i didnt want to set it to high or low, cause how much invested into the sub i was, but all audio shops around me that i have talked to dont have meters to set it all, they turn volume up on a song, and turn gain up to get it hitting hard until hear distortion, so im not sure if i turn gain down it that will help since lights only dim when its cranked as loud as bass knob will go basically and volume up high or what, but the gain setting is just under the half way part on the dial

Thats a problem, dumb ass audio shops.

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

Buy a cap

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

get a dmm do the math and set it yourself before you kill the sub you worked so hard for, NO ONE CAN SET GAIN BY EAR!!!

 

[CarAudioNewb! 10+ year member]

im looking at getting a dmm and setting it all myself, what is a good price range for a decent one? does anyone know a link to best site to find info to set it all the right way? I can use it on the amp for my door speaks as well right?

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

Bigger battery, or a second battery, do the Big 3 and make sure all your shit has a great ground...after I did the Big 3 and grounded my two batteries to the engine block and both sides of the frame...no dimming.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

get a dmm do the math and set it yourself before you kill the sub you worked so hard for, NO ONE CAN SET GAIN BY EAR!!!

I've never done anything but that. Please explain how setting gain at one frequency with a particular test tone (or tones) translates into performance with music all at various record levels and playing any and all frequencies? At some point common sense and the ears prevail.

OP. JL amps have regulated power supply so should deliver the same power at any operating voltage. Add another battery if you like but IMO you're within safe operating limits of the equipment though possibly shortening life expectency of your stock electrical system.