HO alt or deap cycle battery?

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

Heres my situation. I'm on the verge of installing a 900wrms amplifier and something must be done about my electrical systom.

My car is 24 years old. Not playing music at all, my lights dim (a very small amount) when I honk my horn, hit the brakes, turn the the heater, etc. I don't know if the factory alt has been replaced or not, but I think it's 70amps, and I'm not sure if this is normal for an older vehicle.

If it wasn't for this problem I'd get a deap cycle battery and call it a day, but I'm worried that the alt is too week and will crap out on me after a while (could this happen?).

So, bigger alternator or deap cycle battery?

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[chris96camaro 10+ year member]

Bigger alternator couldn't hurt..

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

bigger alt. and big 3.

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

bigger alt. and big 3.

x2

 

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

Ok, thanks guys.

And the big 3 was kinda a given //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

a complete electrical checkup and possibly a rewire. Just upgrading the big three and the alt may help, but years of corrosion and build up and dirt is bound to cause other problems.

 

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

Oh, and the battery in there now is about a year old but it's really small. I'm kinda leaning more torwards getting a yellow top so I can play it real loud without having to turn the car on.

If I went with that, should I add it as a second battery and buy an isolator, or relly on it to start the car too?

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

if your alt cant keep your one tiny battery charged its going to die with the quickness if you upgrade the battery and add a secondary..i wouldnt bother with an isolator either.

 

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

so a bigger alt or bigger battery? I'm still a little confused.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

both

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

id say battery if the stock alt was capable of even charging the stocker, but from what you say...it isnt. id personally get a new alt, even a stock replacment would be an upgrade form your description

 

[Spac3d 10+ year member]

It should be less than $300 to get a deep cycle and a factory replacment alternator ... but go to Autozone Zone/Advanced Auto Parts/etc to have your battery and alternator tested, its free.

If both of them pass as okay (I am guessing your alternator will not pass) then you may have an electrical issue somewhere else ...

 

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

I'll get it tested, and if the alt is good I'll get the battery upgrade(?).

The battery wires are really small, especially the ground wire (like 10,11,12awg or something tiny). And the battery in there now is really small. But when I'm playing my reguler speakers off 150watts there are no advese effects when the bass hits (just speakers I know). So I'm a little mixed up, I guess my best bet would be to get it tested and go with that.