Lights still dim, time for second battery?

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

I would ask your alt manufacturer about the pulley. As far as 2 in the front I would GUESS it would help BUT not as well as putting it in back. also depends on your wire job and size of wire. Still would venture to guess more than half your problem is idle output

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

Alternator was bought on eBay, here's a link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/98-2002-Honda-Accord-Acura-CL-4-cyl-165Amps-Alternator_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a543Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem360094601476QQitemZ360094601476QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I have no knowledge of alternators lol or what the pulley does. i have all 0 gauge except 4 gauge from amps to distro block. i did the big 3 upgrade with the knu 0 gauge wires.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

ask them about it. you can contact them still can't you? A smaller pulley will rotate faster with engine RPM thus make more current at an idle RPM

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

yea i did, it's gonna take some time for them to respond. what "all" do i need to do with this pulley after i find out?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

replace the one that is on your car now with it...you may also need a new belt (tad smaller) if they do recommend it they may very well have all the parts you need or know what parts you will need....

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

I got a cap I could sell you. It has blue LEDs too.

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

hmm sounds like more pain than the battery. i'll still get this pulley problem fix and another kinetik hc1400 in the back or the hc2400.

would replacing my current 0 gauge wire from battery to distro block help? i bought it from somewhere here long time ago and it's a welding black wire, but it looks smaller than my knu 0 gauge.......

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

I got a cap I could sell you. It has blue LEDs too.

srry, looking for the hc1400 and hc2400 now, may just get another one off ebay soon. man, can't believe how much i've spent on car audio.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

If you go for the HC1400, it wouldbe a perfect fix. The HC2400 is larger, takes up more space, weighs more, and cost more too. Simply add in the HC1400 in the rear and make sure you run 1/0 between the 2 batts. Also make sure you use 2 fuses in that interconnect. One on each end as close to the battery as possible. Mount the rear HC1400 as close to your amps as possible for maximum power.

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

If you go for the HC1400, it wouldbe a perfect fix. The HC2400 is larger, takes up more space, weighs more, and cost more too. Simply add in the HC1400 in the rear and make sure you run 1/0 between the 2 batts. Also make sure you use 2 fuses in that interconnect. One on each end as close to the battery as possible. Mount the rear HC1400 as close to your amps as possible for maximum power.

i may go with the hc1400 depending on my budget, but the hc2400 is always good to have in case i upgrade everything later. i'm going to try putting a second hc1400 in the front and see how that affects the dimming.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

i may go with the hc1400 depending on my budget, but the hc2400 is always good to have in case i upgrade everything later. i'm going to try putting a second hc1400 in the front and see how that affects the dimming.

You can try to put it up front, but my guess is that it will not help as much as if you put it closer to the amps. I would assume that you will still have dimming after adding the second batt under the hood. Just my guess though.

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

what can i get to stop the battery in the back from moving? i will put it in the back now, will get stinger battery terminals that have covers on them just to be on the same safe.

should i connect the welding cable with the 0 gauge knu cable? it's not long enough to reach the battery if i put it in the back. i could always get replace the welding wire since it looks more like a 4 gauge, knu is bigger if you compare them.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

You are going to need to find some way to keep it in place in the rear. There is no right or wrong way as long as it is held in place. Just make sure that the battery terminals are no where near anything metal that could short them out. That is your only concern.

As for wire, you should have 1/0 between batteries with an inline fuse at each end. You can use the rear battery as your distro block. Ground the amps to the rear battery now. Make sure to run the ground wire to the front battery just like you did the positive lead. Only difference should be no fuses on the ground wire and it should be a different color wire so you know which is which.

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

You are going to need to find some way to keep it in place in the rear. There is no right or wrong way as long as it is held in place. Just make sure that the battery terminals are no where near anything metal that could short them out. That is your only concern.
As for wire, you should have 1/0 between batteries with an inline fuse at each end. You can use the rear battery as your distro block. Ground the amps to the rear battery now. Make sure to run the ground wire to the front battery just like you did the positive lead. Only difference should be no fuses on the ground wire and it should be a different color wire so you know which is which.

ground the amps to the rear battery? run the ground wire from both amps to the negative terminal of rear battery?

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

seller said, "increase the rpm to 900rpm."

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

ground the amps to the rear battery? run the ground wire from both amps to the negative terminal of rear battery?

Yes. Remember DC electricity flows from the POS+ terminal, through your device, and back to the NEG- terminal to complete the circuit. If you make the path longer on the NEG- side, then you lose power and efficiency. Since the rear battery is going to be your primary source of power (since it is closest), then you want to ground directly to it. Then ground it to the front battery, either via frame rail or separate ground wire if you have a unibody vehicle.

 

[Big Red 10+ year member]

ok its been a while since i did this!

take your amps

take the fused ratting "say its 2 -30 amp fuses" that = 30 x2 x cars voltage 14.4=864 volts

you just killed your alt. and have no power left to run car!

now you said you have more then one amp! so you have to do that to all your amps add them up then put in enuff batterys to cover the cars alt load plus your amp draw on the cold craking amp specs of a battery

and if pos always go one better for that 60 sec run!

also rember 00% of alt company bench test theere amlt specs at 2000 rpm! most new cars dont drive at that rpm range so u can fig your losing a 1/3 the rating on daily driving!

my case i have

2-4000d= 8 fuses at 40 each x 14.4= 4608

3 mids amp=6 fuses at 30 x 14.4 = 2592

2 1400d= 4 fuses at 40 x 14.4 = 1152

truck needs 110 to run --------------- 110

total 8462

my alt =260 - 260

need = 8202

at 1000 cold cranking amps = 9 batterys! i put in 10 -1400batts

some batterys only put out 500 cold cranking amps!

try using this site and rember to put in all amps mids and highs

http://www.kinetikaudio.com/calc.asp

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

Yes. Remember DC electricity flows from the POS+ terminal, through your device, and back to the NEG- terminal to complete the circuit. If you make the path longer on the NEG- side, then you lose power and efficiency. Since the rear battery is going to be your primary source of power (since it is closest), then you want to ground directly to it. Then ground it to the front battery, either via frame rail or separate ground wire if you have a unibody vehicle.

currently both of my amps are grounded under the backseat. my 4-channel is under my seat and my mono is on my sub box. i can ground my mono to my rear battery, but that 4-channel will be much greater distance.

oh and big red - site says i need a hc1400 in front and hc1800 in back lol. im just going with two hc1400.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

currently both of my amps are grounded under the backseat. my 4-channel is under my seat and my mono is on my sub box. i can ground my mono to my rear battery, but that 4-channel will be much greater distance.
oh and big red - site says i need a hc1400 in front and hc1800 in back lol. im just going with two hc1400.

The sub amp is really your major current load and should be your main concern. The 4-ch amp can be grounded to the chassis. Just know that running a dedicated ground wire is still preferred. If you encounter any groun loop issues, that is the place I would look first.

2 HC1400 will be just fine. That online calculator is good for the most part, but it can be off a little now and then. It is just to give you a general idea, not neccessarily specific advice.

 

[plyer3 10+ year member]

i could ground the 4-channel amp to the rear battery's negative if it's better for it.

im gonna need to use that 0 gauge knu from the front negative to the rear negative battery. would it be fine if the power is smaller than the ground? the knu ground will be bigger than the power welding cable.