Lots Of Questions About Cars Charging System

[fosgate SVT 10+ year member]

I HAVE A 1FARAD CAP INSTALLED AND MY LIGHTS STILL DIM! ITS MORE LIKE THEY BLINK HAHAHA,, WHAT SHOULD I DO I JUST BOUGHT A ANOTHER AMP{NOT INSTALLED YET!} FOR MY SUBS I HAVE 2 1200.1CLASS D MONO AMPS RUNNING

TO 2 POER HX2S IN A 6.6 CUBIC FOOT BOX TUNED TO 45HZ, THE BIRTH SHEET FOR THESE 2 AMPS ARE 1401.7 WATTS RMS AND 1410.9WATTS RMS AT 14.4 VOLTS ,,WHA DO I HAVE TO DO TO FEED THSE AMPS 14.4 VOLTS ADD A ANOTHE BATTERY? BIGGER POWER WIRE?IF SO HOW BIG? BIGGER ALTERNATOR?

ALL IM RUNING NOW IS 1 OF THE PHEONIX GOLD 1200.1 AMPS AND A 320WAT KENWOOD AMP {FOR MY HIGHS} I NEED TO KNOW WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO

OR UPGRADE TO HAVE AS MUCH POWER GOIN TO ALL THREE OF THESE AMPS>{2PHOENIX GOLD 1200.1,AND 320KENWOOD} PLEASE TELL ME EVERYTHING AS FAR AS POWER AND GROUND WIRE SIZES TO A NEW ALTERNATOR OR BATTERY?

AND ARE THERE ANY PLACES ONLINE THAT I CAN BUY THIS STUFF AT??

THANK

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[fosgate SVT 10+ year member]

sorry if some of my words are miss spelled my keyboard is messed up

 

[Corsica 5,000+ posts]

yo dude that system sounds phat. u pro or ameture?

 

[natem33 10+ year member]

Time for a new alternator, or have yours rewound. Once you get a higher output alternator then your cap should help pick up any remaining slack. The two sub amps together are going to draw a huge amount of power. When deciding on what to do about your alternator remember to tell the shop what the amp ratings are of the amps. Rewinding the alternator may not even be enough. As for power wire I would use 4 guage for each amp. Maybe use 1/0 guage from the battery and use a distribution block that can supply to your two bass amps, 4 channel amp, and any other power accessories that you may add on. Just remember to upgrade your ground wires too.

 

[fosgate SVT 10+ year member]

thank, thisis my 1st real system that i will be competing with only in local sound offs,

ok i talked to shop and he said if i were just using this setup to compete then all i should do is add a another battery ? does that sound right to you guys?

he said i would have to let the car run for a lil while s the 2nd battery will charge and then i blast away with it ,is he righ or trying to con me into buying a battery and paying for the install frm his shop? he also said a high amp alternator will run me about 700-800 bucks!!! thats a little expensive!! lol is there some way i can buy 1 off line?

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

get 2 more 1 farad caps or 2 batcap 400's and rewind your alt then add a svr gel cell 1409 +1410=2819 watss so 3 farads of capacitors would be needed..batcaps work as a cross between a battery and a cap but thing isyou dont have squat without an alternator

 

[zane 10+ year member]

Originally posted by fosgate SVT thank, thisis my 1st real system that i will be competing with only in local sound offs,

ok i talked to shop and he said if i were just using this setup to compete then all i should do is add a another battery ? does that sound right to you guys?

he said i would have to let the car run for a lil while s the 2nd battery will charge and then i blast away with it ,is he righ or trying to con me into buying a battery and paying for the install frm his shop? he also said a high amp alternator will run me about 700-800 bucks!!! thats a little expensive!! lol is there some way i can buy 1 off line?

Obviously the person at the shop has little knowledge of a cars electrical system and was trying only to make a sale.

Mentioned before; the alternator is your problem. It supplies the entire car with power up to its peak amperage rating, witch typically is anywhere from 45-90 Amps. When you add extra equipment to your car that requires power; you are increasing the load on the alternator and competing for more of its power. When this competition occurs and your equipment demands more than your alternator can generate- lights start to dim, gauges start to bounce, and in worse case scenario's; the car will simply die off from power starvation. Obviously, this is a problem that can only be fixed at the source of the power; the alternator. A rewind is likely your most cost effective method and most electric motor winding shops, or Auto dealers can do this. The $700-$800 range is literally nothing more than fiction. The most expensive rewind I have seen to date only cost $250 with labor included. You may also want to check out http://www.mralternator.com.

One final bit that many overlook; be sure that you upgrade the main power wire that goes from your alternator to your battery to the same gauge as your stereo power wire. This will allow greater current flow with less resistance.

With your system, I would personally use at least 2 gauge power and ground wiring, possibly 1/0 gauge.

Once your charging system is up to par, the caps that you have will greatly aid in reducing some of the wear on your charging system by supplying the reserve power to the amps when it is needed most. However, as you clearly can see- without a properly functioning charging system- a cap offers little on its own.

take it easy,

-zane

 

[fosgate SVT 10+ year member]

ok i kinda thouht that he was just tryin to make a sale becaus evn i know that a alternator is the source of power when the car is on, i didnt see any alrnators for my car {99 contour} but i looked at a few alternators for a ford ranger and the prices are VERY good! so hereswhat im gog to do tell me if this is good for my set up?

i will order a 150 or 200amp alternator buy a optma yellow or red top battery and upgrade all the wire from the alternator 2 the battery to 2gage? if i do all that will i still need to add nother battery???

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

for reserve i would and if you wanted a less expensive alternator fix get the old one rebuilt/ rewound to another 20-30 amps