Need help with alternator issue!!

[KorpzJuggalo 10+ year member]

Ok, here's the deal. I am going to be putting an 18" soloX Kicker in my car. It runs an 80A alternator. I need to know what size alternator I need to run the full 5000 watts. (IE, 300A alternator? Or Higher?) Also, I have no idea where to get one that will fit AND run PROPERLY on my German car. I have seen some universal ones ( as well as brackets that make an alternator universal? ), but I'm not sure if they will work with my car. I want to make sure that it will not F- anything up in my car OR what else do I need to get to ensure the safety of my electrical mechanisms in my car while running a HUGE alternator. I am not too good with cars, or car audio sorry. If someone could help me figure out what size Amp Output I will need from my alternator as well as direct me to one that will fit, or if there are brackets that work, which ones to use. I am new to this site and everything so I hope that I posted this in the correct area and I provided enough information. If you need to know anything else about my car let me know. I do know it's a 4- Cylinder. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. Thanks alot for taking the time to read this and thanks for helping out!//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Edit: I was just thinking. I seen multiple alternators hooked up to a car before. If this is what I need to do please Elaborate on that. Oh and how many batteries will I need and of what kind of battery?

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[tRidiot 10+ year member]

Hope you got some cash. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

You already have a 5kW amp? Efficiency of the amp will make a diff, but you're gonna need likely a couple extra batts and I'd run an EXTRA alty. Leave your stock one in place, and add a 250-300A extra alt. You can have brackets made cheap from simple angle iron or something. That way, you can run it with an external regulator and run it at like 17V or something. Many of those high-power amps can run at higher voltages, too, but you don't want to run your car at 17V, just the amp. This is why a 2nd alt would be ideal. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I dunno, just guessing here. It's an idea, and it sounds like you've got the cash to do it all, to me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[KorpzJuggalo 10+ year member]

Hope you got some cash. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif
You already have a 5kW amp? Efficiency of the amp will make a diff, but you're gonna need likely a couple extra batts and I'd run an EXTRA alty. Leave your stock one in place, and add a 250-300A extra alt. You can have brackets made cheap from simple angle iron or something. That way, you can run it with an external regulator and run it at like 17V or something. Many of those high-power amps can run at higher voltages, too, but you don't want to run your car at 17V, just the amp. This is why a 2nd alt would be ideal. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I dunno, just guessing here. It's an idea, and it sounds like you've got the cash to do it all, to me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Awesome, thanks. I am pretty sure I understand how all that works except I am not too sure what an external regualtor is. Also, no I do not have an amp yet I am still deciding on that. Any suggestions? So basically the 2nd alternator would be ran to my amp and not my car and the stock alternator will run my car? Also, can i buy the brackets online? What other wiring would I need to connect both alternator's for everything to run correctly. I just need to know what to buy then I will buy it . Thanks for your help.

 

[SPL140.2 5,000+ posts]

a 200 amp alternator would work and maybe an extra battery if needed. contact dominick@tds.net

egg

 

[tRidiot 10+ year member]

Awesome, thanks. I am pretty sure I understand how all that works except I am not too sure what an external regualtor is. Also, no I do not have an amp yet I am still deciding on that. Any suggestions? So basically the 2nd alternator would be ran to my amp and not my car and the stock alternator will run my car? Also, can i buy the brackets online? What other wiring would I need to connect both alternator's for everything to run correctly. I just need to know what to buy then I will buy it . Thanks for your help.

As for brackets, you can have most any metal shop in town rig them up for you. You'll need the alt in hand first, so they can measure and such.

An external regulator is a box you mount, usually in your engine compartment. It controls your alternator's output voltage. You can usually adjust them via a knob, sometimes from 13 to 20V. So if your amp can handle higher voltages, then you can crank the voltage up and get more power out of it. However, your car's electronics and battery can't handle 17-20V, so this is why you isolate the 2nd alt and battery from your car's native electrical system. You would also need a battery than can handle 16V+ to do this... I believe most 12V batteries could give trouble when charging at those higher voltages.

As for an amp, there are a few options, but I'd say if you can give us an idea of your budget, then we could better advise you.

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

What kind of amp?The general rule is get the biggest alt you can get.An like SPL pointed out Dominick@tds.net can make it happen.

 

[KorpzJuggalo 10+ year member]

As for brackets, you can have most any metal shop in town rig them up for you. You'll need the alt in hand first, so they can measure and such.
An external regulator is a box you mount, usually in your engine compartment. It controls your alternator's output voltage. You can usually adjust them via a knob, sometimes from 13 to 20V. So if your amp can handle higher voltages, then you can crank the voltage up and get more power out of it. However, your car's electronics and battery can't handle 17-20V, so this is why you isolate the 2nd alt and battery from your car's native electrical system. You would also need a battery than can handle 16V+ to do this... I believe most 12V batteries could give trouble when charging at those higher voltages.

As for an amp, there are a few options, but I'd say if you can give us an idea of your budget, then we could better advise you.

Ok, cool I understand that now. I was thinking it would be around 2000 for the amp I need, so I would like to stay in that range if possible. If it's cheaper then cool, but I would like to be around that. Thanks Arsonal I contacted him earlier.

 

[GMCJimmyslt2000 10+ year member]

for get runiing dual alts..get a 200-250a alt and 1 battery up front and 2 in thre rear

Get an amp that will do 2500-3500rms,

a kicker 2500.1 is a good choice.

 

[KorpzJuggalo 10+ year member]

for get runiing dual alts..get a 200-250a alt and 1 battery up front and 2 in thre rearGet an amp that will do 2500-3500rms,

a kicker 2500.1 is a good choice.

Thanks for the ideas man, but I would like to be able to run more then 2500-3500. I was looking to push the full 5000 watts to the Kicker soloX. Also, if I don't run a seperate alternator don't I run the risk of ****ing up my electrical system on my car by using a alternator 3 times the size of the one I have now?

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

No unless you change the voltage you will be ok.the amperage is what matters the more amps the more current that can be used to make watts.When you start adding batteries you will need to be able to feed them more current (about ten amps per battery plus what the vehicle draws so it adds up quick.5000 watts can be done but it will take some money to keep from destroying your amp or subs i.e. clipping!If you are trying to push 5000 watts with only 100 amps of current you will starve the amp.batteries can put out this current but only for a short time this is why you need deep cycle batteries the can disharge all the current without harming the battery,the more batteries the more spread out the load is the less they have to work the steadier your voltage stays.Hope this explains it better.

 

[KorpzJuggalo 10+ year member]

No unless you change the voltage you will be ok.the amperage is what matters the more amps the more current that can be used to make watts.When you start adding batteries you will need to be able to feed them more current (about ten amps per battery plus what the vehicle draws so it adds up quick.5000 watts can be done but it will take some money to keep from destroying your amp or subs i.e. clipping!If you are trying to push 5000 watts with only 100 amps of current you will starve the amp.batteries can put out this current but only for a short time this is why you need deep cycle batteries the can disharge all the current without harming the battery,the more batteries the more spread out the load is the less they have to work the steadier your voltage stays.Hope this explains it better.

Perfect. Easily understood, thanks man. The only problem is it brings up more questions. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif Ok, so I think I am gonna add an additional alternator and isolate it from my car's electrical. I don't know the mathematical procedure to figure out how many watts each battery will put out to the amp(IE how many watts does 1volt produce?). You said that each battery takes around 10 amps from the alternator to charge and run properly, so how do I figure out how many Watts each battery will be pumping to the amp? Basically, I'm asking, to run my 5000 watt amp, how much amperage will I have to be running to my batteries in order for my amp to run properly without being overloaded or starved. Once I figure that out I think I can do the rest. Also, is it best to run 10amps to each battery or is that just one way of doing it? What happens if I run more amperage to the battery then 10? IE If I need a 200amp isolated alternator to run 5000watts then I would need 20 batteries if I wanted to run 10amps each(correct?) ...And I don't see that fitting in my trunk.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif Is there a special kind of battery(s) made for this that allows more amperage? And what's the best kind to have? Thanks alot man I hope I'm not too confusing.

 

[audioarsonal 10+ year member]

The 10 amps is just a round figure on the amount of current each battery will pull this number rises as you pull more amps from the battery.Amperage isn't something you control as far as feeding the batteries to much voltage is what you have to worry about(i.e.12v battery being feed 17v).The batteries will pull what they need as long as you have the current to supply them.That is why you need a HO alternator to have that reserve when the batteries need it.I would say 1 battery per 1000 watts would good.I have seen less but they are usually big batteries that cost a lot and put out the power of like 4 regular deep cycle batteries(Cactus sounds CS9000)almost 1000 dollars!Kenetic powermaster are some good ones but you don't need "special" ones just deep cycle.