Power Management

[WillyG4444 10+ year member]

Quick question.. If I was running my system off a new battery (only the system would be using up the battery) would I still need to upgrade the alternator? I never truly understood the full workings of an alternator. Thanks.

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[tRiGgEr 5,000+ posts]

If you don't plan on turning your system on when the car is on no. If you plan on running your system with the car on at all it depends on what you will be hooking up.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Basically an alternator is what supplies the power and charges the battery while the car is running. When the car is running, if your accessories and stereo pull more power than the alt can put out, it draws the excess current from the battery. If you run your stereo and accessories with the car off, all of the power comes from the battery.