problems with alternator

[<jsons2fly>]

i currently have 3-12w6 JL subs, running off of a 600 watt ppi amp. now! i have a 215 amp high output powermaster Alternator, and an Odyssey PC1200 battery. and i have a 1 farad cap. every time my bass hits, my lights dim and my guages freak out. can someone please give me suggestions??????? caps just don't work so please don't suggest another cap. ive spent too much money on useless caps.

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[duginnz 10+ year member]

how big is the earth lead to chassis on your battery? and have you checked the earth lead from the engine (read that as alternator) to the body of the car/chassis.

all the power coming out of the battery and alternator have to go back in somewhere.

feel free to email if you wish.

dug in new zealand

dugnshel@zfree.co.nz

 

[<natem33>]

First off, caps do work, your cap just may not be effective until you get this problem fixed. I'm not sure what you have done so far to address this problem, but what guage wire is the power and ground? Are all the connections clean and tight on the alternator, battery and amp connections? does this happen when the car is running, off, or both? Has your cap been charged? Is your battery holding a proper charge? Have you tested for a short in your electrical system? - Sometimes even new alternators are faulty so I would double check that too. In my last Honda I was given 2 alternaors that were faulty in a row. Many alternators that you buy new are actually rebuilt ones.

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Is this happening at idle ? What about when you rev the engine ? Part of the problem may be your high output alt. The output is way below what it's rated at at idle. In fact some ho alts actually put out less amperage at idle than factory alts. So when are you having a problem with your lights dimming ?