Should I buy a better alternator?

[ruffryda430 10+ year member]

i am running 5-1/4 in the front, 6x9s in the back, p770mp HU, and going to install 2-15s, a kx1200.1 (with 0awg running to d-block), and a kicker 4-ch all tomorrow. i'm afraid my setup will drain my car's battery and i've heard that caps are useless. would the best solutin be getting a better alternator? mine is stock and i drive a 91 buick park ave if that helps...

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[Decado 10+ year member]

i am running 5-1/4 in the front, 6x9s in the back, p770mp HU, and going to install 2-15s, a kx1200.1 (with 0awg running to d-block), and a kicker 4-ch. i'm afraid my setup will drain my car's battery and i've heard that caps are useless. would the best solutin be getting a better alternator? mine is stock and i drive a 91 buick park ave if that helps...

Big 3, if that doesnt help, then better alternator. How many amps is your alt? It usually says on the alt.

 

[DiamondFanatic 10+ year member]

You will most likely be ok if that is going to be your only amp

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Well I dont know if he will be ok. I am running about total 1500watts rms and my lights dim pretty bad. (Altenator 220a from ohio generators is on its way) If that Kicker amp is a class d then that will help a little. My bass amp is a/b and high current and drains pretty bad. So best thing is just to install it and test it out. If not then I would check into a better altenator. Good luck!

 

[DIGIDIGIBOMBO 10+ year member]

Hi, i know that when the car is running only the alternator supplies electricity and the battery willbecome a load. Some people said that when they added a second battery, there was no voltage drop....but how? adding a second battery will help if music is on and the car is not running, but when the car is running we will have more load, so how did it improve the situation?? an electrician told me that yes a second battery will help and that even if car is running electricity is extracted from the battery and the alternator supplies the battery, thats y the batt stabilizes the charge, and thats y 2 batteries will help. Is it true? Thx

 

[ruffryda430 10+ year member]

Big 3? can someone explain what this is?

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

Big 3? can someone explain what this is?

it's stickied in the electrical/wiring forum.

 

[Decado 10+ year member]

Hi, i know that when the car is running only the alternator supplies electricity and the battery willbecome a load. Some people said that when they added a second battery, there was no voltage drop....but how? adding a second battery will help if music is on and the car is not running, but when the car is running we will have more load, so how did it improve the situation?? an electrician told me that yes a second battery will help and that even if car is running electricity is extracted from the battery and the alternator supplies the battery, thats y the batt stabilizes the charge, and thats y 2 batteries will help. Is it true? Thx

A second battery will just create more of a strain on the alternator to keep it charged, your best bet is to just buy a better alternator.

 

[DIGIDIGIBOMBO 10+ year member]

Yep thats what i always though and electrician always say: no no a second battery will help, what i will do is that i will connect a second battery in parallel to the first one just to test...if didnt help i will change alternator. Alternators are very expensive here. I have BMW serie 3, model 1995 anyone knows how many ampere it produces? i guess any car alternator if its fixed well to the engine will work. How may amperes do i need, if i wanna run 3 amplifiers, 150 amperes?? thx a lot guys

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

if the original battery is weak a new battery may make things appear better, and if the alt can keep up with the stock electronics AND the two batteries the 2nd battery WILL help. However, if the 1st battery is low, and the alt is already struggling, adding a 2nd battery will be great at first, because it will bring up the voltage when the alternator's maxed out, but that won't last forever. Eventually, the new battery's voltage will equalize with the original, then the alternator will be working double-time charging batteries, and you'll be worse off than you were originally.

The blanket statement of "Another battery will help", isn't accurate. Although in some cases it may be an improvement.

The only upgrade that WILL help 100% of the time is a bigger alternator.