voltage drop question

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

Hi i did a search but i more or less want to know if the volt drops im seeing is ok. I do know what i have to do to fix the problem if there is one. A ho alt or the big 3 or a smaller pully. I am not a big fan of power caps but im gona give one a try i orderd one yesterday it should be here tomrrow. Any ways i have a 1999 Ford escort that i just got it has a refurb alt in it( 75 amps or 95 im not sure) . But it works fine i have a motor craft battery in the car. i have 4 gauge wire from my batt to my block then the block has 10 gauge to my amp. i have a 10 gauge ground wire that is in a good spot with a gold connecter to a bolt. I have a pioneer deh-ph5oooub radio. i all so have 2 mtx jack hammer 12 inch subs that are 250 rms each in a ported box.I have a 2 channel power acoustik ts 1440 that i got last week on amazon . I have the subs runing to each channel not bridged so thats 300 rms to each sub. I will see a volt drop to 12.6 with a bass test tone cd playing at volume 35 or so.My radio goes to 62 but there is no need for me to go full tilt.I have my gains set to midd and bass boost to less then mid or so.I have a bass knob that is set past midd.I will see my drop to 12.6 when the car is siting if i have my lights on they will dim with the bass .When i get the rmp up a bit my volt drops back to 13.5 and up. So i know my alt is working. At low rpms, driving slow my volts drop as well to 12.5 or so i now a smaller pully can help .I did a 127.7 in my car on the db meter and 128.8 in the trunk with the seats down . i wanted to know if my volt drop will harm my alt?ps im checking my volt drop threw a cigg lighter plug in meter. sory for long post and the other night with music playing i was seeing my lights diming even at 40 plus mph. that only happens with hard hiting bass

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[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

Does any one have any kind of idea if the volt drop im seeing is bad or is fine? I do want to put 2 low rms and wattage 15 inch subs in my car so i wana better what i have with my stock alt and wiring and mayb a better battery. thanks

 

[jbizzle 5,000+ posts]

That voltage drop isn't bad, but I suggest returning the cap and getting a kinetik 600 or so for the trunk

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

well i cant return the cap i will wire it up and see it will just more or less be a led light in my trunk ahhahah. Any ways thanks u think a better battery will slove my volt drop issue? I hate to see my lights dim even when im driving thats just weird for me and i wonder what the other people think

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

Oh yea if i got louder with my music it will drop lower to like low 12s. I dont think im running to much it hits hard but for me to drop like this i dont go past 44 on my radio but that will give me a drop to 12.6 or so sorry to add that

 

[jbizzle 5,000+ posts]

Look into the big3, you shouldn't even be dropping that low in the first place.

We have a huge big3 thread and its not all that hard to do.

Big3 should take care of that, but its also nice to have some overkill, get that battery for the back and return the cap.

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

see thats what im thinking why am i droping that low with a 1444 watt amp 600 rms only and i got my wires running right why am i droping like that?

 

[jbizzle 5,000+ posts]

Probably just a crappy stock eletrical, big3 should help more than enough.

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

oh Ford does **** *** as a company.Is that volt drop ok for my car? is it ok for me to be just like what ever about the drop cuz im like allways worring about it i hate having the meter im allways looking at it to see my readout.

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

If there is any one eles that wants to add somthing to this i could use more help i really dont see my self upgrading my stock wires or alt right now im low in cash for now.I was gona have a shop put a ho alt in my car in about 2 weeks i was gona have 2 gauge wire used in the instal

 

[Enellz 10+ year member]

A battery will solve this problem in no time. A kinetik HC 600 is like 100 caps. Also your music gets a little louder because it will pull more off that battery. So sale the cap man, worthless....

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

Cool so get a better battery i have a crappy motor craft battery the dealership put it in so u know they put what the car calls for.So what can i get please offer some that will fit my car please keep it to 125 dollers or so

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

im looking in to a battery as im typing this. so i hope that helps alittle and u know what a better battery is allways a good idea

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

Well i have a update i hooked up the power cap i got it is a 2 farad cap . I all so got a cd from some guy i work with it is all songs with bass most of it is rap. Any ways with my car siting i would see 11.8 at my cap with hard hiting bass notes and it would go back up if i gave it some gas. See the thing is at my volt meter it is saying 12.5 so the cap is siting alittle lower then my meter. Is this normal were i am seeing high 11 at my cap at times and in the midd 12's when the song im playing has hard hiting bass notes? Oh yea that volt readings is with my lights on if i turn my lights up it will be in the low 13 at the cap and in the midd to high 13 at the meter.Its weird cuz if i dont have my lights on then im good

 

[1rockford1 5,000+ posts]

any one think the cap could be off or the meter or a combo of both im going out tonight so i will see how bad my lights dim at low rpms. And if there is any at high rpm readings thanks