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<blockquote data-quote="ObTechAudio" data-source="post: 8265565" data-attributes="member: 660912">That&#039;s interesting. When you start your car in the morning, do you have any problem? Maybe low voltage crank? After starting, you say it runs around 12-13 volts which sounds like straight battery power, and then drops after bass notes. Now, if it drops to let&#039;s say 11.4 volts and then jumps back up to the 12-13 range, the alternator is working, maybe not 100%, but working, because it is recharging the battery (its intended purpose). There are ways of testing both battery and alternator. Some mechanics have a machine that has two jumper cable looking wires clip to the + and - cables connecting to the battery. That machine can calculate your amperage output. If you have a 270 and its only kicking out 80, you know you have a problem. For the battery, again mechanics can perform a load test to see how the battery holds a charge. Now, if those two tests pass with flying colors, it could be a bad regulator. A voltage regulator is used to maintain a consistent voltage output. It shuts off the flow of energy to the car&#039;s battery once the voltage goes above a certain level. It prevents the battery from getting overcharged. That might be going bad.To answer your other question, YES with a Zv4 18&quot; it&#039;s always smart to run another battery to keep feeding it a constant power arounf the 14+ volts range.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ObTechAudio, post: 8265565, member: 660912"] That's interesting. When you start your car in the morning, do you have any problem? Maybe low voltage crank? After starting, you say it runs around 12-13 volts which sounds like straight battery power, and then drops after bass notes. Now, if it drops to let's say 11.4 volts and then jumps back up to the 12-13 range, the alternator is working, maybe not 100%, but working, because it is recharging the battery (its intended purpose). There are ways of testing both battery and alternator. Some mechanics have a machine that has two jumper cable looking wires clip to the + and - cables connecting to the battery. That machine can calculate your amperage output. If you have a 270 and its only kicking out 80, you know you have a problem. For the battery, again mechanics can perform a load test to see how the battery holds a charge. Now, if those two tests pass with flying colors, it could be a bad regulator. A voltage regulator is used to maintain a consistent voltage output. It shuts off the flow of energy to the car's battery once the voltage goes above a certain level. It prevents the battery from getting overcharged. That might be going bad. To answer your other question, YES with a Zv4 18" it's always smart to run another battery to keep feeding it a constant power arounf the 14+ volts range. [/QUOTE]

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