Why in the blue hell are my lights dimming when i have a 250 amp alt?

[power-fanatic07 5,000+ posts]

i have not read this entire thread ( 7 pages ) but i dont see why it should take that long to answer this question.
there are only a few things it could be:

1. your amps are ******* up an unsual amount of electricity

2. the metal that your vehicle is made out of is a very poor method of transfering electricity.. try wiring something and bypass using the frame or metal body to pass the electricity and see if there is an improvement.

3.the voltage regulator might not be responding appropriately to the electrical fluctuations caused by the amplifiers.

do the headlights/tail lights and interior lights all dim? (this would suggest reason 1)

maybe the headlights are wired directly and only the interior lights dim?

can you play a test tone and hold the note to see if the lights brighten after a few moments have passed? (this would suggest reason 3)

if the lights do brighten after some time, and the note is still playing, your voltage regulator is reacting very slow.

someone suggested a 'bad ground' which is basically the same thing as reason 1.

if your fusebox is grounded to metal instead of directly to the battery, it might be a straw that is too small because the metal isnt conducting the electricity efficiently.

honestly, if your headlights and interior lights have a solid connection and are dimming.. then that suggests that the amplifiers are ******* extra amounts of electricity.. or the alternator is not providing the power as advertised and is probably failing or will be dead soon.

maybe take it out and have it checked for proper amperage numbers.

tl;dr

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

You are a horrible troll.

I am not a troll...and you sir are definitely your username...and that would be...crisped. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[matt_bennett05 10+ year member]

He be leanin' in da lac. lac.

 

[kmanian 5,000+ posts]

Another thing people overlook is the advancement in electronics and caps are included. Though their general build is essentially the same, they have gotten better. So while Richard Clark knows what he's talking about, times and advancement have changed.
Kmanian, Was there a point in your smarta$$ness? General rule of thumb 1farad for every 1k watts. A system that could draw 450 amperes would need at least a 10 farad bank. So lets be reasonable about this. There is a point when the power is far to great for a cap to have any real advantage. Anyone running 5k watts, he!! even 2k watts isn't really after SQ and if they think they are, they're fooling themselves. Headroom is a great thing to have, but for one to say they're running 2k+ watts is probably only using 500 of it. So in that sense one isn't really running 2k+ watts are they?

Caps came about, as stated, for the SQ competitor in that it helps smooth out the ripple in the DC voltage and to do what a battery can't and that is to provide a discharge of current on transient peaks. I'm on my way to an EE degree and while I don't know it all I do have my own reserved feelings/thought about caps, and whether anyone likes it or not, they do have their place.

Yes, because the answer for this particular problem is not a cap! The suggestion is not something that should be argued, as the basics dictate otherwise. I appreciate the Noobs getting involved, but as with any of us, when you put your suggestions or thoughts out there you are in the line of fire. This is the internet, no the Dr. Phil show, so smartassery is allowed and expected.

 

[kmanian 5,000+ posts]

I can't say that it WILL, but in most cases it does. There are a few variables to take into account, one being in the nature of his grounds, which has been stated by someone else. Every install I've done that the lights have dimmed, whether it's my own ride, a friends, or a customers, it has fixed the issue. The size of the alt does come into play on some. An 85 ampere alt w/a 250 ampere system, a cap wont fix that issue. So there are some variables to take into account.

Wow, not really something to brag about there. I personally can tell you that of all of the systems I have installed, less than a hand full have had a dimming issue. But then I am not one to try to run a 4000w system on a single stock battery. but that's just me.

 

[hatedonmostly 5,000+ posts]

I am not a troll...and you sir are definitely your username...and that would be...crisped. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

If you are just now realizing that I am a troll, you are just but a year and a half late.....

Good day sir //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

If you are just now realizing that I am a troll, you are just but a year and a half late.....
Good day sir //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

Wait...wot!? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

 

[Boldtothemax 10+ year member]

Lol at this thread.

And Lol at the OP asking why are his lights dimming with that beast of an amp on stock battery, LAWLERS! No matter how big your alty is.....

I shouldnt be surprised though, he has always been an idiot since day one.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Ok then the benefits of the smaller motor are less weight and better fuel economy off boost
and efficiency. You dont see a whole lot of DOHC V8's(thats where the head comments come in).

Fuel economy, maybe. Efficiency, no. 4-cylinder engines are not inherently more efficient simply because they have 4 less cylinders. Engine efficiency is defined by the cu in/hp ratio. And fuel economy is tough to compare, as the weight of the vehicle, its wind resistance, driving conditions and even the driver himself all come into play in such a comparison.

 

[SpeedEuphoria 10+ year member]

like I said not as many v8's are/were made with DOHC and pent roof heads compared to smaller motors. Most easily acquired V8's are not as efficient as the smaller motors that can be easily acquired. Yeah if the V8's were "up to par" it would make sense but due to them having enough power, to keep cost down they skimped on designs that are more efficient. Yes high end V8's have efficiency to match but cost $$$

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

Fuel economy, maybe. Efficiency, no. 4-cylinder engines are not inherently more efficient simply because they have 4 less cylinders. Engine efficiency is defined by the cu in/hp ratio. And fuel economy is tough to compare, as the weight of the vehicle, its wind resistance, driving conditions and even the driver himself all come into play in such a comparison.

Best answer I've seen to this! A V-8 loping along at 60-mph will get comparable fuel mileage to most 4-cylinder engines, especially a Non-OEM engine. Even my mom's '95 Z-28 will get 22-25mpg on the highway in 6th. I've also seen Carburated VW aircooled engines that will get 40+ mpg while making 130hp, 2056cc.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

like I said not as many v8's are/were made with DOHC and pent roof heads compared to smaller motors. Most easily acquired V8's are not as efficient as the smaller motors that can be easily acquired. Yeah if the V8's were "up to par" it would make sense but due to them having enough power, to keep cost down they skimped on designs that are more efficient. Yes high end V8's have efficiency to match but cost $$$

Then I think we can agree that comparing apples to oranges produces less than definitive conclusions.

This started out as a '4 cyl engine cars can be just as fast as 8 cyl cars' and devolved into dohc engines are more efficient than tradition pushrod designed engines.

 

[SpeedEuphoria 10+ year member]

I'll put my FWD 4cyl up against any FWD V8 you have all day every day, LOL

You can never compare apples to apples 1 is a 4cyl and the other is a v8 duh. If you want to do that then you can run a V8 at as low of boost as you want and in the same car I'll still get better gas mileage and = performance with a 4cyl. If you want to make over 1000hp then obviously the 4cyl is not a good choice for reliability

just saying of the production motors sold, the smaller motors tend to be more efficient than the V8's, mainly b/c they have to be

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

I'll put my FWD 4cyl up against any FWD V8 you have all day every day, LOL
You can never compare apples to apples 1 is a 4cyl and the other is a v8 duh. If you want to do that then you can run a V8 at as low of boost as you want and in the same car I'll still get better gas mileage and = performance with a 4cyl. If you want to make over 1000hp then obviously the 4cyl is not a good choice for reliability

just saying of the production motors sold, the smaller motors tend to be more efficient than the V8's, mainly b/c they have to be

I just sharted in my boxers. Your argument is invalid.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Your argument is invalid.

Par for the CA.com course...