Here's the deal, I've got an '05 F-150 with a pioneer head unit, 2 Audiobahn 12" subs and a 3500 watt amp, currently running at about 1900 watts @ 2 Ohms RMS. I've been watching my voltage drop alot more lately when I'm sitting at red lights. At driving speeds, the voltage stays around 14.0 to 13.6. When I sit at a red light however, it goes as low as 12.7. I have to pretty much turn off the amp at night, as all my lights get some dim and flicker on the hard bass notes. I've heard I need a bigger battery... or a H.O. Alternator ... and a few other opinions. What do I really need to do to stop this?
2007-12-22 09:05:22 · 8 answers · asked by Jason 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Audio
Just get a bigger Alternator and it wouldn't hurt to get a bigger battery. Or your belt might be loose so get that checked out before you do anything.
2007-12-22 09:25:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your total system power is 1000 watts RMS or more, you will need to:
1. Upgrade the alternator to a high output alternator
2. Upgrade to a heavy duty deep cycle battery
3. Upgrade the "Big 3" - that is to replace the power wire between the battery and alternator, the ground from the battery to the chassis and the ground strap from the engine/tranny to the chassis with at least 1/0 AWG wire.
Failure to do this will result in you replacing them anyway as the alternator will eventually fail.
Here is a guide that will calculate what size alternator and power wires you need http://www.datafilehost.com/download.php?file=6d26c621
A second battery is never a good idea as it's an added strain on the alternator to charge two batteries AND supply power for the car. The ONLY time a second battery is useful is if the audio system is to be used with the car off.
A cap is only good so far as the audio system isn't trying to pull too much from the electrical system. A cap doesn't provide more power, it's designed to 'stiffen' the voltage to the amp, nothing esle. If the current isn't there, a cap won't help. The alternator must have at least 20% more amperage power than the entire vehicle and sound system combined for a cap to be of benefit which is ironically the same requirements for an amp to be efficient.
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Hey a4675,
what a relay does is nothing like a transformer.
It's a switch controlled by a voltage, that's it.
2007-12-22 09:42:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
First get a H.O. alternator. Next look into the "big 3" upgrade (www.the12volt.com for more info). That is fairly easy to do and is faily cheap. If you are still having problems after that look into a better battery.
Upgrade those components in the order that i gave and you will be good. The alternator is the most important part so that will need to be the most important part. The big 3 upgrade does work very well in most cars and can actually make a very big difference.
2007-12-22 17:28:04 · answer #3 · answered by MDC 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the simple fact is ur sound system is runing too much power than what ur vehicle is capable of producing for it to run effectively without power dips...theres no point trying change components of ur sound system or ur cars electricle...
the reason the power dips is cos from ur battery to the rest of the vehicle there are heaps of points where power is distributed...each distribution point the power gets less and less...
when ur car is in idle mode it is being drained even more because the engine isnt giving the extra power it needs so it dips even more...
what u should do is go to an electirician and get the to put a relay in ur car...what a relay does is sort of like a transformer...it recieves a certain amount of power into it and instead of loosing the power after that point it transforms it and amplifiese it so then the power is evenly distributed nd u can crank the system to full power and u wont have any dips at all...
2007-12-22 11:19:57 · answer #4 · answered by a4675 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
You need to run the 12 volt power wire for your equipment directly back to the battery with its own separate fuse link.
2007-12-22 09:12:52 · answer #5 · answered by jimmymae2000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what people don't realize is when you install components that require more juice you have to have the right parts to drive them, a stock alternator, battery, etc. wasn't meant to do it , so yes upgrade something worth doing is worth doing right
2007-12-22 09:19:04 · answer #6 · answered by mark c 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can get a bigger battery. that would help. you do not need alternator tho. do you have a compasitor hooked up with your amp? also known as (CAP). this stores power so it wont drain your battery so much. cheap fix too
2007-12-22 10:38:43 · answer #7 · answered by preston b 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The best answer is to install a power capacitor its a relative easy fix that will stop the problem I had the same problem in my civic with my SPL 820 and and my two infinity tens
2007-12-22 11:09:13 · answer #8 · answered by frogger0886 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋