salvamex89

ok i install everytin perfect only thing is that the battery is weak and wat do i do?....new battery or wat?..is der anytin i can buy?....o yea and how much shud the battery gauge say cuz mine stays on 12-13....

Jproz1167

iTrader: (3)

you can get towing insurance

1990_RS350

That shouldn't be happening... Get an Optima yellowtop. If its like on bada** system then get get another battery and throw it in the back. ...perhaps a more powerful altenator?

Wadebryant

Before you start throwing money and parts at it, have the charging system checked. It's a free service at most chain auto parts stores.

Did the battery drain condition begin after the stereo installation?

If the battery or altenator are in need of replacement, it would probably be a good time to inspect and or replace the belts also.

If you do decide to step up to the Optima battery, make sure you choose the yellow top. Optima will not warranty red tops if your car is equipped with an aftermarket high end amp powered stereo system.



Good luck

86NiteRider

iTrader: (10)

I installed a Sears Die Hard for SUV's so it was an upgrade of the battery called for our cars. What I liked about it besides the increase in power amperage, it has both side post and top post. I use the side post for the car and the top post for my power to my amp.

galvarado

Use a good capacitor and a stronger alternator. I'm using a 160amp alternator and haven't had any problems since. I can have the lights on, a/c running and stereo on and the ammeter will read just a hair above 13. At stop lights it'll read either right at 13 or just a bit below but again, I haven't had any battery problems since the capacitor and the high amp alternator.

Thanks,

Gene

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

sounds like the turn on lead on the amps is on constant power instead of switched ignition only power and the amp is pulling the battery down.

migman

CAPACITOR.

archemedes

check the charging system, if it's good then the alternator is too weak. (a cap is to keep lights from flashing, an extra battery is for longer key off run times)

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Could easily be, especially if the problem didn't exist before the install.

JamesC

cdoyle

Is the battery going dead while the engine is running?

If so, then you have an alternator problem, or some sort of charging problem. Once you start the car, the alternator takes over.

Have that tested first before you start buying stuff.

TheBandit

if its only from the system and the car cant handle it, i would go BIG3, h/o alt, and new battery.. please dont get a capacitor, its like the 1,000,000th time i've said it.. there useless dont buy one

aceman1

get a new bat. i was having the same problem so i got a new batt yesterday and bam it is working great can listen as loud as i want for as long as i want. i got no cap and the stock alt.

archemedes

why do you say they are useless? They get misused many times, but they save alternators. I see alot of cars with dimming lights and that is when you use a cap

cdoyle

A cap is most often used as a bandaid for a inadequate charging system.
If your charging system isn't up to the demands of the system. Putting a cap into the mix is just adding another strain into the system.

For dimming lights, it's best to do the Big 3 first and then if the blinking lights persist upgrade your alternator.

archemedes

upgrading the alternator still may not help, caps are misused very often as a bandaid, but they have a place in a properly designed system, also keep in mind many of the high output alternators are useless at idle

cdoyle

Here is a great FAQ regarding Capacitors written by GlassWolf.

He explains the purpose and proper use of a capacitor. What one will do, and what it won't do.

http://www.caraudiocentral.net/forum...ead.php?t=1888

redsunshine_91

When the car running what is the voltage with a test gauge on on your batt. From what I believe if you have less than 14 volts it aint charging. I have had this problem before are you running performance pulleys becase that will do it.

aceman1

chek the batt it is doing awesome for me it solved my problems. it is the source of ti all.

terrorhertz

Salvamx89,
take your battery to your local advance/autozone and have them charge it and load test it. If it passes then have then charge it back to full capacity( many don't do this step). then put it or the new one back in the car. clean all terminals and connectors when you do. Wire brush works well here. also disconnect both ends of the ground cable and clean it and the area on the chassi that is connects to. Do the same on your system install grounds. There must be a clean metal to metal contact. No paint or grease in the connection
use a voltmeter(not the volt meter in the car's dash) to measure the voltage with the engine off. It should read 12.5 volts but could read higher since the battery was recently charged( residual voltage from the chemical proccess of chargeing is normal). IF you read less than 12.5V at this point then something in your car is drawing from the battery very quickly and drawing a lot of current that isn't connected/turned on through the ignition switch. Your stereo system should be off for this test. So If a component's light is on then it is suspect. Check it's wireing schem.
If it passes then start the car with the system off and check the voltage with the voltmeter. It should read 14.5 volts. if it is less than 14V then the altinator is probably going bad.
If it passes then turn on as many electronic things in the car as you can without the stereo. Measure the voltage again with the engine still running.
If it drops below 13V then it is a component in the car that is drawing your charging system down and possably not your stereo.
If it passes then start the stereo and turn it up with the engine still running. Measure the voltage to see if it stays above 13V. If it drops below 13V then you need a higher output altinator . Your car and stereo are drawing more current than the altinator can supply so it can't keep the battery charged.
Beyond this there could be a wireing problem with in your car or in the system wireing of your stereo but this test will tell if the fault is in the charging system or not.
I'd also like to point out that adding extra batteries or capacitors will only make matters worse. While the engine is running and the altinator is supplying voltage then batteries and capacitors only drain more current from the altinator. They are loads on the chargeing system. They do not supply their own power but rely on the altinator to give it to them.
A capacitor will supply quick transit voltage to the amps for a short period of time to keep them from clipping when the batteries cannot supply it. Batteries use a chemical proccess to make current and therefore can't supply quick amounts of current to the amps like a capacitor can. They supply a semi-steady stream of current. A capacitor can't supply longtime current in the way that a battery can. It can only supply current for mSec or uSec or less at a time, but much quicker than the battery. If you use a capacitor then place it electricly as close to the amp(s) that it is supplimenting as possable. It will not reduce the draw of current on the chargeing system but it will help your music quality by supplying current for short periods of time when the battery can't for musical transit spikes.
An extra battery is also an extra load on the charging system. The altinator has to charge it too. If you have a diode splitter or switch on the extra battery so that the stereo doesn't draw current from it then when you run down your main battery then you still will have the extra battery to start and run your car to get you home.
I hope this helps. I'll be back in the forum for a while. I have a few of my own questions on EPROM programming I'm seeking help for. So I'll check in to see how the troubleshooting goes.
I'd like to also apoligize to eveyone for such a long post. I hate long posters. They put me to sleep! But this a troubleshooting proccess.

Iroctopless

No apology necessary. Great post. There was a lot of ignorant posts that weren't even in the ballpark. Example; a capacitor can play a role in a properly designed audio system based around a fully functioning and adequate charging circuit, but as salvamex89 orginally posted, he currently doesn't have one.

I hope he has success in solving his problem.

Regarding your comments on the extra battery, I ran into the exact situations that you mentioned (running the battery dead). In a different car (not my Camaro), after making sure my charging system was up to handling the second battery, I added an isolator and stereo dedicated second battery (deep cycle) and boy it was sure nice. I could go to parties and shows and operate the stereo all day until the battery died. Then, like you say, jump in, start the car and drive away.
But as you said, everything else must first be up to par before you start adding any additional electrical loads.

terrorhertz

Thanks for the kind words topless,
After reading the responses I thought I should chime in. I did like the post about getting towing insurance though. The charging system is the heart of any stereo system but is often the most overlooked. I don't remember ever showing off my charging system at parties! And I really don't like listening to my charging system either.
I forgot to mention in my previous post that if at any point in the testing that you find a problem and then fix it that you need to go back to square one and start over with the test and go through it all until you complete all the tests. You could have more than one problem. And if in the future if you add any more components then you should go through this test every time to make sure that your charging system is up to par with the new upgrades.

archemedes

I agree, and if the charging system is in good overall condition then put other things on, and always test using a load tester not turning all the accessories on (I have seen a ton of people bring cars into shops with bad alternators and say it can't be bad since it charges with the lights on)

shaolink9

one fix which ie found helps is to have a smaller pulley put on ur altenator. but this depends on when the current draw occurs.

archemedes

reminds me, if the crank pulley has been changed you need to do the alternator pulley also

josegee

I have the same problem also, or had, don't know how big my amp is but when I try to turn on the car it seems dead so we remove the amp from the battery or the wiring and it works but my dad did something, haven't asked him yet, and now it works like a charm

cdoyle

that sounds like the amp wasn't turning off when you shut the car off, was the remote wire from the amp hooked to a switched 12V?

josegee

I don't feel like getting up and asking him, but I THINK it was a problem wit the wire.