Ok ive been playing with my system for a good 8 or 9 months now. the only problem i have with it is it just pulls too much damn current. my volts drop almost to 8 when my subs hit when i got em cranked up. I have an optima red top battery and i have a 1 farad cap. My lights still dim like crazy at night. Im thinking i might swap in a new alternator to replace the stock style one. Probably the powermaster 140 amp alt i found a part# for easrlier. Im thinkin that might help or solve the problem. I already shorted out one sotck alternator therefore frying the wire back to that battery......that was over the summer.....note to self dont blast system at full balst with AC at full blast. So does anyone think this will help if i spring for this alternator? or should i get a bigger cap?

 

You don't need to get one of those really pricey alternators. Go to auto zone or Kragen and look at thier High output alternators, then ask them for each one what the amperage output is AT IDLE! That is most important. The wire from your alternator to the battery should be at least 8ga. high quality.

Also, you need another cap. Get another 1 farad, that amp you have draws a lot of current.

I have another battery in tha rear of my car as well as a 1.5 farad cap and a 140 amp alternator. That seems to do the trick.

 

I have two MA Audio SY7011DX's and my system pushes over 3000W. My lights used to dim reeeaaallly bad. I finally changed the power and ground to my alternator to 4awg. It made a huge difference. I still run my stock alternator and a DieHard Gold battery plus two 1Farad caps. Also, you need to make sure that you have a good size wire going from the - terminal of the battery to the chassis. This is what happens when you run the stock wire. I recomend changing to heavy gauge wire before you buy an expensive alternator. My next upgrade is to buy a BatCap 800 battery for the trunk and two Batcap 300's for the sub amps.

 

what gauge power wires are you running. i have a dimming lights problem too, with only 1000 watts. however, im sure it is because im running to small power wire, which will be fixed when i get the time.

 

DO NOT BUY AUTOZONE ALTERNATORS.

They make 2 different models for our cars: the 1 year and the lifetime. I actually had an autozone rep tell me the lifetime was built to higher standards....and when your lifetime quits on you they give you the 1 year version. Do yourself a favor and go to a CarQuest for a rebuilt/new AC Delco Alt.

 

Well i work at pep boys and there lifetime ones arent normally too bad. there one years suck. But thats what i got in there now n its just not strong enough to power my stsem since it pulls so damn much juice. I'll have to upgrade the wire to 4 gauge too im runnin the stock size right now.

 

you def need a bulky alternator..and check the amp on the fuse...i believe(dont quote me on it) 80 amp is the highest...i had the same problem..just installed new alternator and march power and amp pulleys..works great now

 

Yeah im definitly thinkg of gettin that powermaster....ill porbably thorw on a 4 gauge wire this weekend to the old alternator n then order the powermaster.
Im just going to run the 4 guage right off my alternator to the positive battery cable. Im going to leavethe old small wire on there as well since it goes to a distribution block.
thanks for the help guys.

 

Quote:

you need to make sure that you have a good size wire going from the - terminal of the battery to the chassis.

I second that.
I used to have the same problem, and a good ground path from battery to chasis solved it.