hey guys,im concerned about electrical system for my spring/summer
setup..i'll be running a 2000 w rms amp for the subs and about 400w for my mids

im no doubts gonna replace my 120amp alt but what amperage should i look at?
how much is that gonna impact the mileage of my vehicle (i get about 12 mpg)

so far i have an optima yellow top and wiring for the big 3 and plan on adding
a second battery what else should i be looking into?

thanks

 

get something around 200-250A
dont really need anything more.

if it was me, i would run more batterys which would equal the price of a new alt.

 

yeah but once again about the alts...im concerned about the mileage loss
any idea what kinda mpg i will be getting?
the battery idea sounds really good to...i will for sure add a second one once i
get the project going

 

compare that to your stock alternator....about 2x the power. How much more fuel, not a hell of a lot, considering the alternator is only producing what it needs to and not always at full output. If you drive around at full volume on your stereo, then you might notice a difference, otherwise don't worry about it.

 

cool...thanks veeman

 

You'll notice a drop in MPG because when the amp is sucking back the juice the alternator will need more HP to produce it from the engine. Of course, this will only happen when you're pounding the system, but isn't that the whole point of getting a high output alt?

 

sure...if you want to go deaf real fast...to suck enough juice to significantly alter your fuel milage would require you to be blasting the system at full power constantly. i don't know anyone that can stand 1500-2500 watts for any real length of time without going nuts. If you can, then go for it, and realize that the 2-3 horse power extra that your alternator will use, will amount to...not a hell of a lot in terms of fuel usage. I'd be more worried with the cost of hearing aids in the near future.

 

A h/o alt won't have hardly any impact on fuel economy.

At 12mpg, you may want to look at things like a better exhaust system, cold air intake, and if it is real wheel drive, convert to electric fans. Each of these will add 1-3 mpg better.

 

absolutely no effect that you'll notice. You can't listen to your system long enough, or loud enough to make a difference that you can measure accurately. Trust me, I've had 200, 250, 300 and even a 400 amp dual alternator set up in my vehicles over the years, and none of them altered my fuel economy to the point that I noticed it.