tdunks

Ok so I just put a system in my 2000 nissan altima. It has a 300W 4 channel alpine amp, a 500W alpine mono amp, 12" 500w Alpine type R Sub wired for 2ohm and 4 70W kenwood 6.5" 3-way speakers. I have also upgraded the big 3 by adding 1AWG welding wire without removing the existing wire.

Even after this i am getting voltage drops to 13/12 volts flipping back and fourth when i have a bass heavy song playing. The voltmeter i have is only accurate to 1 full volt so it reads 14 with no music and 12/13 volts when playing. I am also noticing the bass gets a lot less kick after playing for a while.

Everything on the car other than sound and wire upgrades is stock, Does anybody know what i can do to fix the problem for the least ammount of $$ because I am pretty much broke.

Thanks for any help!

Nagamitsu

iTrader: (1)

Bad battery/alternator?

tdunks

Is there any way to isolate either of these?

Nagamitsu

iTrader: (1)

Possibly. It may be that the load on the alternator, the alternator can't take the load and struggling with providing the power/charge to the battery.

If battery is original to the car, and hence battery is 10 years old, it might be worth replacing the battery anyways. The only other option is then considering changing the factory alternator to one that has a higher output.

tdunks

I just didn't think the draw on the alternator would be that bad off of only 800 watts, the actual age of the battery is unknown as we bought it used a month or so ago

tdunks

Also I haven't noticed any light dimming or other issues either, only the voltage drop and sound getting muddy

DeadlySones

iTrader: (4)

Do you have a slow charge battery charger? like 1 or 2A? If so, charge your battery over night and see if that helps.

You might notice it make a difference for a day or two then go back to normal. If so, you need a stronger batt, to absorb some of the draw. I slow charge mine every once and while. It helps as its only a CT eliminator.

Spawn-Inc

iTrader: (1)

where is the voltage being read from?

what size wiring is going to the trunk?

tdunks

I have 1 awg wire going from battery into passenger compartment at the distro block, with 8awg going from around glove box to under both front seats.

Also, sorry for the misinformation but i am now getting some headlight dimming.

wvince

tdunks. I have almost the same setup as you. 800w of power with 1 12" sub and 2 sets of mids and highs. I am also running a CTC eliminator battery. I have done the big 3 and get a little headlight dimming when the bass kicks. It's barely noticable but it's there. I did like DeadlySones does and slow charge the battery every once in awhile. Seems to revive it for a day or 2. I really noctice the difference in the morning when starting the car. Power windows go up and down faster too. I'm running an honest 4awg wire from the bat to the amps. Get a little voltage drop on heavy bass. I've got a high output alt on the way. 3x the stock output. I'm also going to invest in a better battery.

I would say invest in a good battery first. It will provide the power your amps need on demand. The alternator would need to be at least 60A more than the stock one in order to just keep up to 800w RMS of power. I'm still running the 800w through a 50A fuse too. Can't believe I haven't blown it yet. lol!

I'm currently running this system on the stock alt and bat size in a '96 Civic.

Side note: Volts x Amps = Watts eg 14V x 60A = 840w