Halo1

I just recently experienced a sudden drop in voltage in my car. My voltage droped down to 12.5 volts and didn't come back up...At first I though I blew my alternator or somthing but as it turns out it was something else causing the problem.

I have a DELCO 140 amp alternator, providing juice to my OPTIMA group 31 yellow top----Via 4 gauge and 8 gauge power wires. These wires are connected to my Batteries post using standard gold ring crimp terminals...the power wire connected to the alternator is connected via screw ring terminal.

I inspected the power ring terminal connected to the alternator and found out that the wire inside the ring terminal came very loose, thus causing my severe voltage drop.

I concluded that using a screw typ ring terminal for power connections was in-effective at transfering power to my battery efficiently...the screw that touches the power wire is only 1/8 think!!???...for a 1 gauge ring terminal.

I ended up replacing it with a Canadian Tire screw on ring terminal where you thread the power wire the the screw then screw the ring terminal onto the screw...this type of ring terminal causes the wire inside to fit snuggly and very tightly inside the ring terminal, without any spaces or small pockets where charring could occur.


Beacuse of the increased surface area that the wire takes up inside the ring terminal, I have absolutly no voltage loss at any listening level... and my amplifiers now see a Rock Solid 14.2 volts even during peak music transient...thus causing my amplifiers to stay very cool.


If any-one is looking for a way to keep a rock steady voltage to their amps, then I recommend checking all your ring terminals to ensure that there is proper power transfer to your amps or batteries without any signal loss.

The screw type ring terminals lose alot of voltage thus sacrificing precious alternator power to your battery and amps. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

SUX 2BU

iTrader: (1)

Glad to see you resolved your problem. I just installed a series of common setscrew-ring terminals on my wire and have had no problems, nor have I in past using them so I'm not sure why you did. I tighten the screws down good though. Oh, I see what you are saying about the 1/8" screw but what about the metal in the ring terminal barrel surrounding the bared wire? That should provide electron flow too [img]graemlins/dunno.gif[/img]

Halo1

If you think about it...that little screw pushes the wire DOWN...doing that alone allows for a 30-40% decrease in surface contact area of the wire and ring terminal, because the screw acts as the only conducter between the wire and ring terminal instead of the whole ring terminal.

Sassmaster

iTrader: (2)

Car audio screw down terminals are not properly designed... look at any industrial power pug, and you'll see that the set screw is as wide as the entire hole that the conductor can fit through.