spot_skater

so i think my alternator's been dying out, this is the third time i've had to replace it...
i'm running a 300w amp and powering it with an upgraded 80 amp alternator
it worked great for about a year, and a few days ago it died

i installed a new 80amp alternator, it worked good for three or four days, and then it decided to start dying out on day four

any ideas what it could be? or should i just disconnect the amp for a while and throw a power-cap on just to be safe?

also, is there anyway to get an alternator back up to snuff, or would i have to replace this one as well? (the current one still gets the car started, but it's real weak)

the voltmeter on my car is reading the battery at a hair under 12v, by the way

thanks

-james

spot_skater

so i think my alternator's been dying out, this is the third time i've had to replace it...
i'm running a 300w amp and powering it with an upgraded 80 amp alternator
it worked great for about a year, and a few days ago it died

i installed a new 80amp alternator, it worked good for three or four days, and then it decided to start dying out on day four

any ideas what it could be? or should i just disconnect the amp for a while and throw a power-cap on just to be safe?

also, is there anyway to get an alternator back up to snuff, or would i have to replace this one as well? (the current one still gets the car started, but it's real weak and i think it'll die soon)

the voltmeter on my car is reading the battery at a hair under 12v, by the way

thanks

-james

sorry if it double posts or anything, forum/comp is acting up

AsburyD

charge your batt. then check again.still a problem?
do you have an enternal or external voltage regulator?
the regulator has to energize the Alt. before it can begin charging. the Alt. will say on the side if the reg. is enternal if so take it back with your reciept and have them test it, remember, NEW doesn't mean GOOD.
since your problem was sudden and you didn't let the smoke out of your AMP (I hate when that happens) it's probably not your culprit. But the Caps are always a good idea, give your charging system a little breathing room. hope this helps.
David

ioTus

iTrader: (5)

IS YOUR ENGINE BLOCK GROUNDED?

My buddy was having wonky electrical issues, thought the alternator was going bad, thought there were shorts inside the car somewhere, nope, nothing. EDIT: It also toasted one alternator and he had to buy another!!!

Put a ground wire from the top of the engine block over to the drivers strut tower, the car ran better, started faster, stereo didnt cut out, lights didnt flicker, lights were BRIGHTer... Made a world of difference.

So tell me, is your engine block grounded?

spot_skater

i charged my battery, let it run for 10 minutes, turned the car off, then restarted, it started up, no problem

i did this a few times just to be safe, and the voltage continued to drop little by little, until the battery's voltage was below nine when trying to turn it over

this was also after i grounded my engine block

ALSO-- the "new" alternator wasn't new, it was from my step-dad's 88 na, which has a similar powered amp being run in it, and ran fine for years and was still running strong when i swapped them a few days ago

any other ideas what it could be?

thanks

9d7gst

Get a new battery. It might hold a charge, but little amps. I had the same problem with my Eclipse. Went through 3 alts before changing the battery with the last one. After that no problem.

faye x7

Take your battery to Advanced Auto parts or Autozone or wherever and have them test it for free. I believe they can check the alt too for free.