TonyTurboII

Ok, Ive got a real simple question. When the bass hits on my daily driver, the lights dim. According to the gauge, it drops to about 12 volts. Now the question is, what would be the more appropriate action to remedy the problem. I see 3. A capacitor, an upgraded alternator, and an extra battery. Ive pretty much ruled out the cap, it seems like a band-aid to me. If theres another more appropriate solution please let me know. As of right now I can get a 200amp alternator for my truck, it seems like a high number to me.

Vehicle Specs:
2000 Blazer, 4ga wire to infinity kappa 200x2 with 2 kenwoods on each channel

Tony

journey

Bigger wire and a better battery are your two biggest things. A better alternator will go a long way too, but on my car(89 FC) my system was pulling ~1500W(1200x1W jbl amp, 75x4 alpine amp), and was dimming a bit with average battery(whatever the last owner had), and 4 guage wire, i upgraded to 2G, and an optima red top battery, and i no longer get dimming. Still using the stock alternator, but i at least want to have it rewound when i find some money.

Erik

TonyTurboII

I dont think I need bigger wire yet. I mean damn, im not pushing 1200 watts.

TonyTurboII

^

KeithC

A cap will most likley help the dimming but you should make sure everything else is in order before spending a bunch of money.

1. Upgrade the factory positive wire that runs from the alternator to the battery. Its probably 8 gauge, upgrade it to at least 4 gauge.

2. If you did the install you should know if ALL of the connections from the battery post back to the amp are tight. If you had it done, check every connection. There should be sufficient surface area and clamping pressure at every connection point. This includes the ground connection to the chassis at the amp.

An upgraded alternator will fix the dimming, but it's an expensive fix. High output alternators tend to have a shorter lifespan than factory ones. Especially if you don't get a good one. Rewinding an alternator for higher output to go in a daily driver is simply a bad idea.

There is a way to find out if a better battery will help but it requires a digital volt meter with a record feature.

Attach the meter to the battery. Play some heavy bass music with the truck at 2000 RPMs or so. Record the voltage for 20 or 30 seconds. If the average voltage recorded is above 12.3 volts, a bigger battery won't help much. If the voltage is less than 11.8 volts, get a bigger battery.....or an upgraded alt.

TonyTurboII

Ive found a Chevy Upgraded 200 amp alternator, it fits basically all new Chevy trucks. Ill try the battery thing. Couldnt I just watch it while someone else holds the throttle?

I did infact install it all myself, however I used smash type connectors. Id like to use something that resembles w fuse holder with an allen screw smashing the wire instead of trying to smash somethingwith my pliers.

IplayanRG

You definately don't need a bigger power wire if it is 4AWG and you are running 200X2!
Check the alternator and battery connections first. Also check the alternator belt. If it is slipping even a little it can lower alt. output.