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Silver Member Username: BlainewPost Number: 658 Registered: Nov-05 | i talked to some guy about what i can do besides getting a new alternator. he told that that i should get another battery ..and put it in my trunk...and have a battery isolator, so that when im at a stoplight i switch the switch to make the alt. only power one battery when im moving i switch it to both batts. is this a good way to do it?? it just seems wrong to make your alternator run 2 batts.. |
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Gold Member Username: Chaunb3400Huntsville, Alabama U.S. Post Number: 4259 Registered: Jul-05 | Just get the alternator, there is no alternative.. http://wickedcases.com/caraudio/charging.html |
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Gold Member Username: James1115Wilton, Ct Post Number: 4548 Registered: Dec-04 | Upgrading Your Charging System Alternators: As we said on the charging system basics page, the alternator supplies all of the power to all of the electrical accessories (amplifiers, lights, power windows, power seats...) as long as the engine is running. Upgrading the alternator is generally the most cost effective way to add more performance to your system. In the next few paragraphs I'll attempt to explain why other remedies may not solve your problem and may even make it worse. Many people want to know when they should replace their alternator. The short answer is... when it fails. If you just want the battery to remain charged and your present alternator is keeping it charged, it's doing its job. If you want a system to be as close to perfect as possible and money is no object, replace your alternator when you install the amplifiers. Extra batteries: Extra batteries are great if you want to listen to your system with the engine off. While the alternator is charging, the extra batteries will only draw current which could otherwise be going to your amplifiers. For proof, all you have to do is measure the voltage while the engine is running. It should be approximately 13.5-14.4 volts DC. Then turn the engine off and measure the battery voltage again. Now it'll be around 12-12.5 volts. Whenever the voltage at the battery is up around 14 volts, there is current flowing into the battery. One Farad capacitors: Large, one Farad, capacitors only help to maintain the charging voltage for a tiny fraction of a second under high current demand situations. They do a fine job of filling small dips in voltage and may help reduce your lights from dimming but they won't really solve your current supply problems if your alternator can't keep up. NOTE: Capacitors DO NOT increase the charging system's voltage. Battery Isolators: Battery isolators only prevent draining your starting battery when playing your system with the engine off. Most of the time they will actually rob power from your system. Diode type isolators will usually have a small voltage drop across the diodes (approximately .4 - .7 volts). This loss of voltage will dissipate power in the form of heat and unless you're freezing to death, it doesn't help matters. Solenoid type isolators don't have as much voltage loss as the diode based isolators but the solenoid coil does pull current. Some coils may pull as much as 3 amps of current. Now 3 amps of current isn't much but if you're using 2 solenoids and you're already having trouble with a weak alternator, it'll just add to your problem. BCAE1 |