Ok so I just got my HO alternator from Iraggi with 180amps max/100amps idle, a Kinetik 1800 battery, all 1/0 guage power and ground wires, and two new class D Memphis amps that are about 1200 rms combined. My headlights do not dim anymore since I upgraded my alt and battery but I want to add a second battery just in case so my system has a battey of its own and my car's other stuff has theirs. If I did add a second battery, should it be another Kinetik 1800 or can it be an 800 and if so, could I wire the second one right to the alt or should I wire it to the other battery? Thanks in advance.
If your system if working good the way it is, I'd highly advise you not to change anything.
An HO alternator and a Kinetik 1800 is an excellent electrical system.
But if you do want to have a separate battery for the audio system, you would have to use a battery isolator. This is fairly expensive, and won't make any difference while driving, as the alternator still has to charge both batteries no matter what you do. What it does do is prevent the car's battery from being drained by the audio system if you play it with the motor off.
Ok so i've just clocked on what a battery isolator is. I've been calling it a Split Charge relay all this time.
from my understanding of what i found out. having an isolator is pretty useless. I only say this because i was told the two batteries charge at different rates so someone said that i'd have to buy something else in order to make sure that both batteries were getting charged correctly.
In the end i just connected both battereis together.
You can't just wire two batteries in parallel unless they're exactly the same (model and date). If you do, look foreword to having two dead batteries soon. All batteries have a small amount of internal resistance. If you wire two in parallel with slightly different resistances, each will see the other and a small load, and current will constantly flow between them until both are drained.
OK so I maybe I don't need a separate battery for my system but IF I did want to add one, could I add another 1800 battery in the trunk next to the amp and wire it right to the alt with the other battery that way I wouldn't have to worry bout an isolator or relay. My system used to make my lights dim like crazy even with a Tsunami 10 farad cap. It helped for like a month then they went back to dimming. But when it comes right down to it, you HAVE to upgrade your alt because stock alts are meant to power stock equipment. I learned the hard way but now I get plenty of power with steady voltage, I just wanted to get a totally separate battery for my system to make sure I'm giving it enough power. So, does anyone say I should just stick with one 1800 and my HO alt? Or would a second battery be any help at all for me?
But if you did want to add another battery, you would need an 1800 identical to the one in front. Ideally you would even want to be manufactured around the same time. To wire it, you would just run + and - wires to the front battery + and -.
^^ thats how i wired both my batteries. Did not know about the small load though. might have to take the second battery out if anything, you know i don't even need the second one anymore i just use it cos i spent money on it
anyway, i wouldn't bother with a second battery. It's a hassle that you don't really need unless you want competition sounds with many amps and subs. Your new alt should be more than enough to cover the car and the 1200rms you got. You have to remember that the biggest drain is during a big bass line and not everything you listen to is gonna have constant heavy bass so your battery should stay charged. Thats my opinion anyway.
Competition is where having more batteries does help, it helps a lot, since the batteries are supplying the power. (in most street classes the engine has to be off).
Daily driving, you won't notice an audible difference.
Alright then. I won't buy another 1800 battery. I thought it would help it in some way but I have no problems with what I got and my new Memphis class D amps are more efficient than that stupid Profile I had and my Iraggi alt is excellent. Ha, if it aint broke, don't fix it I guess. Thanks to everyone for the input. I'm not getting a more powerful system anyways until I get a new vehicle. I love what I got and I've won two local comps and got third at another. I'm probably in the top 5 loudest systems in my town but I wish someday to have something like what Steve Meade has. Lotta money though.
^^^^Yeah but it can be done. You just gotta have the patience and in the end, it will be worth it. I know I could probably make something like his Tahoe but that's a lot of money. Realistically I would get maybe one 18" of FI or RE. I've heard those BTLs like to blow their voice coils but they're a lot cheaper than RE's stuff. Anyways, my charging system is great now but I still have major rattling in my trunk area. I put a layer of Dynamat Xtreme on my trunk lid and even put expanding foam in between the sheet metal before I put it on to help make it even more dense. Do you all think maybe some weather stripping for campers would work if I put it around kinda where the gasket is or is that a bad idea? Also, the vent in my trunk rattles like crazy and I was thinking about cutting it out and fiberglassing it over. Is that a bad idea? Please tell me anything that might help my rattles because it gets kinda embarrassing after a while.
What do you mean by the vent in your trunk?Are you talking about the vent from the trunk to the passenger cabin?If so,make a nice,big fiberglass port and paint it to match your interior.You can also cut out the deck or run aero ports through the seat and if you do flared aero ports it can still come out looking nice.If I were you I'd pick up another seat from the boneyard and pratice on that one or if you find one that matches your interior then install that one with the ports and if you want to get rid of the car put your old seat back in.
No it's not to the cabin area or even around the backseats. When I took all the carpet out of my trunk to put some Dynamat in, on the left side towards the tail light and down a bit is a vent with flaps on it. I thought it was useless but my teacher says it's for letting the air escape so the trunk can close and so fresh air can get in. But wouldn't the trunk lid close fine without it? And I've seen a small opening to the backseat area around where the seatbelt thingy is so air will move no matter what. I don't like it cause that's where most of my rattles come from now. My car is a 1997 Geo Prizm if that helps.
