I have (2)10" inch sony xplod subs right now, each rated at 200rms, a sony xplod 1000 watt amp and a 1 farad cap in my car right now. Im going to be putting in (2) 12" subs 1200w rated at 350rms, an xplod 1600 watt amp, as well as an xplod amp to power my speakers ((4)6.5's in my car). Does anyone think I should buy a stronger alternator? Maybe a second battery to run my subs off of so my main battery doesn't make my lights dim. Any thoughts, opinion, suggestions would be appreciated.
I would suggest a bigger alternator (200 amp). As far as the lights dimming....Either get another capacitor or replace the ground wire on your battery with a lower gauge. The only thing a second battery is going to do is keep the system playing longer without the engine running.
I'd suggest forgetting sony and going with better equipment firstly. sony is about the worst brand for car audio there is. after that, realize that "1100 watts" and "1600 watts" are peak ratings, and meaningless. the amps really only put out around 250 watts x 2. their specs are misleading.
Thanks for the advice, I also have another question. Sometimes when I turn the key to start my car, the car won't start up, but if I pop the hood and just slightly jiggle the power wire that runs to my amp, the car will start right up. It seems to happen about every 3rd or 4th time I start my car. Anyone know why this is happening?
Try cleaning the terminals with a wire brush. Corrosion likes to cause problems like that. Also, check the connection from the wire clamp to the wire and the battery to make sure its a solid connection.
He's talking about the actual battery terminal. Sometimes with a bad connection a bunch of corrosion can build up over time. There's a special round wire brush(with a hole in it) you can use to remove this layer of corrosion off the battery posts. A little baking soda and water can help too. Foams up really neat if there's a bunch.
example, I was working on my Charger when I first got it and found out the negative battery terminal connector was pushed on and barely in place. it was making a loose conection which made starting the car difficult. the wire was also half chewed through from old age and wear. granted it all got replaced with 1/0ga later but initially it was a problem. looked solid from a glance but when I grabbed it, the terminal came off the battery in my hand.