actual results
That's a bandaid and isn't ruling out anything. It will not overcome a weak/dying battery, it will prevent the charge from getting through the rest of the circuit. It will also not compare to the benefit of doing the big3 - more power, better MPGs, brighter lights, stronger blower/fans...all from experience. The fact that the headlights dimmed WITH the battery charger on there is even more telling...you have a charging problem that is causing/contributing. You asked for advice, you got some good suggestions, not just from me and yet you keep finding reasons not to act on most/all of them. Act on the cheapest ones first. Remember, your tuner is not a trouble shooter, that's probably not what he's good at and definitely not where he makes his money. You need to solidify the charging system on your TWENTY YEAR OLD CAR. If you do nothing, you will keep chasing your tail and be unhappy.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,291
Likes: 3,616
From: Central Cal.
That's a bandaid and isn't ruling out anything. It will not overcome a weak/dying battery, it will prevent the charge from getting through the rest of the circuit. It will also not compare to the benefit of doing the big3 - more power, better MPGs, brighter lights, stronger blower/fans...all from experience. The fact that the headlights dimmed WITH the battery charger on there is even more telling...you have a charging problem that is causing/contributing. You asked for advice, you got some good suggestions, not just from me and yet you keep finding reasons not to act on most/all of them. Act on the cheapest ones first. Remember, your tuner is not a trouble shooter, that's probably not what he's good at and definitely not where he makes his money. You need to solidify the charging system on your TWENTY YEAR OLD CAR. If you do nothing, you will keep chasing your tail and be unhappy.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,699
Likes: 168
From: Wilmington, DE
That's a bandaid and isn't ruling out anything. It will not overcome a weak/dying battery, it will prevent the charge from getting through the rest of the circuit. It will also not compare to the benefit of doing the big3 - more power, better MPGs, brighter lights, stronger blower/fans...all from experience. The fact that the headlights dimmed WITH the battery charger on there is even more telling...you have a charging problem that is causing/contributing. You asked for advice, you got some good suggestions, not just from me and yet you keep finding reasons not to act on most/all of them. Act on the cheapest ones first. Remember, your tuner is not a trouble shooter, that's probably not what he's good at and definitely not where he makes his money. You need to solidify the charging system on your TWENTY YEAR OLD CAR. If you do nothing, you will keep chasing your tail and be unhappy.
the guy who tuned the car runs a full service shop and simply does performance stuff to keep his sanity in check. cant do ball joints and brakes everyday and still be happy even tho its easy money. hes also a fabricator, engine assembler, does transmissions and has worked for one of the most well known shops on the east coast. im not saying you think he doesnt know how to trouble shoot, but just wanted to throw it out there why i let him keep the car a lot longer than he should have had it......cause i trust him with it.
and btw not becuase of this but i decided to sell the car and move onto a c6. that platform fits me car goals much better. but i will address the charging stuff.
If they dimmed during normal driving, that's an even bigger indicator of a charging problem. I can tell you it's not standard practice to put a battery charger on during dyno runs - or at all unless there is an issue.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,699
Likes: 168
From: Wilmington, DE
it only dimmed under WOT at night time. it wasnt on there every time it dynoed. car would sit for weeks or months at a time then battery would be dead when he would mess with it again so the charger went on at the beginning of the dyno pulls cause battery had nothing in it snd obviously you need juice for tuning it. as stated, he had tons of pulls into this and if he did ever put it on to "see what it would do" it was to try and find an issue since he literally was trying to think of every possible thing it could be. assumed charging issue was on that list, and after i brought that suggestion to him when you guys mentioned it, thats when he told me he thought that at one time as well hence throwing charger on there just for kicks
2 additional key items I have not seen addressed:
1. If only one of the 255lph pumps is on, that could be causing this. The power level he is making is at/just past the capacity of the 255 pump, assuming it has full current available. It was recommended early on to use and tune for both pumps.
If he is using both pumps, this will be a significant extra draw on the charging system - it was designed for 1 pump and they are hogs.
2. He should put a mechanical FP gauge on the car at the rail and run the thing again to verify he is getting enough fuel on the top end.
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On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 182
Likes: 11
From: North Vanacouver , BC
Had a similar problem, it was a couple month old alternator and it would stop charging after 5000 rpm, putting in a new one solved the problem . This was a truck alternator . Lucky I didn't blow my engine up , I'm running my fuel pump right to its flow limit and once the voltage dropped to 11volts the AFRs spiked to 14:1 and this was at 14lbs of boost lol .
I run Powermasters and love them. If it ever *****, you send it back to them and they fix for the cost of parts only. Solid American piece. You could go Mechman but that's probably overkill($$) unless you are also running a kilowatt+ sound system. You probably need a new battery too. I replace mine at 3 years because this Texas heat kills them. I just replaced 2 in my truck (dual setup) that were 4 years old and it fixed a driveability issue I was having. Your charging issues didn't do it any favors either, it's really common for a bad/weak battery to kill an alt, and vice versa can happen too. I like the Everstart Maxx from Communistmart, to get any better you have to spend double - like DieHard Platinum. An alt, the Big 3, and a new battery - you're around 500-600 in parts. You will be shocked at the difference and I am betting will fix, or at least improve your situation. I'd still pop the second pump on, you are at the limit of a single 255 that is getting enough current.
They range from 16,000-20,000 rpm. Since your balancer is way bigger than alternator pulley a lot of time the ratio is 3 to 1 so 6,000 motor is 18,000 alternator. Check your pulley sizes. I think the mechman is like 20,000 rpm. A lot of times the higher amp ones use a small pulley to get amps up but you got to watch it on the top end.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,699
Likes: 168
From: Wilmington, DE
keep in mind tho, my tuner said on a car the truck alt can function at rpms higher than 6000 rpms since the car alt is 1 inch smaller.......still no updates yet
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,699
Likes: 168
From: Wilmington, DE
so i installed a new battery, no change.
added a new 1/0 positive alt to bat
added a new 1/0 alt ground to frame
added a new 1/0 battery ground to frame
all no change
got a mechman 250 with larger pulley and......
added a new 1/0 positive alt to bat
added a new 1/0 alt ground to frame
added a new 1/0 battery ground to frame
all no change
got a mechman 250 with larger pulley and......
Last edited by Floorman279; Jul 21, 2021 at 05:12 PM. Reason: .....
