Not enough current?
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14 Second Truck Club
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From: Chicago, Il
Not enough current? I have my new subs and amp hooked up, and when I get it cranked up the headlights dim and the volt gauge drops to 12ish. After a little while the radio will cut in and out. It even dims the headlights at cruising speed when the rpms are up some. I have a MTX 801d amp, 4ga wire, hooked right to the battery. It seems to have a real good ground. When I test voltage at the amp and ground it is almost identical to the battery voltage. It is in a 04 Silverado, do you guys think the stock alternator supplies enough current for this? Any help appreciated.
Yes the stock alternator supplies enough for that amp, but you can never have enough power. The radio should not be cutting in and out like that. You may have other electrical problems.
on a little research, that amp draws close to 75 amps. Your stock alt, is prob only rated at somewhere around 105 amps. If you add the amp, along with everything else drawing currect, your alt cant keep up. The fix would be to upgrade the alt.
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14 Second Truck Club
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From: Chicago, Il
Thanks for the responses. The amp has 3 25 amp fuses, but I figured they usually give it 1-1/2 times what it draws. I am going to try a cap first and see what effect it has. Beforethe amp it was all working fine so I dont think there are any outside problems.
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Get a stiffening cap. That should help with the surges. Also MOST PROPLE ALWAYS FORGET to upgrade the cable off the alternator. Get a pair of crimp term. heat shrink and make a 4ga cable from the alt. to the battery. This will help get the most out of the Alt. That amp is really effiecent and can pull a pretty good amount of current. At a 75 amp rating for the fuses. Figur the amp puts out 500 rms. at an 85-90% effeicency 12v's it will draw 41.6 amps. When the voltage drops the amprage goes up and the strain on the charging system and battery is greater. The only reserve in line right now is the car battery. They don't like to give up juice easily so the alternator is strained. The cappacitor is like a reserve that can stave off the Dynamic damands of the Amp.
Look for a post soon with some Basic electrical theary that you can apply.
Look for a post soon with some Basic electrical theary that you can apply.
Last edited by Richiec77; Feb 4, 2005 at 12:38 AM. Reason: spelling
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14 Second Truck Club
iTrader: (36)
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,633
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From: Chicago, Il
Originally Posted by Richiec77
Get a stiffening cap. That should help with the surges. Also MOST PROPLE ALWAYS FORGET to upgrade the cable off the alternator. Get a pair of crimp term. heat shrink and make a 4ga cable from the alt. to the battery. This will help get the most out of the Alt. That amp is really effiecent and can pull a pretty good amount of current. At a 75 amp rating for the fuses. Figur the amp puts out 500 rms. at an 85-90% effeicency 12v's it will draw 41.6 amps. When the voltage drops the amprage goes up and the strain on the charging system and battery is greater. The only reserve in line right now is the car battery. They don't like to give up juice easily so the alternator is strained. The cappacitor is like a reserve that can stave off the Dynamic damands of the Amp.
Look for a post soon with some Basic electrical theary that you can apply.
Look for a post soon with some Basic electrical theary that you can apply.