help!

so i recently installed a new stereo in my 79 buick w/the buick 350 in it.

ive had the alternator and battery tested, and both seem to be in good working order. nonetheless, my battery dies if i turn up the sounds. so heres what i think it might be:

1. electricity takes the path of least resistance, right? so maybe my old ass battery cables are just to resistant.

2. maybe my alternator is messed up, or maybe its the battery.

3. the charging system just doent put out enough power to run this new system while running the motor; im getting alot of dimming when the bass notes hit, and some hesitation on acceleration if i sit at idle for a few seconds. would a higher output alternator solve this problem? or maybe a higher amperage battery?fyi ive got a 700 ca interstate in there now.or maybe new, low resistance, battery cables?

the third thing seems most likely, so what optons do i have as far as this stuff goes? i'm not too sure as to the output of the alternator i have now, but i know of the two optional 'nators, it is the lower output of the two(i think theyre something like 65 and 80 amps, respectively).

 

You might want to talk to a professional car audio person about one of those canisters that stores power and delivers it to your amp at times when it is drawing too much power from your battery. It's like another power source. I can't remember the name, but it looks like a miniature NOS bottle. What size amp are you running? I am running a 300 watt mono to 2 12" RF Punches. Make sure the power cable running to the amp from the battery is of adequete size/guage. I ran a 6 guage wire to mine and it cured the dimming problem. Also, make sure the rest of your electrical system is in good working order. Check the battery cables all the way through them and replace them if they are corroded. You need a good connection everywhere you can get it. Check your voltage regulator also...it may be time to change it...I have had problems with it a idle and the dar dying because the regulator wasn't letting enough power through. When I would turn my AC on it died. I swapped the regulator and it works just fine now.

Just some thoughts.

Adam

 

Hi,
What you mean (I think) is a capacitor. What a capacitor does for a stereo system is store extra power when a large amount is demanded from the amplifier, etc. Still, your battery shouldn't die like the way you were explaining when running your stereo.

Rob

 

please list the components in your system...
what brand/model# amps are you runnin?
are you runnin them into a 1, 2, or 4 ohm load? bridged or stereo?
are you running an "epicenter" or similar bass device?

what size power cable did you run to your amp or distribution block?
what size ground cable runs from your battery to your frame?
what size ground cable runs from your amp or amprack to your frame? or did you ground amps to the body?
a bigger battery will not help your light dimming while idling .... a capacitor probably wont help that either. ... if lights are dimming during idle, an alternator with a higher output at idle is the best cure....
the only time you should really need a bigger (or even better, an extra) battery is to be able to run the system longer with th key off.

the more info we have the more help we can be.

 

ok here goes

2 10" rf punches
all stock satellites(for now)
400 watt hifonics amp running the subs
100 watt hifonics amp running the rear speakers
6 awg power wire to the amps
6 awg ground wire to the body
not too sure about the ohms of the speakers
no epicenter or anything like that.
hope this helps

 

well it sounds like you have a great start to a solid system.
i prefer to ground amps directly to th frame but most newer cars dont have frames.... since you have yours grounded to the body... i hope you cleaned the paint from the metal and BOLTED the proper cable connector you the body .... screws tend to work loose over time when used on heavier cable and can cause problems down the road.
power cables should be ran all the way to the battery and fused within 18 inches from the battery .... no fuse there could be a bad fire if something was to get loose or short out in the trunk.

BUT ANYWAY... there are all kinds of alternators(you should be able to find a good 140 amp for under $130) (better than what buick offered in 79) that will fit your car and keep your voltage more stable at lower RPMs. most amps need voltage to stay high so they can mutiply it to make your ears bleed. ...

assuming that you have done everything correct on the install, i think at the minimum, first get a higher output anternator.
if you still plan to listen with th key off... soon you need to buy a sealed spiral wound gel-cell battery like an optima yellow top or similar. it can be mounted in the trunk AND at the same time install what is called a "constant duty selonoid" up front under the hood. the selonoid will disconnect your "trunk/amplifier" battery from the "starting/car" battery when the key is off. that way you can listen to your tunes till the trunk battery goes near dead. then you still have the battery up front to start your car. once you car starts, your big ol alternator will recharge your car AND trunk battery. this configuration works excellent but should ONLY be hooked up by someone who TOTALLY understands how it works.
the yellow top battery can be mounted in the trunk with no need to vent it to th outside of the car ... it is totally sealed. it also could be so close to the amps that they would benifit from "current on demand" no need for capacitors.

in the end, this whole set-up should cost about the same as if you were to buy a bigger battery for th front and add a capacitor ... but it would work ten times better AND be ready for that day you decide to add 500-1000 more watts of power amps to your system