Headlights dim when the music plays

Daniel from Chicago

2 Quick questions: I have a 2014 Dodge Charger SXT. I plan to install one (1) Orion HCCA154 15" Dual 4 ohm Competition HCCA Series Car Subwoofer w/ a Hifonics MT Olympus Hercules 4K 4,000w Mono Amplifier Competition Car Audio Amp. A.) Will i need to upgrade my car's alternator or can i get away with just installing a capacitor? Second Q: Would I be better off purchasing the ORION HCCA152 15" 4000 Watt Dual 2 Ohm Voice Coil Subwoofer HCCA-152 to go with that AMPLIFIER or will it even make a difference? Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Tyler

I have 2 10" Rockford P2 and 2 12" Rockford P2. The 2 10" are powered by a Rockford r-1000 and the 2 12" are powered by a Rockford r-1200. The 4 subwoofers are in one enclosure, but each subwoofer has its own compartment to where it is sealed off from the other subwoofers so it doesn't ruin them. They are wired correctly and to the correct ohm stability of each amp. Also, all connections are fine as well. My question is concerning that when they are turned up to a certain volume, they will shut off and come right back on when I turn the volume down a little. I know this is because they aren't getting enough volts for that certain note of sound. I am wondering what you suggest to get to prevent this from happening. Sometimes they will shut off when they are not even displacing close to what I know they are capable of. All connections are fine, and both amps have power to them. My power wire is 0 gauge going into a distribution block with 4 gauge going to each amp. I am wondering if you suggest getting a capacitor or the big 3 package? I have thought about ordering both, but didn't know exactly what I need. I am trying to avoid buying a high output alternator because they are so expensive. I really don't care if I can turn the volume up all the way because it can damage the subwoofers, your ears, etc. I am just wondering if either the capacitor, big 3 upgrade, or both would help.

justin bresnahan from United States

Do you leave the stock wire in place after doing the big 3 upgrade?

Jason from Salt lake city, UT

I have 2 jl w7 12 inch with a rockford fosgate amp t2500 and I have 4 15 kicker l7 2 ohms with a zx.11 2500 I do have a stock alternator . I have 2 batteries and one capacitor. My truck struggles to turn on at time I know my amps are using to much power out of the batteries. My question is what should I upgraded first? My battery or alternator. And what are some of the best brands out there ?

joey

i have a soundstream goliath 6500 4 mtx 75 12 inch woofers a autotek 1200 watt amp n a power acoustic 2500 watt amp the autotek is running 2 american bass 6.5 n a two rockford f tweets the power acoustic is running 4 6.5 mtx n 2 horns i have a optima yellow top battery under hood and a optima blue top marine batrry in trunk stereo plays for a amount of time then the 6 speakers in front cut off and eventuly the subs and the highs in back just play i have a 150 amp altenator and all power and groind wires are 0 gauge would u suggest uppong the amps on alt or another optims marine or both system is in a 73 impala

Nolan from Arizona

I will be getting one Fi audio bl12" sub along with a CT sounds 1400.1 amplifier. I will be pushing 1500 watts rms. Anyways I drive a Honda Civic coupe 1.7L with a stock alternator and battery. I have already spent more money than I have and I'm trying to do this part as cheap as I can until I can do it right. I have a friend that is telling me I can get away with just buying a battery and a capacitor. But from all of the reading I've done, it seems like every single person has different opinions on it. If I don't upgrade my alternator and I just get the battery with a capacitor will the battery eventually die? What do you suggest I do?

Michael from Ocala

I have (2) 12's DB 2000 4ohms 2000 watts , krank it up fc-1200 battery for the amp and a OE mopar battery for the 2013 jeep grand cherokee laredo, amp (clif design CDX20A 3k to 4k watts) The 12 are dual coil and they were wired in series negative to negative and positive to positive Getting light dimming. it has been over a year since I used the krank it up battery for audio.. 1.) do you think the battery is bad or 2). should I be adding a 10 farad cap.. or would adding another battery by sufficient 3.) or checking the the ground

juancho from nashua nh

quick question how would i wire 2 Alpine SWS-12D4 12" Dual-Voice-Coil 4-Ohm Subwoofer to a Rockford Fosgate PRIME R1000-1D its a Single-Channel Monoblock

Signar from Kollafjordur

Hi. I just bought a new car system. And as it seems, you guys really know your stuff. So I would just like to know if I need a bigger kondensator, and if I really need to do The Big 3. Just whatever I need. With the lowest cost possible, but still get full effeciency from the car sound system, and not screw the electrical stuff up. What I got: Subwoofer 4000 watt (2400 max output). 2x amplifiers 4000 watt each. 1x amplifier 10.000 watt 6x car speakers 1000 watt each. 1x kondensator 2 farad. I think I must get a 4 farad kondensator? I was thinking of using the 10.000 amplifier and 1 amplifier 4000 watt. What do you guys think about this?

alex zakharov from United States

Ok...so i have a 2006 Hyundai Tucson. and got a hold of 2 12" sony explod woofers with a sony explod 1200 watt amp. everything was going great. until after about a year or so of blasting..the amp fried...(it was old ish). After that i got a Planet Audio 2400 watt 4 channel amp. and hooked it up to the woofers and it sounds amazing...but after short 4 months or so of blasting..my alternator fried. so i got a new alternator installed..and before i hook up the woofers again, i wanted to ask what would be the best solution for my case...i still dont know much about woofers. as much as i want power...i want my alternator to have as least strain as possible. please help

Thomas rossiter from Oak forest

I have a 2009 Malibu that had a Bose system in and I got a jl 2 channel amp for a pair of jl audio 13 subwoffers and jl inside speakers with separate tweeters and a 400 watt amp hooked up to them hooked up to a clarion head unit with DVD and gps! My head lights dim when turned up loud to bass beat and amp sometimes shuts down and I'm getting crakling sounds from tweeters even when radio is off! 4 gauge wired was used and installed from qualifying installors! What do you think Is wrong?

Jeffrey Wright from Corpus christi

Pretty cool nice to know some of these things thanks alot..

Anthony Baca from Las Cruces New Mexic

I'm looking for a high output alternator for my 86 mazda b2000 do you have one that will work

Noah Latour from Wilson

Quick question. I have a 2004 Chevy Silverado 1500 and I'm planning on putting in a orion hcca 15" subwoofer with a 4000 watt amp. If I were to add a second battery for the amp, and then on top of that, a capacitor. So a 15" sub, 4000 watt amp, second battery, and a capacitor. Think my vehicle will handle that pretty well? Amp: Planet Audio AC4000.1D ANARCHY 4000-watts Monoblock Class D 1 Channel 1 Ohm Stable Amplifier Capacitor: Planet Audio PC20F 20 Farad Capacitor Second battery: Kinetik HC600 BLU Series 600-Watt 12-Volt High Current AGM Car Audio Power Cell Battery

Reuben Perea from Glendale

Hello, My name is Reuben and I have a 2004 Acura TSX. I recently put in a 1400 watt Crunch amplifier running all 6 Infinity speakers that came standard in my car. I also have a 2500 watt Hifonic amplifier in my trunk pushing one 12" Rockford Fosgate subwoofer (uncertain of wattage) but now that I'm running both amplifiers all my lights in and out of the car are dimming. How would you recommend I fix this problem?

Colton

i have a 2001 subaru outback im gonna put 2 pioneer champion pros in running 1200 rms will i need to get a bigger alternator

Zack Delgado from 253TACOMA WA

I recently got an Audiopipe APCL-3000.1 class d mono amp and will be running either 3 or 4 alpine typeR 12's dvc 4ohm. Now I have seen the bench test on this amp and it functions a lot better at 16volts now my 2003 f150 supercrew truck along with just about everyone else in Americas car electrical system runs between what 12 and 14 something volts. So my question is, I want to upgrade my charging system to a 16volt system, how do I do that? Is it expensive? What does it entail?. THANX

al from San Francisco

I have a rough estimate of 2000 rms sound system i want to run off a house battery in the trunk but would also like to replace my start battery so running 2 of the same battery 1 in front and 1 in back with A relay battery isolator how many ah do I need or can u recommend a specific battery thanks

Dirondi Johnson from Saint George

The total wattage of my system will be about 3300 watts once I add the sun. I have a d2400 up front and a d3400 for the back and a battery isolator. Since only one battery will be discharged at a time due to the isolator, do I absolutely need a better alternator than my 120amp? I do not plan on playing my music with the car off but i was hoping that the isolated can help me get around the alternator change since I will be driving the entire time and charging both while only depleting one for the most part.

Alec Reece from Daytona Beach, Fl

I have an Orion HCCA 10 inch sub. Dual 2 ohm voice coils wired in parallel to one ohm. 2000W RMS with 4000W nominal. I want to get an amp that does exactly that (2000Wrms, 4000W nominal.) It is labeled as a 4000W mono class D amp. My stock alternator puts out 150amps. I have not bought it yet in fear that i would have to buy this only for my system to not be able to handle it. I have looked for a high output alternator for my vehicle and cannot seem to find one anywhere. Please let me know your thoughts.

Joseph W. from Sacramento

So I have had a system in every car Ive owned but nothing over 1000 watts RMS. I have now a 91' Chevy Caprice Classic and I think I want to shoot for 2500 to 3000 RMS. I understand you believe in installing the system first and seeing how it acts but my last system had minor headlight dimming pushing 1000 RMS, sooooo Im pretty sure 2500 RMS will definetly do the same. My question is, should I just go along with what I have been doing and just add a couple capacitors? Or should i go strait to adding a second battery?

rassel from denver

Thanks a bunch for this article. I have 2008 Porsche 911Turbo ( Alternator 150amp,2100watts,12volt,70 ah battery...i think) . I plan to install One Orion Hcca 122 12" 2500rms watt@2 ohms & Orion 5000.1D 3600rms@2ohms .plus focal 165KRX3 100rms/each 3 way sys with JL HD600/4 ch amp. I really need to know do I need to change the Alternator or Just add a high performance battery or What? Mono Amp is 3600 rms but my One sub can take 2500rms so I need to set low gain on amp right?its a small car so space is issue too. please please help. thanks in advance .

Eric from Houston

I have a 2002 Firebird v6 and plan on getting two kicker 10" CVX rated at 800 rms each and plan on getting a kicker 2400W class D monoblock amp rated at 1200rms. Should i go ahead and get the big three upgrade as well as upgrading the alternator?

Jon from Clearwater

Hi, I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla with the stock 80A alternator. Currently, I'm running a Jensen 75w x 4 4 channel, Class AB amp to 4 Kicker KS Series speakers, each rated at 100W RMS. I plan on getting 2 10" Rockford subs rated at a combined 300W RMS, and pairing that with a Class AB 250W RMS Rockford amp. I'm worried on whether or not adding the subs & mono amp to my stock system will cause problems. If so, what kind of problems? I'm leaning towards a High Output Alternator, something like 150A or so. Any help would be appreciated!

Graham from Sylva

I currently have a 96 landcruiser with a stock alternator putting out around 80 amps running a 75x4 mb quart and a kicker 600.1 running a jl w6 and i am considering adding 2 more jl w3 8s I found a rockford Fosgate that puts out around 500 watts to a single channel should i consider upgrading the big three? I would like to avoid buying a new alternator if possible because they aren't exactly cheap

Aedan from magnolia, de

i have a 2010 Toyota Corolla with stock alt(100a) and battery. I just bought a new batt. My speakers total 200-250rms and I have a JL audio(50x4) amp for them. Then I have two 12" rockford p2s totaling 800RMS and a hifonics Brutus 1100.1d amp... When I had the hifonics wired @4ohms I had no light dimming but now I have it @1ohm and it's horrible... I've checked all my wires and grounds, so I know my next step is the "big 3"... I was just wondering if you thought the big 3 would stop the dimming, or if I will have to buy a 2nd battery too. (Because if so, I'd rather just order everything online at once)... Just looking for a professional opinion. Thanks in advance!

Wyatt Black from gastonia

I have a 2001 tahoe I have 1000 watt kenwood kac 929 i believe and 2 12 inch subs. When playing at normal levels everything is fine but when i turn it up my headlights dim and my dash lights dim. Also my amperage guage is car goes back and forth with the neat from 14 all the way to 9. When ot starts to dip down my amp goes into protection mode. Ik my battery is more then 4 years old. Do you believe it is battery because i know alot people which same amount of power and 1000 watt amps that dont have this problem with stock altinators

Ryan from Rockford

Hi. I was wondering if I should go with 4ga wire or 0ga wire with my hifonics brx 1100.1 it's 800w rms @ 2ohm a 1100w rms @ 1ohm. I have it wires at 2 ohm on a kicker 15 inch l7.

Mitch from Cape Town

I have a Citroen C2 with 2x 10" dVC 40ohmTarga 6000watt subwoofers and a 11000watt Targa MonoBlock amplifier and a 500watt 4channel amp for my mids. Any volume above 12 and my headlights get a serious dim. Mind you its an old model car. Upgrade battery and alternator i suppose? What you think?

Mitch from Cape Town

Hi sorry. In RMS each sub is 1000w RMS and the monoblock amp is 2000w RMS. Ground cables are all stable. Everything is good until i play my music above 12, thats without me tampering with the parametric. Car is rather small and considering removing the back seats to make room for another battery. Thanx for the feed back though. Much appreciated

Swampy from timbuktoo

I am running a Merlin Meam 3000 mono block 1 ohm stable. To a Merlin 12" M7 1100rms in parallel. I do some sound demo with the vehicle but rarely since merlin is no longer manufactured. The thing is I had zero dimming issues until i ran heavy load on the system with headlights and such which caused the primary front harness short poof caught fire. 90amp OEM alt, after the short i am seeing dimming which i had minor/zero issues with before. Though the amperage is low still costly, i was thinking of upgrading the positive and chassis ground on the alternator to 1 gauge all around would you recommend this or any other suggestions.

Swampy from timbuktoo

Actually the amp wire was not the issue. I didn't state that clearly I appologise. It was the OEM front ends wire bundle that controls the headlights, turn signals, and clearance lights. Apparently the draw as so severe with the heavy draw of the amp and sub that it caused a low voltage situation on the OEM wire bundle, basically starved the front end of the vehicles electrical connections. I am running TSpec 2ga power and ground wire to the amp with a 250 fuse. Was considering doing the alt, battery power lines into 2ga, all connections at the alt and ground are secure, it is a older car with a lot of electronics that are 25 years out dated by current vehicle designs. The amp has 4 40 amp fuses, it as well is not a efficient amp, mostly just a sledge hammer power amp versus lets say like a ARC 1000 amp. The question is since the working theory was a power draw/starvation on the OEM electrical system issue, would the three new 2ga wiring be enough or should i also put in a cap/battery as well? Or any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Swampy from timbuktoo

@Buck Pomerantz: Thank you for your insight. It is greatly appreciated. You verified precisely what the master installer at my employer stated as well. I will look into the high output alternator. Thanks again.

James from Miami

I'm planning to get a kicker dual 12 inch CompR and a kicker DXA1000.1 which in total will be 1000 rms , do I need to do any upgrades ? I'm told that I'm fine with a capacitor . I have a 2015 Sentra

James from Miami

Is there any calculations I can make ? So I won't have to buy the big 3 or a high put alternator ? With my 2015 Sentra I have a 600 rms system that's the kicker comps and kicker amp with the 2 farad capacitor in which it works perfectly fine , but I asked several people from crutchfield that I should be fine with a capacitor if I have a system of 1000 rms watts , so it should be 400 rms watts more Imma add to my upgrade if I was to get the dual 12 inch compr , I know it's a lot of power so the only way to know for sure is the dimming lights ? And if that happens a capacitor should help and I'm set ? I just wanna buy the loaded enclosure and the dxa1000.1 amp without having to worry of buying the big 3 or high put alternator since I'm in a budget and I don't want to damage my alternator either so yeah . Thank you for replying for my last question too

David Prillaman from Newport News

Buck, i have two jbl w12's. Dvc 6ohm 4000w 750w rms. I am planning to wire the two parallel which will make it 1.5 ohm as i read on their site. I have been asking around local audio store and it seems nobody has any similar views. One guy said 6 ohms is odd and that if i dont get the right amp i could fry my subs. What should my amp specs be and will my 88 bronco be able to handle them? Thanks -Dave

Michael Powell from Whippany

Hi, I have an 03 trailblazer . I running two jl audio 10w6 subs and 2 pairs of component speakers, top dash speakers . 3 jl audio slash amps .. 1200/1 v3 and 2 450/4 v1... I installed a 250 amp alternator and the big 3 kit.. I still get some head light dim but my bigger concern is when I play music with heavy bass the 2 450/4 amps cut out for a few seconds than come back on.. do you suggest a second battery is needed or other options ? Thanks - Mike

Morgen from Milton

Thank you for the excellent write up, I am having issues getting ring terminals to do the big three. My alternator is a 200 amp ford 6g styled. I am having a hard time finding terminals that will fit the alternator and still support 2 awg wire. Do you have any suggestions on doing the big three on a ford ranger?

Adam from Louisiana

Good Day I recently purchased Alpine SPR 60C 330watts max @110RMS per speaker for Front and Rear Door Speakers Alpine SPR 60 Coaxial 2-way @100watts RMS per speaker with an Alpine PDX F4 4channel amp at 400watts RMS. I also purchased a single Alpine SWR-12D4 subwoofer 3000watts max power @1000watts RMS along with a Hifonics Brutus 1500W Mono Amp. I haven't installed the system as yet because i was wondering if I should upgrade my Big 3 wiring and/or add a capacitor/battery to my car. I don't want my headlights and lights to be dimming if i install this system.

Brandon from Pensacola

Hey I see you actually respond to people and I was wondering if you could help me out. In my '09 Nissan Altima, I have 2 amps: a class D Hifonics ZRX 3000.1 and a Hifonics 1400 4-channel amp. The sub is a Kicker L7 12 inch. Head unit is JVC AV61BT and I replaced the door speakers with Pioneers that can handle more than stock speakers. I replaced the battery with a dry cell battery But for whatever reason, my battery is down to 33% and I've only had it for about 6 months. I've been told that my alternator can't keep up with recharging the battery. But they also said that replacing the alternator wouldnt be feasible. Is that true? What should I do?

Dillon Jones from La Verne

Hey Buck, I'm thoroughly impressed and give my highest respect toward your devotion to answering everybody's questions. You make Crutchfield look good.

Ronald from Portland

I have a 99 civic coupe and I'm putting two 12" re audio dvc 4 ohm 750w rms each to a polk audio pd1000.1 which at 1ohm will put out 1200rms so my system will be about 1200rms I am going to do the big three and wire all thick gauge wire what else will I need ? Or what all should I need

David from Slidell,LA

I have 12" Mtx with 400w rms I have its powered by a 1200w kicker mono class d amp with its powered with 4g wire and 16g speaker wire. My alternator is around 120-130 amps and the lights dim slightly when the volume is around max. Should I retune the amp or looking in to a capacitor

Shay from Telford

Hello. I have a question for you. I have 2 JL 1000/1 amps and 2 JL 300/4 amps. The 4 channel amps will have their channels bridged to power my 8 6.5 inch alpine type R speakers while my 2 JL 1000/1 amps will power my 2 12inch JLW7's. I am currently waiting for this alternator to come in the mail and have already upgraded my battery, chassis and alternator ground wires to 0 gauge. I also plan on running the ground wires for the amps back up to the negative post on the battery to help transfer more power from the front of the vehicle to the rear (JL and a competition stereo experts advice). My question for you is, what kind of spare battery would be best and how many should I get? Should I get a capacitor as well? Anything else I should look into before I have my system installed? Thank you for your response in advance. Merry Christmas!!

spencer

I currently have 2, 12 inch subs. They use 1000 watts rms of power, was thinking of getting door speakers, and adding another 500 watts rms to my system, i think i will need some sort of upgrade, which is the best option between 2nd battery, better wires or new alternator, i have a 2003 mazda tribute

Jesus Rojas from Estes Park

Hi, my battery died today and after a jump start it seemed as the battery didn't have enough juice. I noticed the positive battery terminal was loose and when tightening it broke. Replaced the battery terminal and had to jumpstart the car every time to start the car. I have an aftermarket stereo that does not have a power button so the screen stays completely on until the cars turned off. I also have a kicker sound system with one kicker amplifier 1200 watts on the 2004 Acura TSX. I have experienced lights dimming when the music is playing. I only play the music when the car is on. I replaced the battery. And car works like new. I disconnected the subwoofer for now. Do you think I should make some electrical upgrades so that the cars power can work well with the sound system and and after market stereo? What's the best option for dimming lights?

Cody from Naples

i have a 1999 Chevy truck with a V8 motor so the alternator puts out about 120 amps, my friend sold me his 18" subs with a 3,500 watt amp. How can I get these fully powered without the amp going into protection mode? How big of an alternator should I go with? Is 270 amps enough or do i need 300 amps? I also have a second battery tray in the hood compartment, can i just get two new yellow top optimas and put both batteries up front or does the second need to be by the amp? Do I need the big 3 wiring kit?

Kenny from Camino

Hello, So I was curious if I need any electrical upgrades at all based on my situation. My setup: Napa legend premium battery 4 ga. amp wiring kit going to 1000W RMS 8 ga. amp wiring kit going to 45W X 4 RMS The 1000W RMS amp powers a 15" 1000W The 45W X 4 amp powers 2-6x9's & 2-6 1/2 My situation: So everything that I described above sounds and works amazingly except for the times when I really want to crank the gain up on my 1000W amp to power the 15" sub louder and before I can even hear distortion coming from the sub (it's a very strong well built NVX sub) it sounds like the amp & sub gets starved of power, likes its hungry for more but can't get it. Also at that same time that's happening the lights do dim very slightly even with the car running. So that's my situation and my question is do I need to do anything electrical wise to be able to crank the gain on my amp when I feel like it and have it not seem like it's hungry for more power? Just to clarify, it's a NVX 1000W RMS amp and a NVX 1000W RMS 15" sub. Thanks in advance!

Jason Ledbetter from Lubbock Texas

I have a question. I have a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan sxt? with the 3.8 v6. 6 month old battery. My door and dash speakers are factory, un-amped. I had some subwoofers installed a few months ago, and my headlights dim constantly. Amp is American Bass Sq 1550? I believe. The subs are cerwin vega he'd 10s. Rms is like 150 a piece so I would think this is a very mild power subwoofer system, although they can get pretty loud in my van. Even at lower volumes, with mild bass hits, the lights dim significantly and it's driving me nuts and it can't be good for my van. I am a bass head of sorts, and want to get louder and heavier bass in the near future but can't even listen to it now cause I look like a goofus with diminished headlights. The shop that installed them keeps talking about capiciters and batteries. I don't want caps and extra batteries for a 300 rms system. That sounds rediculous to me at 400 bucks for something I don't see really working. I'm thinking big three wiring, and high output alternator. Got a quote for 300.00 for a 170 amp highoutput, and 400.00 for a 250 amp. Both spec at full output at 1800-2000 rpms with a 2 year warranty. Am I thinking right? Or am I thinking non-sense? And listen to the capiciters talk. Thanks a bunch!

Joseph Patrick from

07 tahoe, jbl gto 24001 amp on subs, amp cuts out at high power. Amp has dual 0 gauge to battery with 300amp fuse on each cable. I have carquest AGM(all glass mat) yellow top battery.

Brian from Seattle

I have a BAMF 5500. IT HAS (5) 40 AMP FUSES, AND GEYS AROIND 2200 RMS @ 1OHM ON MY SUNDOWN SA15. EVERYTIME THE BASS HITS, MY RPMS DROP CONSODERABLY-LIKE 250+ RPM DECREASE. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC MY CAR ALMOST LURCHES.... THAT WAS MY 2008 LANCER GTS. NOW I HAVE A 2009 MAZDA 6S GT W/3.7 V6..IT IS FULLY LOADED WITH BOSE SYSTEM .. I AM GOING TO TRADE A FRIEND MY DUAL 2OHM 15, FORBA DUAL 4OHM 15,HOPING TO BE ABKE TO BETTER CONRTROL MY WOOFER,AND MINIMIZE XUTRENT DRAW WHILE STILL OVERPOWERING THE SUB... DO YOU THINK MY NEW SYSTEM WILO ALSO HAVE DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING CURRENT WITH A LESSER CURRENT DRAW ON THE NEW CAR? I DONT WANT TO BRUTALIZE MY BRAND NEW CARS ELECTRICAL LIKE THE LAST. I JUST IMAGINE ALL THE BUILT UP FUEL PARTICLRS THAT WERENT IGNITING DUE TO LOSS OF SPARK!! IM ASKING SO I KNOW WHAT ITEMS TO ORDER..A CAP, OR A big three upgrade, or will my current alternator cut it,with a higher ohm rating sub that draws less power.,? THANKS!

Francisco from National City

I was having issues with light dimming so I upgraded to a HO alternator but now my audio cuts of for about 2-3 Seconds then comes back, its always when I accelerate from a stop. My question is do I need a big 3 upgrade to help fix the problem? Or do I need a secondary battery? Or both?? Or should I just add a fuse to my existing electrical system (alternator to battery line)?? I have 1 12" kicker L7 dual 2ohm, with Rockford Fosgate 1000.1 Infinty kappa component speakers in front and infinity 2 ways in back, with Kenwood KAC-8452 800w 4ch.

storm eiserman from belleview

Hi, i have a few questions.. i have an 87 caprise classic.. i have 2 12" jl w3s running on a jl 1000v2 and i have a tma 400 4 channel runnin 4 6x9s. The batter i have is an optima yellow top. My problem is that my headlights dim a good bit when im at idle.. i been lookin at gettin a 220 amp alternator but its a one wire that can be ran with the 3 wire setup.. what kinda upgrades should i do to keep my system fully charged at all times

Derrick from Houston

Hello, I plan to run 1 sundown 8" x8 subwoofer with 750 rms at 1 ohm, and an amp that powers 750 rms at 1 ohm... I already have 0 gauge power wire running from battery to rear, would I need a capacitor or HO alternator for this setup?Thanks!

Joe H from Preston

Hi, I have a 400W RMS subwoofer pushed by a 450W RMS amplifier. I was going to also wire my 4 aftermarket door speakers to an amp to push 50W RMS to each speaker but my headlights are already dimming when I turn up the amp a little. My speakers start to distort just below the volume I would like. This is my reason for adding the 4 channel amplifier. I also have a 2 Farad capacitor to the amp that powers the sub but it didn't seem to help that much. I've seen voltages up to 15.5V; I'm not sure what that means. Usually it will be around 14.5V until I turn the engine off. My question is, what would be the best thing to do in my situation to stop the headlights dimming so that I can comfortably add the second amplifier to power my speakers. Thanks

Jay from Phoenix

I have a 2011 Honda Accord , I will be running two- amps Sundown SCV-2000d and An old Rockford fosgate 450.4 I'm also running an American Bass XFL 1244 rated 1000RMS 2000 Max right now at this moment I cant afford an HO alternator but I could probably by two deep cycle batteries .. would this be sufficient without encountering any issues at least for a while ?

Cristian G from San Marcos TX

I have a 2014 Volkswagen jetta tdi. I do not have the fender audio package nor the CD changer. I believe my alternator is rated at 140 but I'm not positive on that. I plan to install a kenwood KDC 9106D amp (I believe this is 1000 rms) with two jl 12'' w3v4 subs (I believe these are 500 rms each). My question is can my stock alternator handle the draw from my subs without impeding on my vehicles electrical system? Do you recommend getting a ho alternator? Or possibly performing the big three? Please share your thoughts. Thank you, -Cristian

chris howell from Oakridge

Ive got a 2001 dakota that iv installed a 250 amp alternator pioneer head unit 1000 watt soundstorm 2 ch amplifier a 2 farade capacitor and a single infinity 8 in sub. The only thing my amp is hooked up to is my sub. Every time my bass hits if I have the sound turned up the head unit dies. I haven't noticed any head light dim what do you think would be causing the problem

Dev from Silver Springs

I have a 2009 Nissan Sentra with a stock 110 Amp Alt. I had a 2000w rms amp @ 1 ohm and a 100w rms X 4 @ 4 ohm amp hooked up, and experienced voltage drops into the low 11's. Since then, upgraded to an AGM battery and also did the big 3. I removed my sub amp and only ran the interior speakers for a while, and my voltage never dropped below 14.2. I have a deka group 31 agm I can run in parallel to my starting battery, and then run my subs, but I'm not sure if that will strain my alternator too much.

Rafal from Barnsley

Hi could you help me out, ive got a mono amp which produces 600rms at 2 ohm and sub 600 rms which is dvc and have 4 ohm independence what would be the best connection?

Charles from long beach

Hi Buck, heres my system. 1997 mazda miata (i think it has a 60A alternator stock!) running a pioneer DEH-P4200UB headunit which is driving 4 pyle 3.5" coaxial headrest speakers, a pioneer GM-D1004 amp (in 2x90w config) powering my polk audio DB 6501 door speakers. i have 4 dayton TT25-16 bass shakers installed in my seat powered by a BOSS RT1002 putting out 2x25w. i have a pioneer 10" sub in a sealed box (TS-W256C) powered by nanostream PN1-450D putting out maybe 250w. I have upgraded the lights, stock is 55w low beam 60w high, mine are 60w low, 100w high. added oem foglights that are 55w each, but have 100w bulbs sitting on counter. my system started making a high pitch whine, rpm dependent when i added the bass shakers, ive started improving the grounds, but so far no improvement. the battery is in the trunk and very close to the bass amps. planning on adding a ground cable from battery to chassis by just adding jumper cables and seeing if that helps. same plan for the engine ground. but the cable from the alternator to the battery is likely more work than im willing to invest. the other night i was running the system hard w/ the lights on, it started making crackling distortion sounds, i turned the lights off and turned the volume down a bit and the distortion disappeared. i fear my alternator was struggling , and my battery is quite small and puny, and not new. i want to add the dayton RSS265HO-44, amp at 450w@2R, but am afraid my car cant handle it. HE

Thomas Harding Jr from Eau Claire

I have a kicker 43cxa1200.1 mono amp which runs at 1200 RMS and I have it powering my one Alpine type R 10" sub and that is rated at 1000 RMS. I haven't done anything with upgrades on my battery or anything. I'm having issues with my amp going into short circuit protection mode and shutting down whenever I try to turn up the volume. So my amp isn't getting enough power. What would you recommend I do? Battery cell? Capacitor?

Dan from Sandpoint

I'm hooking up a planet audio ac5000.1d monoblock amp to a couple of mofo 15s 2 ohms. the amp i believe is rated at 2500 rms @ 2 ohms. I would imagine that kind of pull on a stock electrical sytem in any vehicle will have your lights dimming. I drive a 99 expedition so Im wondering if you would recommend the big 3 an a HO alternator? Also I have a standard battery from Les Schwab under the hood so will I need to upgrade that?

AaronRene from San Antonio

I currently have two Q class 15' L7s Two Ct Sounds 1400.1 amplifiers Two yellow top batteries 1 1800 krank it up battery I would like to do the big three as well as have both batteries wired in parallel i have dual trays in my truck so I can have both batteries in the front are there any suggestions or recommendations on what I will need or how to wire properly?

Daniel from AURORA

I have a 2013 dodge charger r/t with the beats audio and the beats subwoofer, I had the beats subwoofer disconnected and had my 2 10" Pioneer 1000rms watts with a 1500 watt amp hooked up to the stock touch screen radio and stock electrical system and the battery won't stay charged. Would upgrading the alternator solve this problem?

Jeff from Bristol

I just had 2 shallow mount pioneer subs and a 500 watt alpine mono amp installed. 4 gauge wire was used. Truck is a brand new 16 gsm sierra. I noticed that now I'm running at 12.5 amp and prior to my install the truck was at 14amp. I would think that the 150amp alternator should be more than enough but the truck does have all sorts of bells and whistles (lane departure, nav, valve shut off, rear cam, front and rear parking sensors). It foes have a slot for a second battery under the hood. Was thinking about adding that in or a capacitor but havent heard good things on capacitors.

Jani

My headlights are still dimming, after trying many steps to fix it. I have done the big three upgrade, bought a new battery and checked all the connections. My stock alt is 150A and my amp is 1,5kw rms. Using a DMM i have measured voltage drop from 14,2V to 13,8V during heavy bass and headlights are dimming. Is this dangerous and what should i try next to get rid of dimming? Second battery or capacitor? And yeah, i'm running 2 gauge full copper wires to power up my amp and grounds

Mike from Deland

I know that i need to install it first to really determine, but i wanted to get your opinion on my build as it will take a couple weeks to get everything and install it. 2015 Infiniti q50 sedan. Alternator 150 amp. I plan to run 1 x 10" orion hcca 104 dual 4 ohm voice coil sub. Plan to wire in series to 2ohm load rated at 2000 watts rms that way. I plan to run an amp that puts out 2000 watt rms @ 2 ohm. Got the wire kit 4 guage from factory battery to new 90 ah 270 rc battery in trunk. Plan to anl 100 amp fuse at both batteries. 1/0 guage power to amp with 200 amp anl near battery and 1/0 guage ground next to trunk battery. Leaving factory wireing alone. Based on my research I'm thinking I'm going to be properly fused as well as only using 2/3 if what that configuration can put out. ((2000w rms/13.8)/3 average duty cycles) is a recharge load to trunk battery of 48.3 amps. With the 4 guage and 100 amp anls from front battery to trunk battery gives me double that for burp needs. With the amp needing a 200 amp anl i figure 90ah for constant and the 100 from the recharge line from front battery should be perfect for amp burp under 200 anl fuse. If it matters I'm ordering a custom fatbox usa box for the sub. Do you agree/like my plan or let me know if I'm off on anything. I've got the sub and box ordered already and wireing anl fuses and fuse blocks in hand but returnable if needed Also any recommendations for amps trying not to overspend on the amp.

Mike from Deland

Sorry had one other question. At a burp of 190 amp draw figure (from what i understand) the average amplifier is only about 62% eff. That means my amp will send my sub up to about 120 amps of power. Everyone says that 12 guage speaker wire is all i need but according to the crutchfield chart at up to 4' in length i should need 8 guage wire not 12. What do i really need research on this side of the amp seems non existent. And should i fuse protect my factory stereo remote wire (i was planning to with a 5amp buss fuse and holder) and is that a good size fuse.

Mike from Deland

Ok. Due to lack of info on the web i couldn't find, i didn't realize the amplifier to speaker was low amperage higher voltage. Thanks for clearing that up for me. To better explain the other my car stock electrical system has a 150 amp alternator. From my research i believe that half of this (75 amps) is available for use constantly. I plan to put a second battery in the trunk of my car next to the amp and speaker box. I plan to run 4 guage wire to the trunk battery from the cars stock battery with a 100 amp anl fuse next to each of the 2 batteries. The trunk battery will basically only be recharging from the stock electrical system. The second battery in the trunk is a 92 amp hour 270 rc 880 cold cranking amp battery. From the second battery in the trunk i plan to run 0 guage power to the amplifier with a 200 amp anl fuse. Also grounding the amp and the second battery to the same grounding block i bought that will be installed in the trunk next to the second battery. I need a 2000 watts rms amp (need suggestions) for my orion hcca 104 sub rated at 2000 watts rms and 4000 watts peak. When i talk of burp i was using internet term for the peak draw of the amplifier during the heavy bass notes. From my research a 2000 watt rms amp needs a 200 anl fuse (why i chose that number) so assuming that during the heaviest bass notes it will draw less than 200 amp but close. I figured the second battery can supply normal power to the amp while constantly re

Mike from Deland

Recharging. From my research the average amp for sub woofers draws an average of 1/3 its peak draw. So say 200 amps max draw of the amp would equal 67 amps continuous recharge needed to maintain the charge of the second battery supplying the amps power. So i figured that with 75 amps (1/2 my 150 amp alternator) would cover this no problem. So if class d amplifiers are 80% eff then the 62% number i found on the web is off (thanks for correcting that) so what i was looking for is your thoughts on if my plan in theory should handle what I'm looking to do. Also i need an amp recomendation hopefully not too expensive. Aside from what you have already answered and corrected bad info i had gotten, you said if i wanted to step up to 10 guage to reduce the resistance and ohms to the sub from the amp that would be fine and 12 guage is fine. I already have 12 guage wire plenty of good quality (i bought a large roll for my home surround sound system) is there any reason for me to not double up 12 guage wires to the sub to achieve the same reduction in ohms resistance to the sub? Sub will be in a fatbox custom made box and will be ported and tuned to 38 hz. (Most class d mono blocks ice looked at offer an adjustment for both high and subsonic frequencies. What should i set the amp to on sub sonic for this set up with a box tuned to 38 hz. I was thinking about 20 hz to cut off anything below that. I heard playing to low under that would damage speaker

Honey from Lahore

Hello im in process of installing a new sound system in my small car. I usually suffer from dimming light and low power when i was using a simple 4 channel amplifier and kenwood woofer. But now im going to install Lanzar 12" 1232D 2ohm dvc subwoofer its 1100 RMS and 2200 Watts and my amp is audiobahn which will give almost 1000 rms and i will use my subwoofer in 4 ohm wiring, I have 2 capacitors of stinger both are 1 farad. So what do you suggest me? Is my system okay or i have to make any changes? and can i use both capacitors for that amplifier will it help? I will wait for your reply thankz.

Mike from Deland

Cool sounds good I'm only planning on a 100 amp anl fuse on the 4 guage to the rear battery. Any ideas on a good amp for a reasonable price for that sub? What about putting a fuse on my amp remote wire to protect head unit from any short. 5 amp fuse good for that or what would you recommend? Thanks for all the help.

Terry from Virginia Beach

Buck I have a amp that is rated at 70X4 @4 ohms and 440X1 for the sub @2 ohms. In a 2015 Honda Accord. Less than 800W. But at high volume levels I notice a slight flicker in my headlights. Which surprised me because I'm way less than 1KW. I don't listen to volumes that high all that often, and even more rarely at night when there is the added demand from lighting. Am I safe to do nothing? Any potential risk to other electronic components in the car when I am seeing headlight flickering/dimming? Thanks and a great article!

frankie from burbank

hey buck, i just installed two rockford fosgate punch 3 12" 2 ohm subwoofers in sync with a bridged wire on the subs, going back to the amp at 2 ohms with a hifonics sues 1000.1d amp. my headlights the other day started dimming but i can't remember if my truck was running i think it was just off accessories power. my my overhead lights definitely dim. recently i bought the rockford fosgate Punch 1,000 Watt Class-bd Mono Amplifier and was wondering if i install that if a) it would give me more power. b) solve the dimming c) if it would need the big three upgrade or second battery. thanks!! personal message me if we need to discuss more

Jay from Dallas, TX

Hey buck good afternoon, i just bought 2 alpine type r 12 2 ohm woofers rated at 1000 w RMS, and a power acoustik GT1-6000.1d rated at 2 ohms: 3000 watts x 1 chan. i know thats probably overrated, i also have an amp boss audio ch 250 ratings i found say 200 RMS x 2 but i know thats overrated as well running to 4 5x7 rated at 230 w peak each, i have an epicenter and a 2 fard CAP, i tried just the woofers and the power acoustik amp yesterday and there was no light dimming but im skeptical once i plug everything or else in or with time i might encounter problems, what do you think? oh and i currently have a 1998 chevy cavalier with a stock alternator no extra battery. do you think i might encounter problems in the future or anything?

Jay from Dallas, TX

Thanks Buck for your advice i highly appreciate it !! your site is A1+

JORGE COLUNGA from Dallas

Hi Buck, i have a silverado and have 4 aftermarket speakers, with 2 subs, and an amp. I just recently noticed the dome lights dimming when the bass gets loud. Im in the process of selecting a new battery. What specs should i look at when buying a new battery to make sure my sound system will work fine? Im not sure if higher CCA, AH, or CA make a difference. My current battery has 615 CCA 70AH.

Zach from Huntington

I have two Rockford P 3's with a Rockford R1200-1D. I am installing these into a 2014 Altima. With a yellow top optima AGM Battery. Should i add any other power source?

james from derby

i have a h/o alternator, big 3 with 1/0 cables, agm battery, 1/0 cable running to 2 amps that are about 2000 rms combined, and a capacitor. all connections are rock solid. headlights do not dim even with the heaviest hit, but when doors are open interior lights do when it hits hard. should i even worry about this?

Flyingpanda1014 from Caldwell,id

I have a 2002 Chrysler Sebring Lxi and I have 2 12 inch 3000w subs (1500w rms each) what is the right amp for me and should I upgrade my electrical system?

Jay from Dallas

Hey buck thanks for the input in advance, i have a power acoustik rated at 3000w rms amp and 2 alpine typer r rated at 1000 w rms each and a 400 w rms rated voice amp, my system recently killed a new regular battery and drained it completely, i purchased an optima red top battery but i am worried that the system will drain it as well, i am currently trying to acquire a soundstream 1000 capcell do you think that would help the system from draining the battery, im currently limited and not being able to purchase a performance alternator or doing the big three , would the capcell help or would it be a waste of money?

Eathen from Caldwell,idaho

I have 2 ecw120 vm audiodont know if they are any good honestly don't care cheap buy and was on sale.., but they run about 1500 watt rms each they are DVC 4 ohm.., I have no idea what would be best for my car

Mike from soldotna

I plug my i pods charging cable into cigaret lighter port and get electrical noises with engine running . If engine is off or I unplug cable interference stops. What can I do to stop interference from coming through the cigaret lighter port.?

Cliff

Hi i have an emergency question, i bought 2 kicker comp r 12s with aftermarket dvd dash unit with cx 1200.1 amp set only half way wit control knob plugged my car does have 2 monitor in the back but doesnt draw current them selfs . my lights only dim when my vol go past 21 and i like my music on 25 vol seenig my voltage drop to upper 12s when bass hit tested by car electrical specialist they stressted it needs to be in the 13 volt range so my battery stsy charged and saying i dont need an alt because that not really that much current not goin full tilt and maybe even so my other have way more in cars or trucs doin just fine question is what should be my next step my car is a 2004 toyota camry le 2.4L thank you

luis from brick

Hey there! I have an single 12 inch type r sw12d4 subwoofer...handles 1000 watts rms and I have it hooked up to an Alpine mrp-m1000 amp. The 4 ohm subwoofer is wired so that amp sees a 2 ohm load so that I get the most out of it. the problems I'm seeing is that when volume is turned up and bass hits my lights dimmed and volt gauge drops as well. I'm running 4gauge wire and also a 3 farad capacitor which helps a little.. any suggestions that you may have to help me fix this..thanks my car is 2002 monte carlo.

Salih Taylor from Hyattsville

Afternoon Buck, I just recently installed my MOFO-10 Power Acoustic sub of 2400 watts, I have a capacitor, and a stinger SPV44 battery. And the lights still flicker on. Any suggestions.

Brian from Cleveland

Hey Buck, I had a kicker zr360 and 2 Orion xtpro122 connected and my lights dimmed even while accelerating on the highway. Since, it has been disconnected and I am going to connect a zr600 which I believe definitely will not help. What would be the best addition to address the dimming lights? Should these be wired a specific way? Thanks in advance!

Adam from Nashua

Hello, I have a 2002 Subaru WRX and am planning on getting a Alpine type-r 10 inch sub and a alpine MRX-M110 amp. Will my car be able to handle this? Or should I get a capacitor or high-out put alternator? I also have a radar detector which is plugged into my cigarette lighter. Thanks

Casey Woody from Kingston, TN

I have a 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. I have a stock alternator. My system is a 12" Alpine type x In a huge ported box made by fatbox. (The box really set the sub off! Tuned at 30.2 Very low bass) I also have a 2000 watt Hifonics Brutus 1 channel mono block. I also have a 3 farad Power Acoustik capacitor. I have everything wired to 2 ohms. I think I'm probably passing right around 1000 watts rms. I wired the system up with 4 gauge wire and speaker wire is 10. Also running with a sony head unit. I am going to do the big three upgrade, but here is my question. My lights dim at night. I find when I really start to push the amp ( I have the gain on my amp set to about 2/3) and during the day I can run my gain at about 2/3 which is the max I run because after that I notice clipping. But at night, if I turn my bass knob past the half way point, that is usually where I see the lights starting to dim. I'm looking into a h.o. alternator right now but needing to know which one I should do first. Big three or alternator? I plan on upgrading my component front speakers and rear speakers and push them with like a 5 or 600 watt amp as well. I know that my battery is 5 years old and might actually give out on me anytime. So I need to know about the big three or alternator first. I can find a 180 or 200 watt alt for my car for a decent price. And also, what battery, decent priced, do you suggest. I hope I have given you enough info because I want to get this figured out quickly. Thanks!

Joe cita from Milwaukee

I have a 2012 Toyota Camery V6 SE. I had it upgraded to get full range from a pair of Hertz milipros in the doors and a set of same 6X9 in the rear deck. With an alpine sweep 10dr subwoofer, running through a pox alpine 5 channel amp. 75w x 4 to the doors and rear deck 300w to the subwoofer. I have 2 jl cr 350x inthe dash, not hooked to the alpine. The head lights slightly flicker when the sub hits. I upgraded the battery to a deep cycle with reserve (x2 bakttery from batteries plus). I plan to replace exterior lights with led, not the headlights, fogs turns signal etc), but the amp decrease will be minimal. The flicker is slight, and the batterybhelped but did not eliminate the flicker. The stereo pulls more than stock but based on set ups on threads is not pulling a ton of power.al professionally installed by the best reviewed installer in se Wisconsin. Would a big 3 upgrade be the recommended course? A higher output alternator seems like it would be overkill?

Lorenzo from Richmond Virginia

Okay so I have a 2015 Dodge Charger SE. I have 4 Rockford fosgate 169 prime 3 way door speakers hooked up to a power T-400 4 channel amp. I have two Rockford fosgate P3's hooked up to a power T-1000 amp. When playing everything is fine up to about volume 15. Anything above that and the battery volts drop from 14.5 to anywhere between 11.5 and 12.5 and sometimes depend on the song below 11.5. So my question then becomes do I need an extra battery, do I need to replace the current car battery with a bigger one, should I do the big three or should I replace the alternator?

Mike from Poland

Hi! I have a 2014 Honda with a 95a alternator. There is only one amp driving the system right now and i already experience dimming when the bass kicks while the car stays on idle. The amp is a mbquart running about 2x85 to the fronts and a bridge of about 260 watts to the 10 inch sub. Wiring was done by a pro and everything is set up for an additional jlaudio 600/1 which i already have but not connected as i noticed the dimming (lights on, idle rpm, no other power drains like heated mirrors or seats etc. - just the lights and aircon). As you probably noticed the power drain from what i have now is not something substantial and the car has a special battery (80ah agm for start/stop usage). The vehicle is pretty new and has about 30k miles on it. What would you recommend?

anthony from aubur

hey i have a 2004 mitsubushi eclipse with a new optima red top battery, and recently purchased a 240 amp h/o alternator along with a big 3 upgrade kit. my question is is do i need a new inline fuse between the alt and the battery? the inline fuse already there is only rated for 120 amps

Eugenio garza from Fremont

I have 2 12" solo baric 2 ohm at 50-750 watts rms each and am going to order a kicker CXA1800.1 mono amp at 1800 watts rms @ 2 ohms, i read that the amp can draw some serious amounts of current (up to 163 amps) and i was wondering if i should just go ahead and get a hight output aftermarket alternator.

E.B. from Louisburg

I recently took my vehicle to my local stereo Shop and they did and upgrade to my negative wires. I thought it was the Big 3 upgrade, but they didn't replace or did anything to the alternator hot wire. They said in there past experience, when the replace the factory hot wire that I could cause issues, so they did 4 gauge ground wire from battery to chassis, battery to alternator, then 8 gauge wire from battery to body, which is the factory ground wires. I currently have changed the battery to a yellow top optima and I have 4 gauge hot and ground wires running to a distribution box the from the distribution box to my amp is 8 Guage wire, cause my amp will only accept no larger than 8 Guage wire. So with all that said and my headlightson dim a little still, but adding all these additions helped, should they have installed the hot wire from the battery to the alternator, a new wire, but still kept the factory hot wire? Thank You!

Rob from Chesapeake

Hello, I am looking into upgrading my system in my 2008 Chrysler 300. I am looking at replacing the four stock speakers with Kicker 6x9 3 ways 150RMS, along with adding a Pioneer deck, and using a MB Quart 4 ch 800 watt (100RMS per channel) amp to drive the four Kickers. I have no subs or additional speakers in the car. I would like to know opinions or facts as to whether or not I should be worried about having to change the alternator to a higher output. I hope I do not obviously, and reading the setups others are using here on this forum makes my system sound small in comparison. I have looked up the specs on the 300's stock alternator and it appears to be 160 amps. Give me good news lol...

Ryan from Saint Louis

Quick questions on electrical. Planning to run 4.5k rms to two 15s, and then about 500 rms to door speakers. Thoughts are throwing 2 batteries in the trunk and upgrading to a 250 amp alt, or adding another alt along with my current 200 amp HO alt. Big 3 is already done and will probably run a couple runs of 0 gauge. Do you think this would be sufficient enough to run 5k? Also any suggestions on batteries? Thinking maybe 2 XP3000s. Thanks for everything.

Travis

So, I have a 1981 GMC C1500 pickup, I'm currently installing a new stereo in. I'll be using a Pioneer 7800BHS head unit, Kenwood XR900-5 5-channel amp, running 2 Pioneer TS-SW2502S4 10" subwoofers wired in parallel to a 2-ohm load, Focal PS 130 V in my doors, and some 4" Alpine 2-ways in the cab corners just for the time being. The truck originally has a 63-amp alternator, I'm swapping in a 105-amp later model one, and I'd like to wire everything up as correctly as possible, the factory wiring runs through 10 gauge wiring on the charging system with a few fusible links, am I able to leave this in place and simply run a larger gauge (and fused) wire to the battery, or am I going to need to rewire the entire charging system? As it stands, the factory wiring comes off the alternator, goes to a junction block on the firewall and goes to the + side of the starter, which has a 4 gauge wire going from the starter + to the + terminal on the battery. Thanks in advance. Side note, the amp is going to be wired up using 4 gauge OFC positive and ground, 10 gauge for the subs as they are the big draw, and 16 gauge to the speakers, all OFC, with amp power wire fused near battery with a 125amp fuse.

Dustin Zysset from Columbus

I have a 2006 chevy tahoe with stock bose. I'm putting in one 13.5 in jl audio tw5 2 ohm which is 600 watt rms and I'm putting a 500 watt rms jl audio amp to power it, I'm also planning to replace the door speakers and use a 250 watt rms amp to run those, and putting in a new head unit. Its not hooked up yet so i don't know if lights will dim, but im trying to plan ahead I'm going to upgrade my big 3 regardless because i feel like it's going to be a good idea, i also plan to get a yellow top optima battery for the vehicle, i got to looking and found out i have a 160 amp alternator already installed. Now my question is after i get the better battery and upgrade my big 3 and get my stereo in do you think Im going to have to upgrade my alternator or should i be ok? Also should i get a capacitor or will i be ok without it? Thanks in advance for your help.

Zac from Sherman

Just picked up a few things for my 1985 nissan 720 two 10" 1050 rms each runing from a 4000 watt mono block one 8" 500 rms and 2 4x10" 150 rms each running from a 1000 watt duel chl for my highs i have 2 6.5" 125 rms each and 2 1" tweeters running from a 200 watt duel chl should i go ahead and pick up and 2nd battery and a copacitor already got all the wires for the big 3 but my stock alt is 60 amp looking in too a gm swap for a 120 amp any help would be awesome

Joe from Tupelo

I've already done a 1/0 big 3 upgrade for a previous system but only used 4 gauge for the amp. Im about to upgrade those to 1/0 because im wanting to run 2 skar audio ZVXv2 15"s (1500 rms each) on a skar SK3500v2 (specs say 3800 rms @ 1 ohm)....if I had a good enough second battery, could I manage with a stock alternator still? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Sage from Long Beach

Super helpful post. I have a few questions! I am running two 10" Boston Aucoustic subs with a GT2 125 amp in my 2012 Mazda3... with a stock battery and alternator :( I've had the dimming lights for awhile and not only that, I've replaced shattered and burnt bulbs time and time again. Recently my car hasn't been starting as fast and turning over. And now I know for certain my alternator is failing. I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm learning as I go... until I can upgrade my alternator and or get a capacitor should I go to the trouble to remove the wiring as well... (as I'm not sure if they have anything to do with the possible short that's making my head lights shatter) or can I just disconnect them from my amp and subs and be alright? And is my alternator permanately damaged and going to continue to fail even without the extra pull for power?

Matthew from Wichita Falls, texas

Crutchfield, I'm super impressed with your dedication to your customers ! Please help me, for I am a young Padawan. I am wanting to put 2 subwoofers 500rms each, and four door speakers 80rms each. (All are alpine type s) I'll have two alpine amps type d 500 watts(one to each sub), and one alpine amp 300 watt type d(for door speakers). I'm pretty afraid the 1300 watts is gonna kill my alternator. I have a 2014 chevy sonic, not super fancy. Do you think 1300 watts is a little much for the stock electrical system?

Eric from Garfield Heights

Hello Buck, let me cut to the question so i won't waste you're valuable time. I have a 2005 Scion Tc Electrical upgrades : 175 amp Alternator and an XS power D2400 with no big 3 upgrade. Personal upgrades : 2 12 inch American bass XFL1244 powered by a Hifonics BRX1516.1d at 1 ohm or 1500 watts rms My question is do i absolutely have to upgrade my Big three now that i have the HO alternator? I have slight headlight dimming and voltage drop from 13.3 to 13.1. Should i be afraid of frying my vehicles computers? Oh, did i mention my voltage at the battery charging is 13.3 with nothing on! Thanks in advance!

Razaad Ahmad from Bethlehem.

Hey there. I have 2 Skar VVXv3 12" subwoofers running in my Nissan Altima 2005. I have the 1500rms amp running those two subs. My question is should I include a smaller cap? I have an 8fraud cap. Also I've noticed the wire from my battery to my power wire to amp basically blows every couple months or so. So what should I do? I'm running 2 gauge towards my battery but all my wires connected to my amp and cap is 8 gauge wire. Everything is stock but with that much power should I just get a second battery VS A cap. If so what kinda battery or cap should I consider buying that's not too perfect for my set up so far? Also should I do the big three just to do it or no? I just wanna be able to eat the most out of these subwoofer and I feel like I'm really not getting as much powere as they can handle.

Brandon Briggs from Muskegon

Hello, I'm just curious if normal rules of electricity apply to sound system power. I'm an electrician and know ohms law and power calculations. How does 1500 watt draw equate to 247 amps. P= I×E Power =watts I= current or Amps and E= voltage. 1500 watts divided by 12 volts equals 125 amps. My car runs around 13.7 volts when running which would equate to even less current (110 amps) I read a bunch of stuff not only here but other places with knowledgeable people such as yourself where their calculations doesn't add up to what I was taught in my IBEW apprenticeship program. I understand that none of these devices are 100% efficient but even to get over 100 amps of lost power due to resistance, making heat or electromagnetic effects doesn't make sense. My other question is how does a capacitor work in a DC system. Capacitance along with induction only exist in an AC circuit. All of the capacitor I've seen are supposed to be installed before the amp which is DC. Capacitive Reactance formula is Xc = 1/(2×p×frequency× capacitor value). But because DC has no frequency that value would be 0 which messes up the whole equation. I could somewhat see a capacitor working after the amp which is an AC circuit but the frequency value is constantly changing. Is there special rules that apply to sound systems or electronics? If so could you point me in the right direction to learn more about this.

Ian Wallis from Sydney

Hi Buck, Some great information here. I have a Kenwood KAC-PS527 2 Channel Car Amplifier powering 2 x Pioneer TS-A6975S speakers in a 1973 HQ Holden. I get crackling and a popping speaker sound when the car is running with stereo turned off. I think it may be the alternator (Ingram - possibly a 55Amp). What would be the recommended sized alternator if this is the issue? There is some pretty serious gauge power and ground cables going to the AMP. Thanks in advance.

James from canton

I have an 03 malibu with 2 15in kicker L7s 4ohm wired to a 3600 watt kicker amp. It is not hitting to its full potential i know bc i had 2 12in kicker L7s. I have to upgrade from 4 gauge wiring to 1/0 but is that the only thing throwing my amp into protective mode? wasn't sure if i need to upgrade my alternator or not?

Mark from Norwich

Hi Buck. I'm planning some upgrades and was lead here by a friend after he mentioned the big 3. My total RMS will only be 700w RMS, do I need to worry about this? I checked my alternator and it's rated at 90a.

Jordan from Ephrata

Hi I recently started having an issue where my subwoofer shuts off/loses power when I turn my volume to about 70% max. I think it's my alternator but could it be my amp? I have a 5 channel for my speakers and another amp just for the sub.

Justus from Geronimo

Sooooo, when are you guys getting into the HO Alternator game? I can buy just about every other part of an audio system but that.

Anthony from Durban

Hi. I currently have a 2017 Hyundai i20 1.2 Motion and I want to add a 2500w rms sub with a 2500w 2ohm rms amp. What alternator would I need to run this system smoothly and would the stock battery work? Thanks

Westley Gaskins from moncks corner

I like this thread. None of this is installed yet, but I have a mechman 370 amp hi output alt on a bracket separate from stock alt, 2 xs 7500d batts ran in parallel, 1 ns-1 sundown amp (10,000 watt ems) powering 2 sundown nightshade v4's 3000 watt rms 15 inch subs, a sundown 125x4 v.2 on 4 jl audio 3 component 6x9s and 2 skar audio super tweeters with inline bass blockers. All with ofc certified basshead 1/0 power and ground, ofc 8 gauge ran for subs. The question is am I done buying parts? With all this power can I demo all day? Will this power supply work or do I need more?

Adam Malik from newnan

Hi, i currently have a Rockford fosgate 12 inch enclosure with a 600 watt rms and 1200 watt max rating with a Rockford fosgate mono amplifier with a 750 watt rms installed. I want to be able to fully listen to the sub without causing any damage to my car. When the volume is turned to about less than halfway and a loud bass note hits, all my lights will flicker, interior and exterior. And I only have the gain set to about 4 but it goes up to 11. I want to be able to have it set around 7-8 without my lights flickering. But I installed this with 8 gauge power and ground wire so is this why my lights are flickering? if i were to change the wires to 4 gauge, would this solve my problem? I've done some research and found that 8 gauge only has a max of 600 watts so I'm not sure if i used the wrong wires and if i should swap for the 4 gauge instead.

Lance Nicholas Welch from INDIANAPOLIS

I have a 4.2 trsilblazer. I am adding a sundown X 12v.1 and the amp will be a HIFI BRZ 2400 1.d. all off my buddies are in competition and are telling me i need to get a 270 alt and a solid battery. Can i get away with the big 3 (OFC) of course and a decent set of matching agm battiries? I just downgraded due to soace. I had a toyota 4 runner with a maxive box tuned to 31. So i am sure i will not have quite the sane output. But power wise would it be wise to get the 270 alt??

William Hall from Canton

No matter what I'm adding a extra battery but should I also do the big 3 upgrade when sitting and not moving with the subs on I watch my voltage meter jump and bounce I have a good battery in it

Cletus Bosephus Rodriguez from HomeoftheRazorbacks

Hello Buck, I would like to get your opinion on a headlight flickering problem. I have a 2002 Honda Civic. The stereo I'm running is: 1 - 12" L7 solo baric powered by an Orion XTR1500 2 - MB quart 6.5s, 2 - MB quart 6x9s, powered by an MB quart 4x120 amp. I put an ultima yellow top battery, Rockville RXC50D 50 Farad cap, and a 160 Amp Alternator. I have also replaced the big three wires with 1/0 5250 strand wire. I'm getting dimming on my headlights and interior lights when the bass hits. It's not extreme, but it's noticeable. I'm suspecting the voltage regulator on the alternator because it's wiring runs through the car's wiring harness. Is there a safe way to test this theory and bypass either the car's wiring harness or the voltage regulator without overcharging the battery? Do you have any other ideas on how I can eliminate the dimming?

Jesus zuniga from Denver

Hi I have 2 sundown sa-10 Rev 3 RMS 750 Dual 4 ohm with a class d amp hifonics Brutus 1200.1D wired to 1 ohm. My issue is I can't find a ho alternator for my 2012 civic LX sedan. My question is will rewinding my 90amp alternator to 120 amp help my electrical system or do I just to the big 3 with upgrading my ground cable too. Im just trying to get rid of the light diming of my headlights

Dale from Cincinnati

I just got 200 high output police alternator for grand marquis with 3000 watt taramp can I run it I have good battery to I got it tested pushing 12.9 volts with 0 gauge but not big 3 would I need extra battery or it should be fine with proper gain I haven't hook up yet

Jesus zuniga from Denver

So a 250 amp alternator be enough for my sound system

Robert from Ontario

Hi Buck, Thanks for all your advice and articles on sound systems. I have a question. I have a 2016 Dodge Charger with a stock 180 amp alternator. I'm going to use an audiocontrol 1200 amp. I'm trying to decide if I should power it at 750 watts rms at 2 ohms or at 1200 watts rms at 1 ohm for one Sundown SA-12 sub. Will either of the two choices tax the electrical or am I in a "safe zone" with one or both wattages?