# Is the Stock Altenator safe?



## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

Just installed my system with a friend about 2 weeks ago. We did a pretty good job, but the only problem is my lights dim incredibly at night time. I have a 12" woofer pushing close to 400 watts. I'm getting a Capacitor to store more power, but will my altenator be able to handle it, and will my lights still DIM when the bass hits? Some say yes and some say no. I need one of my fellow enthusiast opinions. Let me know. Thanx!!


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## kbrassfi (Aug 1, 2002)

I'm running 1500+ fosgate watts (true power) to my system with a 3 farad, my lights still dim, but I have checked my alternator out several times, and seems to be holding up just fine, so with a cap, you should be fine


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

kbrassfi said:


> *I'm running 1500+ fosgate watts (true power) to my system with a 3 farad, my lights still dim, but I have checked my alternator out several times, and seems to be holding up just fine, so with a cap, you should be fine *


Thanx dogg, that's way more power than mine. I should be straight then.


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## SentraStyleEMW (Aug 15, 2002)

Another thing you may consider is to simply upgrade your wire between your alternator and battery (4 gauge or better) and also on your ground from battery (use same gauge as + into battery for ground) That can actually give you up to a volt and a half of current. That may not sound like much...but if you have an amp with a regualted power supply (which about 90% of amps are)...then it can make a huge impact. 

As far as your headlights still dimming, simply install some small capacitors close to your headlights (that is the only sure fire way that your lights will not dim with the current draw)...although capacitors do help some.

I have an Alpine MRV1507, MRVF307, and MRVT407 running my system on stock alternator. That is well over 1500 watts RMS and the only upgrade I have is the upgraded wire I listed above (which made a huge difference), an Optima Red Top battery, and a few capacitors (3 one-farad monster caps).


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

*Dizamn*

How do you guys keep the trunk from shaking so much?


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## SentraBoy (Jun 19, 2002)

I am running 2 Phoenix Gold amps, PG 1 farad Cap and an Optima Yellow top and have no dimming at all. The system is pushing exactly 1000w.


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## Honest Bob (Nov 7, 2002)

400 watts is nothing.

Get a new stronger battery, yours might be on its way out. How old is the battery you are running? I have 1200 watts running off my stock alt and an $80 800cc battery. I just installed it yesterday, havent gotten the lights to dim yet. If you still have the dimming problem upgrade the 3 wires SentraStyleEMW mentioned.

A capacitor is simply a band aid, not a complete solution.


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

My battery is about 2 months old Die Hard Gold. I was also told by somebody that a Capacitor doesn't completely take away all the dimming. I'm most likely gonna do the wire upgrade, with the cap, and go with an Optima Red Top!


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## Psch91 (May 18, 2002)

Do you have it loud most of the time? I have a 15" with about 650 watts going to it and I have no dimming at all. And yes, the trunk is a piece of shit, Nissan couldnt have made a cheaper trunk. I am hoping to get some money and dynamat my whole car, seeing as how my roof and my door and everything shakes and rattles.


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## kbrassfi (Aug 1, 2002)

THE TRUNK RATTLE IS RIGHT, WITH EVEN A SMALL SYSTEM, THE CAR RATTLES LIKE HELL, I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE NAMED THE CAR MORE APPROPRIATELY THE RATTLE BOX, I'VE NEVER SEEN A CAR RATTLE SO MUCH WITH SUCH EASE, I'VE HAD OLDER CARS THAT DON'T RATTLE THIS MUCH


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

Damn, I thought my car was the only one that rattled like shit! My car rattles so much, the idle goes up and down when the Bass hits. And yes, only when I have the system up does the lights dim, when I turn it down about halfway the dimming stops.


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## Honest Bob (Nov 7, 2002)

DONT DO THAT!  Thats a quick way to kill an alternator! Probably not good for the engine either!


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

Honest Bob said:


> *DONT DO THAT!  Thats a quick way to kill an alternator! Probably not good for the engine either! *


Well damn, how do I bump bump without having to worry about the car dying???


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## Honest Bob (Nov 7, 2002)

Well, you can bump it up until it starts effecting the idle. What kind of amp is this 400 watt amp? I really doubt that 400W would affect the idle unless maybe you are clipping the amp.

I should have been more clear on that


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

Pioneer GM962, it's 760watt max power, and about 350 continous. My Volume goes up to 40, the lights start dimming,and effecting the idle at about 25. The speaker is an Orion/Cobalt 400 watt. I know I sound Vague, but I only know the basics about Sound systems.


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## Honest Bob (Nov 7, 2002)

JT200SX-N-FX said:


> *Pioneer GM962, it's 760watt max power, and about 350 continous. My Volume goes up to 40, the lights start dimming,and effecting the idle at about 25. The speaker is an Orion/Cobalt 400 watt. I know I sound Vague, but I only know the basics about Sound systems.  *


Hmmm, are you shure you wired the sub correctly? I had my subs wired uncorrectly and had major dimming.

After a bit of research I am guessing that your 12" Cobalt has two sets of terminals (dual voice coil). Each set should be going to a channel of the amplifier. It should look like this:










Got the pic from 

Basic Car Audio Electronics 

Also make shure that your positives and negatives are correct.


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

Thanx for the chart dogg, I checked my setup, and it's right, so it must be the Battery wires.


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## Honest Bob (Nov 7, 2002)

Must be then.


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## nismosilvias14 (Oct 12, 2002)

No its not the wires its ur amp....u prolly have an regulated powersupply. Get a class d unregulated powersupply. A good cheap one is jbl bp300.1. u can get one off ebay new for 129. Class D amps for subs use a lot less amps. This amp uses 27amps. Putting a cap on a regulated powersupply wont help. A cap on an unregulated class d amp will see a diff. Phoenix gold amps are as good as jl audio and have great powersupply thats why those people have no problems with dimming.


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## kbrassfi (Aug 1, 2002)

I HAVE THE BD1000 WHICH HAS THE CLASS D UNREGULATED POWER SUPPLY (CHANGES BASED ON VOLTAGE) AND MY LIGHTS STILL DIM, NOT AS BAD SINCE I ADDED A FARAD, BUT I WILL HAVE TO EITHER UPGRADE ALTERNATOR OR ADD A SECOND BATTERY


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## nismosilvias14 (Oct 12, 2002)

kbrassfi said:


> *I HAVE THE BD1000 WHICH HAS THE CLASS D UNREGULATED POWER SUPPLY (CHANGES BASED ON VOLTAGE) AND MY LIGHTS STILL DIM, NOT AS BAD SINCE I ADDED A FARAD, BUT I WILL HAVE TO EITHER UPGRADE ALTERNATOR OR ADD A SECOND BATTERY *


At 1000 watts ur not using 27 amps...ur using prolly somewhere around 60 amps. He is using 400watts...he can get a more efficient amp. Id say past 600watts its time for us to upgrade our alts.... but a low watt class d w/ cap will help alot. When u put ur cap on it help u a bit. A lot of peepo put caps and it doesnt help and then say caps are useless....


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## JT200SX-N-FX (May 30, 2002)

nismosilvias14 said:


> *At 1000 watts ur not using 27 amps...ur using prolly somewhere around 60 amps. He is using 400watts...he can get a more efficient amp. Id say past 600watts its time for us to upgrade our alts.... but a low watt class d w/ cap will help alot. When u put ur cap on it help u a bit. A lot of peepo put caps and it doesnt help and then say caps are useless.... *


Thanx alot fellas, I guess Pioneer isn't all it's cracked up to be. What are some other Amps I can use to push my Cobalt/Orion?


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## Guest (Nov 19, 2002)

JT200SX-N-FX said:


> *Thanx alot fellas, I guess Pioneer isn't all it's cracked up to be. What are some other Amps I can use to push my Cobalt/Orion? *


I refuse to put PIONEER into my car... last winter I had a Pioneer Premier 10"DVC blow at only 75 watts... normal listening volume... all was connected right, everything worked fine with my other subs before (I had 2 Kicker CompVR's in there at seperate times, a DVC 4-ohm, and a DVC 8-ohm) and had no problems, and the Pioneer toasted the voice coil in the worst way - melting the cone and sending electronics stench throughout the entire car (in my old car, a 1986 Toyota Corolla) - after the 2nd one blew up in the same way (only this one caught fire) I told Pioneer what I thought of their "Premier" products... and took my money and bought a pair of JENSEN 10" subs - & HAD NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER!!! I had the Jensens in my car until April when I bought my current 10" DVC 2-ohm Kicker CompVR... 

Oh yeah, I'm also running a 2000 model Rockford Fosgate 250a2...


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## superfro86 (May 15, 2002)

about all that pioneer stuff. there speakers,amps and subs suck. they make nice hus but the rest suck. the reason why a b14 rattles so much is because nissan used very little factory sound dampining. my stock shit with a discman with the bass boost on made the shit rattle.


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