Guest

Last Sunday while I was driving around town playing my stereo, the amps started to cut out then my lights started dimming and everything electrical started shutting down or dimming. I had to get a jump and upon checking today I was told that my alternator was bad. I tried looking around for an upgraded alternator but everyone said that they don't have upgrades for my car.
For you guys out there with big systems, how do you prevent the alternator from going bad again? What do you guys do? Will an Optima yellow top and a Capacitor do it?
Thanks in advance.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

I just installed a larger battery and 1F cap on my system, and I have had zero problems with my alternator (though I DID have to replace it about 2 months after buying the car. $89 at O'Reillys for a Remanufactured one, lifetime warranty..)

screw the high output suckers.. this one's for a lifetime warranty so if it ever blows, I just go get another one..
so far I haven't had any problems at all with it.

chris92gxe

Get an amp with a higher cold cranking amps and it will help. A capacitor will also help.


92GXE, touring wing, 18” racing wheels, Port&Polished intake, custom intake, custom yellow interior, racing seats, back seats taken out and replaced with subs and amps, NOS kit, Suspension tech. Lowering springs, custom grille, soon to be custom painted and have the whole engine rebuilt for big shot NOS and custom SC and tranny converted to 5-speed.

Sith

iTrader: (1)

What kind of Power Wire are you running? Basically what Matt said, just get a bigger/better battery and a Capacitor, and if you got a pretty crappy Power Wire, i'd suggest running a new, high quality one.
I had cheap power wire, and everytime i'd stop at a stoplight, my amp would start to fade, but i ran a new RF power wire, and now it doesn't cut out at all, although my lights still flash alittle cause my battery sucks.

Chris Gregg

iTrader: (59)

Aside from the clock fading and weak transissions, the alternators are one of the largest problems on a Max. I bought a new alternator from Auto Zone (lifetime war.) and it even came with a sheet telling how the charging system sucked and so the pulley was changed to increase rotations (rpm) for better charging especially at idle. One good suggestion may be that sense the alternators have a built in regulator, to add a one way breaker on the battery for the power wire to the amps, and put a Optimus batt. and a 1F cap. With the one way breaker, the Optimus will still be charged, but current can't flow back to the starter batt. and the alternator can't sense the additional drain on the system and burn itself out by overcharging, it only reads that the starter batt. is low and charges it. Shoot, my car idles down even if I turn on my headlights or push on the brakes, the charging systems suck, that's why underdrive pulleys aren't recommended for those of us with systems!

FAST4EN

Yeah, you hit the Nail right on the Head...with my UR Pulley, I had to eventually get a 1F Cap and get "less of a system" because of the strain on the alternator that it caused. I care more about Power than I do stereo. Don't get me wrong, I love both, but I just have my priorties.