FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

Hey Gents, been a while since I've actually had to make a thread on here to fix something..

Well, I've been having alot of Unique problems lately..

Yaknow stuff like Headlight Bulbs Exploding mid Drive..

Battery Light on in the morning and the alternator not putting out any amperage.. Even though I have 14.3 Volts...

So, heres the basic Set up..

5th Reman Alternator the car has seen
Optima Yellow Top Battery (Weighed in at a little under 1000 CCA)
750 Watt RMS amplifier in the trunk..

I never used to have an Issue where the amplifier would cut out for whatever reason, but over the course of the last 6 months or so It has begun to do so whenever the volume exceeds a certain point. Frankly I've been having a helluva time lately and havent had the motivation to investigate this..

The Head Light bulbs literally exploding is a relatively new issue, as is the early morning (Cold Weather) battery light..

Now before you all start *****ing about grounding, know that I am the grounding **** and I ground everything; and I do so damn well.

I have cleaned the battery terminals, connected lines, and electrical contact cleaner'ed quite a few connectors.. Alternator has been thoroughly degreased.. The Maxima is becoming a pooch so I will admit I no longer have the plastic splash guards for pretty much the entire front end. Oh, and the Serp Belt does seem to carry tension.

Input appreciated.

Ryan

Tyutyunnik

iTrader: (1)

5th alternator? What was the reason for all the replacements?

It sounds like the amp is just frying the crap out of the alternator. Are you running a capacitor at all?

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

You mentioned you are the grounding king. Is your ground cable for your amp the same gauge as the power wire? and if so how long is it and where did you ground it? What kind of amp do you have and what class is it? Some low end amps pull a lot more volts than they need to at a constant rate and even with your yellow top it can put a huge strain on the charging system.

FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

Im also a car stereo ****.

Capacitors are Bull****. Also with a Optima Yellow Top Battery with something like 1000 CCA its Highly unnecessary.

Its a Class-D TXA-750D by Cadence

The Car's OEM alternator was fried when I got the car.

Over the years I have learned the hard way about running systems. Reman Alternators SUCK, but im not shelling the cash for an OEM..

2 Alt's didnt last a week (they were AutoZone Defective Junk) The other 2 were just what they were, crap.

The ground for the Amp is The same Size in a Short Run to a point in the trunk on the Driver Side.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Ok good deal to know you know what you are doing on the basics which skips my next few solutions. I agree caps are essentially a waste of money for the average system lol. Yes those alternators are almost the worst you can get. That 750D has so many damn features! Is the equalizer for the treble actually decent or does it just distort? ANyways back on topic, you have good quality wire that isn't overly long causing you to lose voltage seen at the amp? It seems to me that your starting point should be a better alt. It sux its expensive but if your pulling 700w for extended periods of time then thats right at the threshold of the stock alt and especially being a ****ty brand

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

I would look real close at the voltage regulator. It may be going haywire and not maintaining a constant output. 700 watts at 12 volts is about 55 amps, which is half of the alternator's rated output. At night the alternator could be at max capacity and spiking the voltage up high and that is causing the headlights to blow.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

The voltage regulator could indeed be faulty as well. I believe its regulated to about 14.1v but that stock alt rating is a little over-estimated and pulling 700w is straining it for sure especially in the winter running heat and at night when you said the bulbs blew? That is a ton of strain on an already small stock alt and combined with the fact its a crappy aftermarket which is safely probably 80amps at HIGH revs. I always tell my clients anything over 650w you need to start upgrading charging system components. The OP already has the right battery in the high accessory aimed yellow top. I still think its the alt but you are right, the constant drain could have simply fried the regulator and its allowing the volts to spike.

FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

Meh, I hate replacing these dumb alts.. But At this point it takes me all of about 30 mins from start to finish so, whatever.. Anyone have an OEMish Alt they wanna sell me for Dirt cheap.... Im seriously Broke.

Shock, the Wire is Good stuff, 2 Guage that you can tie a tight knot with.
The Amps features do rock, I wish I could source another one, but at this point I may as well throw my Hifonics BXi2006D in there and just run it at 2 Ohms with 1000W.

The reason Im actually asking about all of this for the record is this is the first Reman Alt Ive ever had that has lasted me more than A Year.

I have run a bit of a stress test on it before, pounded the subs, had all sorts of acc on, and still 14.0-14.3V constant.. Meh..

cashoit

yo fallen man,

Def sounds like the Alt is starting to crap out.

Rule of thumb: after 500 watts rms, u should think about installing a cap or extra battery.

I mean 750 watts rms is ALOT of constant power man. u dont have light dimming issues???

I dont think caps are BS. They are a band aid fix, yes, but they serve a point. Installin a cap would mean the alt wouldnt have to work as hard to service the amp.

Either that or turn the amp down lol

maxed_out_99

You didnt buy a furry little animal from a creepy old Asian dude did you?

Honestly I would check the sub. Maybe it's blown causing all sorts of issues. Push on to see if it makes a scraping noise. Unless its new then obviously that's not the issue

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

measure your battery voltage first then, start it and see where you voltage is at, then the real test is too turn on your Emergency flashers, High beam headlight and fogs if equipped, turn blower motor to high, and now check your voltage.....If it can't maintain more then 12.75 or while loaded you need to invest in an OEM altenator bottom line!

FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

Caps are crap, they literally dont do ****. Especially a low end one; Unless the cap is rated for at least 14V it will dumb the voltage to the amplifier down to something like 10V.

Oh and Cash, I have an Optima Yellow Top.. I dont need a second battery either..

The Hifonics Brutus Subs are in great shape.

I already did a stress test, at Idle, 14-14.3 V consistently.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Capacitors are essentially useless unless you have a system pulling over 1000RMS and your gain on your amp is maxed out. They just are not needed if you have a decent battery and charging system. The system on my max is modest and pull a constant 650RMS from battery and I have no dimming issues whatsoever. Capacitors are basically a product they sell noobs to audio, far from a need in most cases.

Fallen, if you don't want to jump on the new alt right now then you could put in a new voltage regulator to eliminate that as an option. It sux but this problem is running through the life of your yellow top too...If you had a voltage meter you could read while you were driving it would help to see what voltage your battery has over time.

nissguy82

This might be out the blue moon but has anyone died in the car? I had a friend who's car had a fatality many years before he had it and while he had it was doing all kinds of odd electrical things like, lights going out, gauges fluctuating randomly, certain electrical instruments showed loss of voltage for a while. Not to mention that that car just had a cold vibe in it. There was a lot of weird things that happened to the car randomly but those are just the things I remember.

FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

Not a superstitious guy here, and no this car has never even been wrecked.

Jason1979a

Hey FallenOne, From my experience you can have plenty of voltage (ie14.4) but still have a loss of amps which will cause all the problems you are talking about. Your Yellowtop may actually be killing your reman ALts. The yellowtop Optima batteries are great batteries, But from fighting and fighting with six of them in a Customers car, found out that they do not Charge and DisCharge fast enough for most Car Audio Systems of any Merit. Your are a 100% right about Caps, They are usually just a fancy Voltage Meter and a place to run your power and ground. Try looking into a Kinetic or Shuriken Batt. I took six Optimas out and put in three Kinetics and his problems went away. Also something to think about with the Alts, You don't drive through alot of water do you? Only saying because if your Alt is Hot and you drive through a puddle it will fry the damn things in a couple tries. I have a Reman alt on my car and a Basic Marine Batt under the hood, nothing Fancy, I just like the connectors on Marine Batts. I have a Memphis PR500 and a Fosgate Punch 400.4, Systems pulls around 120 amps of current when i push it. Still Running the same Alt for going on 2 and a half Years. I hope some of this Helps. PM me if I can help at all.

FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

I dont have the plastic guards under my engine since I "Fixed" my Radiator Core Support. So Yes, It does get alot of water...

Also, My Optima has been the only good battery I've ever had, has yet to fail to start.

Not bad for 50$

adroitcaptor

I am not sure what answer you are looking for. You stated that you have an issue but do not seem to want to spend the money or time to fix it[?]. I know what being poor is - I was stuck rebuilding my own alternators back in the day... Maybe you should go that route so you can afford one that is sufficient for your demands.

There are a few things said that would indicate your issue is not being addressed properly. IE – simply because something is new does not mean that it is working to specification. Additionally, just because your car will start in the cold does not mean that your battery is good. Your issue could be stemming from many areas but you will not narrow them down if you are eliminating possibilities via logical falacy.

As Jason1979a said – Your system may run at the correct voltage but that does not mean your battery can hold the charge it needs ,and dissipate that charge, as quickly as needed. Remember that a battery is rated at a specific temperature, voltage, and discharge rate. As you alter one factor the others will be affected. For [applicable] example, as you increase discharge rate, the capacity will lower. This is where capacitors can help a system if set up correctly. (Your assumptions about them are only correct as most people use/install them and does not speak to their potential.)

It sounds like you demand a lot from your charging system; the longevity of your alternator will be affected. Many factors apply to the prior mentioned, as stated in previous posts. Being you have a lower quality alternator, excess stressors, and high demand, it is only reasonable the life would shorten. As you pointed out, longevity still seems a bit low; however this could easily be your audio system.

I think the first thing you need to do is address is your amperage use. Secondly measure the capability of your current battery. And lastly, address additional issues that are going to play a factor in your original problem.

Jason1979a

Only Reason I bring up the water issue is because my wife had a 2000 Cougar. Where we lived the road would get about 1 to 2 inches of standing water in any light rain. Drove the cougar through it on the way home. change the alt 3 times in a year. Moved off that street right after the third replace and never changed it again. It lasted about 31/2 years after we moved. Not saying that is it on yours, Just trying to Help.

Also when I say Capacitors are junk, they do serve a purpose, but if you buy a small Kinetic or shureken batt, designed for car audio, you don't need a cap. A small batt runs around $125, where a really good cap that will still not do the same runs about the same price. therefore no need for a cap. The cheaper ones are just that... JUNK. They really don't do anything but help smooth out the charge going to the amp. which the little batt also does.

I would recommend trying a friends battery or something to rule out the Optima. Money does not grow on trees, So just buying a batt to try it is not a good idea. Just make sure it is not the same brand or close to it.

FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

See, my hugest Issue is that I've spent a great deal of time trying to figure this situation out, and I've gotten close to nowhere.

The Alternator and Battery have both been tested and tested Great. Which means its a situational issue, hence my cleaning my grounds, connections, and the like.. I've basically hit a brick wall, because there seems to be no rhyme or reason for all of this assuming the tests I have had run are accurate.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

While you may have had the alternator tested, how it was tested makes a big difference. The testing that an auto parts store does is not very comprehensive and can easily "pass" an alternator with an intermittent problem. The testing equipment that a quality rebuilder has is rather sophisticated and expensive and tests the alternator at different loads, different rpms and other factors. It takes longer than the 30 second autozone test.

I still feel that the alternator is your problem. Other than the battery, there isn't much else.

cashoit

Caps are a band aid fix for most likely an aging alt or weak battery. They serve a purpose but they are so expensive that they really not worth it.

Yo Fallen, i know u know audio man. But u cant say that the battery and alt good when the amp is clipping.

If the amp is clipping, its because its not getting enough power. Period. If its not getting enough power, its either not grounded properly or the charging system isnt keeping up.

As you know, the way to remedy this is to either do the big 3, clean/add grounds, or add a cap or battery.

Simply put, your alt is working too hard. Unless u have a better explanation...




Cosigned.

NSMO240

iTrader: (5)

I have had nothing but problems with optima batteries, especially yellow tops. battery would test good all day long but lose charge after sitting for 2 days, thew in a different brand battery, no more issue. i would say your overcharging your system, maybe the voltage regulator in the alt. is bad. had the same issue with blowing up headlamp bulbs in an older dodge i have from a voltage regulator. i would throw a different battery in first, and try that.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

I agree to a point. Most people throw in an optima because they want it and think its the best not knowing what its designed for, they dont actually NEED it. I have a yellow top because I have grounded my starter to the frame and dont need a high CCA battery because I dont have starting issues. I have a very high accessory load and thats what the yellow top is designed for. Hasnt failed me yet!