Over the past year or so I've gone through about 4 brand new batteries... all of them were Exide and OEM type batteries. The problem started last winter when I would wake up to a car that wouldnt start in the cold... so I bought a new battery. 2 months later same problem... and over the summer I had no problem whatsoever until last month when I had to get a new battery yet again when it started getting cold... and guess what happened this morning? Yea dead battery...

The last battery I had seemed to be cooked, it was bulging and started leaking so I figured its the alternator trying to re charge the hell out of the battery. I guess I was right...

Today I tested the battery out, no charge while it was off but the alternator was putting out normal voltage. Once the car is on, there is no problem whatsoever, unless I leave the car off for a few hours. It seems none of the batteries can hold a charge. So I decided to mess around with my system... I have CDT CL61 components and coaxials with a Rockford Fosgate 400.4 amp and a set of Rockfart 12" HX2's powered by a cheapo Lanzar Vibe 2000watt amp, 4ga wiring, no cap. I dont normally play my music very loud, but I decided to blast it while driving and set the bass all the way out to see what would happen... after a few seconds of idling at any red light all my interior speakers shut off and only very little bass could be heard... after I put the volume down it would go back to normal.

I'm not an audio expert by any means but I'm guessing my amps are starved for power and I really hope I didnt ruin anything by doing that.

My question is... is my problem that I need a deep cell... Yellow top? or is it my alternator thats pumping out too much voltage and frying my batteries?

Thank You for reading this far down

 

i think you may have more problems then that. i am running 2000w of rms power and let my stuff pound a lot. other then lights diming i have not had any problems. i have stock alternator and battery.

are your amps not turning off with the car and draining the battery? im sure draining and charging the battery over and over wouldn't be good for it

 

Try cleaning your battery connectors. It sounds like you might have one of your components drawing current when your car is off. What is your voltage like when your car is running? and then what is like with system running at your normal listening volume?

Go buy autozone or sears to get a free alt/starter check. That's what I plan on doing christmas break since it seems my max has hard time handling 700w rms stereo at idle.

Batteries have the tendency to fail in cold weather so be ready. A $25 booster from pep boys wouldn't hurt. Mine has cool flouresnt light.

 

You might have a short somewhere, not necessarily your sound system. I'd take it to an automotive electrical shop and have them check your electrical/charging system. Last time I had this problem, the cigarette lighter was causing a short in the whole electrical system (dunno how that happened) but after that........no more problem! And I'm $20 dollars poorer.

 

Baxtel: The booster is the only thing keeping me from stranding myself... The connectors are nice and clean, I did that today.

2DaMax: but what I dont get is if I had a short, wouldnt it drain a brand new battery within a few days? It takes a good month or 2. I am going to go and try to find a place to check the electrical system now... it didnt really come to me.

Lytheum: Even with everything I have, my lights never dimmed ... which I was really happy about. I dont know if my amps stay up all night or not, I really hope not but I'm going to check. THe thing is like I said, wouldnt that drain my battery within days?

I'm still wondering though, why did my speakers totally shut off on me when I played them really really high.. as if I had no juice left? This is really getting to me now, I'm going to take the car to an electrical shop and see what happens and get a Yellow top...

 

You can check your amps to see if the power light stays lit even minutes after the ignition switch have been on the off position. Since stiffening caps are usually connected directly to a car battery, perhaps something is up with the caps which is trickle-discharging your battery. Maybe its worth a try for you to disconnect the cap from the system and see if your battery would still die out in a month or so.

 

Sometimes in the power supply section of amplifiers there's the possibility of the circuit failing and it causes a small amount of continuous current draw. Are the batteries you're using lead acid type batteries? Those have a much greater chance of the internal plates shorting causing them to fail prematurely. Also lead acid batteries cannot cycle as much as some of the Optimas and Exide Orbital Extremes. I have personally had a lot of luck with the Optima Red Tops. If you're playing the system with the vehicle off, then you'll want to consider a deep cycle battery and some kind of isolator coupled with your regular starting battery under the hood. I think going with a Red-Top should be fine, no need to go for the yellow or blue. The Exide Orbital Extremes are also an awesome battery. Unlike the Optimas, they have larger buss bars to connect the six cells and the six cells vent internally. The Optimas have two external vents for six cells so if something goes wrong, it spews out the top vent. Both can be mounted in any direction and inside the passenger compartment. Compare CCA, CA, price and exchange warranty.

The capacitor as previously mentioned may be a possibility as well. It may have some kind of internal short causing current draw.

 

i thought once you turn your car over your battery have nothing to do with your electrical system?
could it be that you have a bad alternator?

 

I dont have a capacitor

However I will be checking what you guys said with the amps and an electrical short somewhere.

I dont know if its a bad alternator... but my old battery was cooked as if it had wayyyy too much power going into it.

I need a new battery anyway as this one is dead, its goign to wake up every day from now on dead. So that makes me believe theres some kind of small current draw...

 

He did say this.....

 

i use an optima yellow top, and i run 800 watts rms, and my lights wont dim in the hardest hitting bass, yet they will when i go to roll down my windows...hmmm. but no hard starting. i can be playing bball and leave the radio on with the car off for a good hour or more, and have no problems starting it up. so if you determine its your battery, go with a optima yellow top, and never worry about replacing it again.

although from reading your first post, it sounded to me like your amps or something was on in your car causing the drainage.

and if your car's alternator has a problem, the car will start off of battery power alone, but will drain the sh*t out of your battery while running, and youll have to charge the battery again and again until you replace your alternator.

 

It is 99% most likely your alternator. Measuring the Alternator voltage wont definately tell you if its bad, you need to check the amperage.

Lytheum: Unfortunately your not actually getting 2000watts from your system....

--Don

 

I have the same problem with my Optima. The stereo is fine...but when I use the power windows, the lights dim a bit. I have a new alt. and a new yellow top....any ideas on why this would happen? Luckily my alt. has a lifetime warranty...so even if it ever gets fried I can just get a new one for free.

 

 

Damn..... don't we all wish that everything a manufacturer says about what their amps will do is true.

 

I'll be doing my alternator this weekend

Probably an optima as well.

Thank You guys....

 

Listen It's Def Your Alt, I Had That Same Problem Almost With My Old Car. It Happens Because You Don't Have A Cap On The Sub Or On Any Amps. Which When Driving You'll See Nothing Dims Nothing Seems Wrong Just Stop That Car At Light And You'll See Everything Dim - Interior, Exterior Lights Everything. Thats The Purpose Of The Cap But It Takes Away From The Base A Little Bit But It Helps The Car Last

 

Update:

You thought I was gonna let this thread die huh

Its NOT the alternator... I actually had the alternator in my hand ready to change it when I got a quick idea the night before. I took off my battery terminal and the next morning.. a miracle, it started up like a brand new car...

I do have a short, I'm thinking its the alarm/remote start since its always gave me problems, for some reason my remote start doesnt even work anymore, the car just cranks but never starts... but then again I could be wrong and it might be something else... Time to see the electrial guy on Saturday...

 

That's what I said before but noooooooooobody listened! I just had to find a way to use that emote! But seriously, I did say that (see post #4). I thought you already went to see an automotive electrician for it and that's why you went and got an alternator.

 

I did listen to you... thats why I disconnected the battery cable

I did go to a guy who knew about electrical work... obviously he didnt know very much

I have someone else in mind for the alarm to check it out, hes a friend of mine so I might be ripping my alarm out and putting in something new.

 

It must have been the installer


















you do know I was j/p right?

 

Your right, it was the installer... it was on the car when I bought it

How much is a typical uninstall and new install?