Is it necessary to buy a new alternator with a system. I'm gonna run either 1 or 2 12s. I think im gonna get neons eventually. Somebody i know is running 2 12s and neons and his interior lights start dimming whenever he has everything on. How much would a new one cost?

 

to the best of my knowledge they don't make a higher output alt that is a direct bolt on for out cars. they might and I just don't know about it, but i doubt it. for what you are putting in a H.O. alt really won't be necessary. get a cap and you should be fine. if you still want a higher output from your alt have it rebuilt. depending on your car's year this could be beneficial anyway. the 5th gens don't really need it with a 110 amp alt. just be careful b/c you get substantial engine noise from the rebuild though.

hope this helps...

 

Yeah, the stock alternators are pretty strong. Your friend's car isn't a GM or a Honda, is it? They have terrible alternators.

 

no, its a maxima, hes on the org too, 97GreenMax

 

That person would be me, and thats with a 1 farad cap.

 

ok that doesn't make any sense ... your amp is not pushing that much power and if its the new amp they are more efficient and don't draw as much current. you might want to have you battery and alt checked. with your cap, your lights should not dim with that amp. when your lights dim do you have all your lights on and all accessories on? And do the 97's have the 110 amp alt? If they have the 110 somethings wrong.

 

Wheather or not you need a higher output alt depends not on the amount of subs or size of sub you have but rather the amperage the amps pull or if you have a crap load of amps with alot of wattage so it all comes down to which amps you get in generel neither a cap or bigger alt is nessacary but of course there are times its needed.

 

'97GreenMax, there is something wrong somewhere. That tiny amp shouldn't cause your lights to dim, even with a 1/2 farad cap. Check all your wiring, then your battery and alternator. Even if the '97 doesn't have the same 110 amp alt that the '99 has, it wouldn't matter with that cap hooked up correctly.

There are a few companies that make HO alts for our cars. Not direct replacement, but pretty easy to install. I have the Ohio Generator 185 amp. I only have this because with all amps turned on I have roughly 260 or 280 amp max current draw. And I plan to enlarge a couple of the amps. That's the largest they make for a daily driver, and plenty large. If anyone else says they have a higher power OG they are either lying or have a setup that is not intended to be a daily driver. I have seen many people boast higher output OG's on the web, but I have the business card to disprove that.

There is also the Mechanical Man. They have a pretty decent online site with a form to fill out vehicle specifics. There alts are pretty much the same as the OG's. But I don't think they have been around as long. Then there is mean-green. They don't respond with actual answers online or by phone. They recently started advertising in JC Whitney. All the listed applications are domestic, up to 240 amps. They say that they have alts for other vehicles as well. An alt can pretty much go on any car that it can be bolted to and still get the belt on tight. The applications they list are primarily Ford. I checked a Ford dealership lot and none of the HO applications had remotely similar bolt patterns.

 

I'm running almost 2500w and I have no dimming whatsoever, other than just the internal backlight on my headunit's faceplate. BTW, does anyone happen to know how many amps the stock 3rd gen alternator is?