Back 2 Tha Drawing Board...
01-18-2009, 04:23 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 392
Back 2 Tha Drawing Board...
Ok.
I have the wining going on inside the engine. Once the car is warm, it stops...Thats been going on for like 5 months now. Whenever I turn the wheel all the way in one direction, I get the noise again....can a dying alternator last that long?...or is there soemthing else I should replace/ test?
Also, What I cannot remember is the original setup for the alternator. I think it was just the positive running to the battery, and nothing else. I have an HO alt on and have a positive and negative running to the battery, and I want to eliminate it...can I? or can I run 4g instead of 0?
my future plan is to just run a JL 1000.1 + MTX Te404 and a AQ4X90
I want to put the kintik (1800) to the rear and run 0 guage from the starter battery, does that mean I need to run 0 from the alt to the starter battery?
....
I have the wining going on inside the engine. Once the car is warm, it stops...Thats been going on for like 5 months now. Whenever I turn the wheel all the way in one direction, I get the noise again....can a dying alternator last that long?...or is there soemthing else I should replace/ test?
Also, What I cannot remember is the original setup for the alternator. I think it was just the positive running to the battery, and nothing else. I have an HO alt on and have a positive and negative running to the battery, and I want to eliminate it...can I? or can I run 4g instead of 0?
my future plan is to just run a JL 1000.1 + MTX Te404 and a AQ4X90
I want to put the kintik (1800) to the rear and run 0 guage from the starter battery, does that mean I need to run 0 from the alt to the starter battery?
....
01-18-2009, 05:57 PM
#2
Ok.
Need a LOT of clarification here.
You have alternator whine that stops when your engine is warm? Then it comes back when your wheel is turned all the way in one direction?
If you alternator is dying, then it won't be able to sustain your car while it's running, your lights will dim and your car will eventually die/stall, all the time.
What it SOUNDS like you have, is that your alternator is SQUEALING, aka, your serpentine belt. Not alternator whine. Have your belt tensioner tightened and your noise will go away. Most likely is occurring now because it's so cold out.
The science behind it:
Since it's loose, when your car is cold it squeals. Then once it warms up, it expands, noise goes away. Nothing left to slip. Then it squeals again when you turn hard because it puts pressure on your power steering belt, which shares a pulley with the serpentine belt.
There should be a positive wire running from your battery to your alternator. Don't eliminate any wires unless you know what you're doing (doesn't sound like you're too confident to me). A better strategy would be to add wires. If you want to upgrade your wiring, do it with 0awg that way your system can handle whatever audio you have planned for it.
If you want to place an additional battery in the trunk (god only knows why, I know people with MUCH heavier systems that don't need additional batteries) then you should use an isolator, and yes, you will have to run a positive wire from your alternator to your secondary battery.
Though I can guarantee, you don't need an additional battery. I think you need to do a lot more research before you attempt anything with your system, you can cause serious damage when you start messing with additional batteries, HO alts, etc and you don't know what you're doing.
Need a LOT of clarification here.
You have alternator whine that stops when your engine is warm? Then it comes back when your wheel is turned all the way in one direction?
If you alternator is dying, then it won't be able to sustain your car while it's running, your lights will dim and your car will eventually die/stall, all the time.
What it SOUNDS like you have, is that your alternator is SQUEALING, aka, your serpentine belt. Not alternator whine. Have your belt tensioner tightened and your noise will go away. Most likely is occurring now because it's so cold out.
The science behind it:
Since it's loose, when your car is cold it squeals. Then once it warms up, it expands, noise goes away. Nothing left to slip. Then it squeals again when you turn hard because it puts pressure on your power steering belt, which shares a pulley with the serpentine belt.
There should be a positive wire running from your battery to your alternator. Don't eliminate any wires unless you know what you're doing (doesn't sound like you're too confident to me). A better strategy would be to add wires. If you want to upgrade your wiring, do it with 0awg that way your system can handle whatever audio you have planned for it.
If you want to place an additional battery in the trunk (god only knows why, I know people with MUCH heavier systems that don't need additional batteries) then you should use an isolator, and yes, you will have to run a positive wire from your alternator to your secondary battery.
Though I can guarantee, you don't need an additional battery. I think you need to do a lot more research before you attempt anything with your system, you can cause serious damage when you start messing with additional batteries, HO alts, etc and you don't know what you're doing.
Last edited by djfrestyl; 01-18-2009 at 05:59 PM.
01-20-2009, 07:32 AM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 392
Ok.
Need a LOT of clarification here.
You have alternator whine that stops when your engine is warm? Then it comes back when your wheel is turned all the way in one direction?
If you alternator is dying, then it won't be able to sustain your car while it's running, your lights will dim and your car will eventually die/stall, all the time.
What it SOUNDS like you have, is that your alternator is SQUEALING, aka, your serpentine belt. Not alternator whine. Have your belt tensioner tightened and your noise will go away. Most likely is occurring now because it's so cold out.
The science behind it:
Since it's loose, when your car is cold it squeals. Then once it warms up, it expands, noise goes away. Nothing left to slip. Then it squeals again when you turn hard because it puts pressure on your power steering belt, which shares a pulley with the serpentine belt.
There should be a positive wire running from your battery to your alternator. Don't eliminate any wires unless you know what you're doing (doesn't sound like you're too confident to me). A better strategy would be to add wires. If you want to upgrade your wiring, do it with 0awg that way your system can handle whatever audio you have planned for it.
If you want to place an additional battery in the trunk (god only knows why, I know people with MUCH heavier systems that don't need additional batteries) then you should use an isolator, and yes, you will have to run a positive wire from your alternator to your secondary battery.
Though I can guarantee, you don't need an additional battery. I think you need to do a lot more research before you attempt anything with your system, you can cause serious damage when you start messing with additional batteries, HO alts, etc and you don't know what you're doing.
Need a LOT of clarification here.
You have alternator whine that stops when your engine is warm? Then it comes back when your wheel is turned all the way in one direction?
If you alternator is dying, then it won't be able to sustain your car while it's running, your lights will dim and your car will eventually die/stall, all the time.
What it SOUNDS like you have, is that your alternator is SQUEALING, aka, your serpentine belt. Not alternator whine. Have your belt tensioner tightened and your noise will go away. Most likely is occurring now because it's so cold out.
The science behind it:
Since it's loose, when your car is cold it squeals. Then once it warms up, it expands, noise goes away. Nothing left to slip. Then it squeals again when you turn hard because it puts pressure on your power steering belt, which shares a pulley with the serpentine belt.
There should be a positive wire running from your battery to your alternator. Don't eliminate any wires unless you know what you're doing (doesn't sound like you're too confident to me). A better strategy would be to add wires. If you want to upgrade your wiring, do it with 0awg that way your system can handle whatever audio you have planned for it.
If you want to place an additional battery in the trunk (god only knows why, I know people with MUCH heavier systems that don't need additional batteries) then you should use an isolator, and yes, you will have to run a positive wire from your alternator to your secondary battery.
Though I can guarantee, you don't need an additional battery. I think you need to do a lot more research before you attempt anything with your system, you can cause serious damage when you start messing with additional batteries, HO alts, etc and you don't know what you're doing.
Phew...Thanks for that input. I know what I'm doing with this though. I ran 2 15" AQ subs with ease off of a Thunder Elite 4001D. I'm going to do something smaller but I think it's a good idea to install a battery in the truck to increase playing time while I have the car off...
With the wiring....I know that when I first purchased this car, there was only one wire from the alt leading to the battery. When I installed the HO alt, I added the second going from the alt as a negative. All my wiress for power from the alt to the battery to the amps (well distribution block) is all 0 gauge. So the question is can I changed the wires to 4gauge...I think thats a little more clear. I didn't know about the squelking thing, gonne tighten that.
01-20-2009, 12:18 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 392
from what i understand it can cause voltage drops...using a 0awg and I won't even be asking for much power....I thought it would be a bad idea to have 0gauge all through if I don't even need it...plus if I use 4 guage, it will be easier to install the rest of my stuff....
01-20-2009, 12:53 PM
#6
There will be no negative effects if you leave the 0awg, even if you do not have a 'need' for it.
I'd imagine that running all new wiring would be harder/more involved than using the existing wiring and having to deal with slightly larger crimps/couplers/terminals/whatever.
I'd imagine that running all new wiring would be harder/more involved than using the existing wiring and having to deal with slightly larger crimps/couplers/terminals/whatever.
01-21-2009, 08:01 PM
#9
It come and goes from the engine bay for about 10 seconds. Does nissan do those 20 point checks for free? Sounds kinda like a fan when it is missing a fin. It is pretty loud and i can feel it in the steering wheel a bit.
Last edited by nishfish871; 01-21-2009 at 08:05 PM.
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