Voltage Problem! Exp. Help?

[MP3_4ME]

I am experiencing a moderate voltage problem. Here is my setup.

Kenwood Z828, MTX 2150x amp powering Diamond Audio Hex 6.5 components and kenwood 6x9 rear fill, MTX 2300x amp powering 2 10" Diamond M5 subs, Batcap 300 "capacitor".

Before I installed the batcap I have a Streetwires 1 farad cap that made things worse. Now with the A/C and lights on running at 95% power with heavy bass my 2300 amp cuts out. It drops down to 10.3 volts BEFORE the batcap and similar at the battery so voltage drop on power cable is not the problem. I know the MTX 2300 is power hungry, but is a new alternator my only option? What is the outout of the stock mp3 alt.? I know ther are some high powered guys running out there. What are some options. Total system power is 1,000 real watts, but I still dont think my lights should flicker and have a voltage drop to 10 volts!


NOTE: the voltage is ok when playing <95% or more mellow music


Please help if you can

Thanks

John Gillick

 

[1sty]

I assume were talking about at idle not with the car stopped.
What is the voltage of the system when the car is off and the stereo is on but turned to 0?
What is the voltage when the car is at idle and the stereo is on but at 0?
Check for a voltage drop across the main fuse, I seen it cuase this issue.

If memory serves the alternator is 75 amps max. At idle your not getting 75 amps, more like 50-60. Since amps are no more then 60% effiecient, the MTX is less, then the charging system must provide 1700. At voltage of 14.4 which will ofcoarse drop like a stone making matter worse, the alternator needs to dish out about 118 amps. Also if you exceed and alternators power output by more then 20%, you damage it. This means anything over 90 amps will damage the alternator.

That being said in our weak electrical cars you need 1 cap per 500 watts rms. Once someone gets close to 1000 rms its time to think new alternator. If you haven't yet you may want to upgrade the battery to an optima. Also look at the alumipro capacitors, up to 50 farads.

My alternator which is an AC Delco 180 amp cost me $600 installed.

 

[MP3_4ME]

With the car running and during normal music levels the voltage stays in the upper 12 range. I checked the voltage drop across my circuit breaker and that was good (thought it might have been a partially tripped circuit breaker). With the car off and radio on 0 my voltage is 12.6 pretty much everywhere, at cap, amp, etc. In town sources agree that a new alt is in my near future, but will a better battery solve this or just be an addition to a new alternator? I checked alumapro before I bought the batcap (SUPPOSED to be equivalent to 100 1 farad caps) and decided to see if the batcap fixed anything. The problems I am refering to will drain any cap on the market with extended bass. Basically the car can't charge the cap effectively.

Thanks for any and everyones help

John Gillick

 

[1sty]

I never heard of batcap so I am hesitant to say they are comperable to the alumipro which even Pheonix gold used for a while.

The car should be showing atleast 13.8 volts at the battery while running with the radio off or turned down. If not, there is one of 2 problems. Either the system is cuasing a massive voltage drop somewhere at idle, only thing I can think of here would be bad amp. The second is with the alternator. Either its dying, which is my guess or somehow the belt is loose enough not to spin it properly. When my alternator died the charging voltage dropped to 12.2 and eventualy to 11 volts at idle without the stereo even on. Turned out the rectifier bridge was nuked.