So I'm running a 12" W7 from a 1000/1 amp, so with the install I had to get a new battery to support it all...got a optima yellow top battery with 0 gauge wiring to the amp. anyways everything was runnign awesome....but when i did the install (did it myself) when i went to pick up the battery the guy mentioned I would most likely need to get a new alternator soon as the battery wouldnt be supplied enough by the stock on my 99 4runner limited. Anyways Now the PDB only read around 12volts with the system turned off, before it was well over 14volts. Also, the amp shuts off as a self-defense mechanism because it detects low voltage (it does this when it drops below 10volts) so I just have the system disconnected right now. Another probelm suggesting that its poor power supply is that the volume of my stero while playing music is really low, ilke before volume 20 you couldnt hear the person next to you, but now it is about half as loud. Anyways, I'm taking it in for its major in about a week so ill just have the mechanics look at it but I'm just curious if it could be anythign else? thanks
Battery / Alternator problem
- Thread starter golfman44
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
G
Guest
Guest
Once your car has been successfully started and is running on the alternator, your battery is literally doing nothing. You could actually take the battery out with the car running and it would continue to run just fine. It just wouldn't start next time you went to start it up.
So no, having a higher-end or higher-capacity battery like that shoudl have no affect at all on the voltage your electrical system is getting. How long has it been like this? It is possible that your optima is getting discharged a bit too much and thus your alternator is having to work hard to recharge the battery as it charges the rest of your electrical componants. It may be time for an upgrade to your alternator... to something of significantly higher amperage than stock. But again, this should not have been caused by a switch in battery type for any reason unless you have the battery improperly grounded or connected to the rest of the electrical system? (just double-check your connections again).
If the voltage drops only when you have quite a bit of power being demanded from your system... this is normal. A higher capacity alternator will fix this, but a sometimes cheaper and in certain situations (if you only get a voltage drop for a short second or two when bass hits), a capacitor would do the trick pretty well too, at a much lower price.
So no, having a higher-end or higher-capacity battery like that shoudl have no affect at all on the voltage your electrical system is getting. How long has it been like this? It is possible that your optima is getting discharged a bit too much and thus your alternator is having to work hard to recharge the battery as it charges the rest of your electrical componants. It may be time for an upgrade to your alternator... to something of significantly higher amperage than stock. But again, this should not have been caused by a switch in battery type for any reason unless you have the battery improperly grounded or connected to the rest of the electrical system? (just double-check your connections again).
If the voltage drops only when you have quite a bit of power being demanded from your system... this is normal. A higher capacity alternator will fix this, but a sometimes cheaper and in certain situations (if you only get a voltage drop for a short second or two when bass hits), a capacitor would do the trick pretty well too, at a much lower price.
Iowa4Runner
New member
Threxx said:
Once the alternator is spinning the battery is ultimately a power consumer (recharging), but it substantially "stiffens" the electrical system and can supply current during brief high demand periods (like big bass hits). Yes theoretically you could disconnect the battery once the engine was started, but doing so may result in very poor voltage regulation. To be on the safe side I would avoid running the engine without a battery.