posted
OK, I just got an optima yellow top installed in my Chrysler Sebring. I'm running some Xenon headlight bulbs, a Rubicon 302, and an RF power 800a2. However, the lights are still flickering, I thought the battery should have solved the problem of the blinking lights before, yet it didn't do a thing except give me a new batt. Any comments or suggestions as to why they still might be flickering? Will a cap help? Thanks
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Posts: 111 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
A cap will bandaid the problem, but you need to get to the source first. Please let me know exactly what you have in there for wiring and how you have grounds and if you upgraded aNY of you wiring.
------------------ Shaughn Murley HERTZ AUDIO Team Hertz CANADA
Posts: 444 | From: Red Deer, AB, Canada | Registered: Mar 2000
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The battery is a big load on your alternator. The yellow top is the BIGGEST load you can get for a battery due to it's retardedly high instantaneous power output rating. A crappy battery would have helped more. I suggest an alternator because Chryseler (Nippon-Denso ... whatever) cannot make an alternator worth their foot.
posted
yeah, I know that's what I get for a Chrysler....it was an unexpected gift, give me a break. I would have gone with something else if I had the chance, but hey, I have it, but pounds like hell, so what, it's still a Chrysler. Anyway, how about a 15 farad cap, what do ya think that'll do?
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Posts: 111 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
It may be the PCM.I work for a Chrysler dealership,so I know a little something about these things.Best to go to a dealer and have then check the electrical system.The alt may not be fielding correctly.Also check the battery cables at the PDC under the hood.The sebring has jumper post for the battery if I'm correct.Chect them for tightness.Oh,by the way..If you think putting a thicker cable from the battery to the alt will help......It wont!!!! The output of the factory alt is controlled by the PCM (Powertrain Control Module).It also tells it when to cycle on & off! Mostly__________________MOPAR Old / Parts / And / Rust________________/
posted
Well, now you aren't gonna believe this. About 2 weeks ago, the battery died on my, or atleast the car wouldn't start. So I took it back to the car audio store and they fixed the batter because the guy who sold it to them didn't tell them that you have to do something to the battery when you cut one of the posts. The battery didn't fit nicely into my car. So now, a week ago, it died again. However, this time it was nothing wrong with the battery. They could figure it out. What they found was that the searbelt fuse was drawing power from the battery, so it sucked it dry. Now it's back at the dealership, and they still can't find the problem. The fuse only sucked the power once, or atleast it does it intermittently. So now they think it has something to do with the computer in the car, but even that doesn't reset itself. So, basically they can't do anything and see what it is until it happens again. Does any of this sound familiar or just really weird?
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Posts: 111 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
Adding a better battery rarely cures the problem your having, and doesn't even always help. The reason why is that the battery has a charge of 12.66 volts, and when the car is running the voltage is up to around 14volts. The extra output ability of the battery won't come into effect until the voltage in the car falls below 12.66(well a little more due to surface charge, but not much), and there is a voltage differential between the battery and the car. What is happening is the output of your alternator is say 80 amps at 14 volts. At night you are running the car, lights, ac fan or heater fan, and who knows what else, and that is what the alternator is sized for (these draws could well add up to over 40-50 amps). But when you play your system Your adding an additional draw of 50 plus amps, and now your past the ability of the alternator to sustain 14 volts. The voltage starts dropping and the battery can't really help until the voltage gets down to 12.66 or below. This is why going from a 70-80 amp alternator to a 135 amp alternator is such a big increase, you are raising the excess current capacity of the system from say 20-30 amps to 60+ amps, in essence doubling the available current for the system.
posted
OK, that sounds like a good solution, but how much and where can I find a 135amp alternator? Is that really the only solution I have other than going with a cap, 15 farad to be exact.....thanks for the input.
posted
the cap will help more than the battery, because it can charge up to whatever voltage the alternator is putting out, and maintain that voltage. But the drawback to a cap is it has a very limited storage capacity (even the 15 farad) when compared to a battery, so when you have a sustained bass note that draws energy for a longer period of time, it too, will drop in voltage down to the level of the battery. If your interested in getting a high output alt. for your car, go to your nearest stinger dealer. They will have a form to fill out to get the exact info for your car. They can then fax that to stinger and find out what is available. A warning though, alternators aren't cheap, but then again neither are 15 farad caps.
posted
Well I had the same problem at first. I have a 1999 Dodge Dakota and I have a DEI 1100d and DEI 400. At first my lights blinked a little bit and my voltage dropped. Then I got a Yellow Top and my lights don't blink and my voltage doesn't even move.
------------------ Eclipse 55430 HU Diamond Audio Hex 6.5" 2 Eclipse 88120 dvc 2.5 farad worth of Stinger caps DEI 1100d (1100x1) DEI 400 (125x2)
posted
for your alternator problem you can go to your local alt/starter shop and get it rebuilt to 140 amps, usually costs around $45-75 and thats alot less than a stinger or other name brand alt.
------------------ ---JASON SMITH--- Whitlee/2 dudes AL state record holder 41"-50" trunk/passenger 153.0db
Posts: 906 | From: Taylor, AL | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
Question for Low Life....how did your lights stop flickering? Mine still do it, and I really don't notice a difference that much. I'm not sure how much the voltage has dropped, if at all, nevertheless, that optima didn't really seem like it did much. Now, the thing was though, it wouldn't fit into my sebring all that nicely, so they had to cut one of the posts, and then soddered something else to reconnect what was lost. Would that have anything to do with the problems I still have? I just can't believe that a spent 300 bucks on a new Optima Yellow top and it hasn't done a thing to improve anything. Thanks for the input.
quote:Originally posted by chitwood: Question for Low Life....how did your lights stop flickering? Mine still do it, and I really don't notice a difference that much. I'm not sure how much the voltage has dropped, if at all, nevertheless, that optima didn't really seem like it did much. Now, the thing was though, it wouldn't fit into my sebring all that nicely, so they had to cut one of the posts, and then soddered something else to reconnect what was lost. Would that have anything to do with the problems I still have? I just can't believe that a spent 300 bucks on a new Optima Yellow top and it hasn't done a thing to improve anything. Thanks for the input.
you spent 300 bux US on a yellow top?????? Did you walk in the store backwards????
Holy cow man, you should have been able to get two of them for that price. We sell them here for about 250 CANADIAN!!
------------------ Shaughn Murley HERTZ AUDIO Team Hertz CANADA
Posts: 444 | From: Red Deer, AB, Canada | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
One other thing, I would have used the yellow top in the trunk cose to your amps, not as a replacement battery under the hood. Yellow tops are not designed for starting and day to day running of a vehicle.
------------------ Shaughn Murley HERTZ AUDIO Team Hertz CANADA
Posts: 444 | From: Red Deer, AB, Canada | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
I don't see how one good batt can solve his problem. It can help, but it will always dim alittle unless he gets a larger alternator. When the bass hits, it drains the alternator to a point where it can nolonger keep a constant 13.8v. It will immediately go to 12.5v (thus giving a dimmed headlight) and quickly return to 13.8v (bright again). With a weak batt, it can drop below 12.5v and extreme case is a car that shuts off. If you really want to stop the lights thing completely get a alternator that can always produce more than is drawn.
posted
have you checked your starter?????????? i had a 84 new yorker with 4 12" subs in it but i had a voltage problem that i didnt even know about until i got a "free battery alternater check" from a battery warehouse they told me your alternater and battery is fine its your starter .... it will go out soon it is draining your electrical system.... as i left i said to myself he is full of it ... til later that week when my starter went up i replaced it and my volts/amps went up no to meantion i could start my car again.
about the 15 farad cap ... i have one i can tell you it will not help at all for dimming lights if you play your stereo alot ... mine still blink it takes time to recharge the cap. if you want a serious alternater (the best choice for fixing the problem) get a ohio generater alternater
------------------ IM NOT THE BEST BUT IM GETTING CLOSER EVERYDAY !
posted
I got the battery for that price plus install, and I'd have no idea how to cut a post on that thing, since it didn't fit in the original spot. So everyone pretty much agrees that a new alternator is the thing to do? Now, the question is, how and where do I get one, and what amp and kind? Would I also be better off maybe moving that optima to the trunk and getting a new car battery like a insterstate gel or something, that to run the car and then the optima to run to sound system, or does it really matter? Thanks again
------------------ 2 RFR2210's Diamond Audio M5615 RF Power 800a2 SS Rubicon 302 Alpine CDA-7867 Alpine CHA-S614 Optima Yellow Top Alpine SEC-8063
Posts: 111 | From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Sep 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Nitro Fish: I don't see how one good batt can solve his problem. It can help, but it will always dim alittle unless he gets a larger alternator. When the bass hits, it drains the alternator to a point where it can nolonger keep a constant 13.8v. It will immediately go to 12.5v (thus giving a dimmed headlight) and quickly return to 13.8v (bright again). With a weak batt, it can drop below 12.5v and extreme case is a car that shuts off. If you really want to stop the lights thing completely get a alternator that can always produce more than is drawn.
Jeff
FYI, optima's rest at 13.2V which is where all battey's theoretically should sit (they use 6x2.2V cells=13.2V) 12.5 under severe load maybe, but with 80-100amp of alternator and maybe a 10amp above that you might get a .1 to .2 Volt drop. THis guy has more problems than he thinks.
------------------ Shaughn Murley HERTZ AUDIO Team Hertz CANADA
Posts: 444 | From: Red Deer, AB, Canada | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
It's a nice theory, also true, but actual measured voltage is 12.78 at the terminals. That is on the two optima's that i have. Your thinking of the max a battery can hold aren't you? I'm just saying that he will have a minor dimming of the lights when the voltage drops at the lights. How bad does it really dim. alittle is normal for high current draws. Has anyone ever measure a batt over 13v at rest? Just wondering.
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[This message has been edited by Nitro Fish (edited 08-08-2000).]
posted
I don't know if this helps so go easy on me. My friends t-bird had a similar problem and it turned out to be the ground wire on the battery was bad or loose i don't remember which. He had his amp bridged at 2ohms.
------------------ Still plays with trucks
Posts: 864 | From: Compton, CA. | Registered: Aug 2000
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