Alternator

**Soltakr** · 03-12-2007, 10:05 AM

I got a bunch of assicaore like, NX, sound system, blah blah.. Currently I'm on my second yellow top in my 02 SS and my car is round 65,000 miles. What is the best alternator I should go with. I do drive it everyday if that helps?

Thanks

**LS2Tuner** · 03-12-2007, 11:36 PM

Try these guys..... I've had one of there 200amps on my daily driver for 7-8 monthes now with NO issues. Plus you'll NEVER beat their prices so it's a win win!!

http://stores.ebay.com/DB-Electrical...rs-Alternators

**Danger731** · 03-13-2007, 12:44 AM

which one ?

**LS2Tuner** · 03-13-2007, 06:39 AM

Originally Posted by Danger731

which one ?

Which ever one fits your application. Wonderful GM changed there pigtail multiple times over the years. If you don't see one listed just drop them a email or call them to make sure you get the right plug and case clocking. They got right back to me and have gotting me a alt. that wasn't listed on Ebay before.

**Soltakr** · 03-13-2007, 07:30 AM

thanks for the tip, I'll check it out.

**LS2Tuner** · 03-13-2007, 07:50 AM

No problem. The 200 amp I got at idle it's putting out 102-105 amps. It made a huge difference from the stocker!

**maverick_132** · 03-13-2007, 08:51 AM

Thanks for the lead on those HO alternators LS2Tuner. Now, would you think that 100ish amps at idle, and then 200ish at throttle is enough to support a 2000 (max) watt amp and a aftermarket deck comfortably. I have the system in my 06 F-150 right now, and the lights rarely dim at a light with it full up, and the voltmeter never seems to move. Any idea where to look to find the factory specs on my trucks alternator so that I can get an idea of what output I need?

**LS2Tuner** · 03-13-2007, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by maverick_132

Thanks for the lead on those HO alternators LS2Tuner. Now, would you think that 100ish amps at idle, and then 200ish at throttle is enough to support a 2000 (max) watt amp and a aftermarket deck comfortably. I have the system in my 06 F-150 right now, and the lights rarely dim at a light with it full up, and the voltmeter never seems to move. Any idea where to look to find the factory specs on my trucks alternator so that I can get an idea of what output I need?

If it has any power options it is probably a 160 amp. If you have a true 1000 watts of power than you need to have at leastv a 1 farad r bigger capaciter.
I have one of the Ford 200ampers on my Stang also. It was for emergency vehicals. It's a BMF the case is SOO LARGE I had to do some grinding on brakets and the alt. case to get it to fit. You need to put taht voltmeter on the power lead of the sub amp and have everything on including A/C on max and see how low the voltage is getting to the amp.
Do you have at least 2 guage power wire to the amp or junction block....?

**maverick_132** · 03-13-2007, 10:38 AM

I don't have a cap, and I am not saying that it is really pulling for 1000+watts, thats why I said that was a max rating-so it probably never gets there. Anyways, my truckk this time around does have power options, thank god, and I figure that an alternator that can supply in the range of 100 at idle, and then 150+ in the higher rpms would probably be sufficient. Also, I have always used that amp with a 4 guage wire set. I am just looking into a HO alternator now, because I never bothered to put my system in my TA that I picked up last summer, but I am thinking I will now-and I know that I killed two factory alternators with the same setup in my 98 camaro a few summers back. So I am thinking that if I beef up the charging system I will be able to bump and not worry about breaking down/not starting up!

**mdh100** · 03-17-2007, 11:51 PM

Caps aren't necessarily a good thing.....all a cap does is provide additional current to your amp for a second or two if your alternator can't provide enough current and then when your electrical system in your vehicle isn't using all of it's capacity it will recharge the capacitor. The capacitor is more of a band aid than a cure for your car's electrical system. I'd recommend an additional battery before I'd recommend a capacitor. Whichever amp you get make sure you look at the idle ratings....who cares if it makes 200 amps at 3500 rpm's?

**White Rascal** · 03-18-2007, 04:33 AM

A cap doesn't deliver current "for a second or two". It's more like a few milli-seconds at best. A second battery won't do squat either. A second battery is only for extended listening with the engine off. Once the engine is running all of the car's electrical demands are met by the charging system and the battery becomes part of the load on the charging system just like the stereo system.

Caps are for the most part a HUGE waste of time and money. If your stereo system is drawing just a little more current than your car's charging system can deliver then a cap might help. If the current demands from the stereo are much greater than what the charging system can deliver a cap will just make matters worse. It just adds more of a load on the charging system.

**mdh100** · 03-21-2007, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by White Rascal

A second battery is only for extended listening with the engine off. Once the engine is running all of the car's electrical demands are met by the charging system and the battery becomes part of the load on the charging system just like the stereo system.

You may want to wander on over to a 3x DbDrag meet sometime. You might learn something about the effect of batteries and stereos. I agree that the battery is part of the load on the charging system. An additional battery would solve many of the people's problems with voltage dropping and frying the amp. Although I would recommend a bigger alternator first, then a battery, and the very last thing would be a cap.

**White Rascal** · 03-22-2007, 07:49 AM

I'll stand by what I said. If the lights aren't dimming on loud bass hits after installing a 2nd battery it just means that the battery is discharging trying to make up for what the car's charging system cannot deliver. This in turn can lead to the battery failing permaturely. A high output alternator is the cure. Everything else is just a band-aid.

**LS2Tuner** · 03-22-2007, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by White Rascal

I'll stand by what I said. If the lights aren't dimming on loud bass hits after installing a 2nd battery it just means that the battery is discharging trying to make up for what the car's charging system cannot deliver. This in turn can lead to the battery failing permaturely. A high output alternator is the cure. Everything else is just a band-aid.

Sorry but with a pair of sub amps pulling 92 amps each and a 6 channel pulling 64 amps plus the cars ignition and so on I've tried EVERY alt. including a 300 amp that had a pulley soooooo small it took a allen headed bolt. And the system surges current so fast the alt by itself regaurdless of how big can't react fast enough.

Yeah with some new bull_hit class d 1000 watt amp you can get away with that but I'm talking about a real system.
Such as a pair of Zueses....Yes the REAL stuff Series VIII which is 900w rms @4 ohms. And the Aphrodite 6 channel MONSTER.

But the other ride is the same way with a Rockford Power 1000 on the subs it pulls 132 amps and a Power 650 on the mids and tweets which pulls 52 amps running in @ 2 ohm stereo pushing 12 speakers. We tried 2 200 amp alt on that car and still you must have another batt. or a 3 phared capaciter to work as a "shock absorber" for the instantanious bass hit.

That my HANDS ON experiance with the whole alt.,capaciter,& extra batt. situation.
But most peoples systems will pull what these mid/tweet amps are pulling.

**mdh100** · 03-22-2007, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by White Rascal

I'll stand by what I said. If the lights aren't dimming on loud bass hits after installing a 2nd battery it just means that the battery is discharging trying to make up for what the car's charging system cannot deliver. This in turn can lead to the battery failing permaturely. A high output alternator is the cure. Everything else is just a band-aid.

If you have a serious system, a HO alternator is not enough. Do you realize that with a deep cycle battery you can completely discharge/recharge without losing any of the batteries charging capacity (eventually you will, but we're talking completely draining and recharging the battery hundreds of times). My last system was putting out over 3k wrms (2 orion hcca 275g4's and a kicker 460) and I had 2 optima yellowtops for my system and they went 2 years with no problems. I'm currently using them as the primary battery in my truck and my girlfriends car. Two and a half years as the primary battery and still no problems.