A second battery, and/or amps with a decent amount of wattage, will kill your stock alternator. Last year I had to replace both Optimas, we thought 1 had a bad cell and killed both. This year same problem, found it to be a leak past the rectifier bridge of the stock alternator draining the batteries. The stock alternator can't keep up with demand and dies. So I upgraded to an Ohio Generator alternator. Anyone with the same problem, this may help.

Car Sound and Performance Forum

Quote:

A friend of mine a few years back had a system in his cavalier and it constantly had a battery issue. He brought it to me to figure out what was going on.

1. The first problem was that the cavalier alternator could not keep up with the electrical draw of all the components in the car.
2. I was surprised my self how much the car it self drew with the lights on and AC on, it ended up close to 45amp of draw without the stereo system on.
3. Then I tested with the amplifiers on at a loud listening level, his car was having peek current draws of 182amp of draw. Average draw of 130amps.
4. So simple math 65amp alternator minus 182amps draw = - 117 amp. So his system was running in the negative. Which meant for the car to keep going it was drawing everything from the battery to the point where it damaged the battery.
5. I replaced the battery and before replacing the alternator found that there was a draw leaking past the rectifier bridge in the alternator. It was small but enough that in a few days time it could kill a battery.
6. Last but not least I got him an Ohio generator that put out 150amps I told him that this was boarder line of what he needed for his system since he was averaging 130amps of draw and peaks of 180.
7. All this seemed to fix his set up he still has his car with all the equipment in it and no more dead batteries

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I knew this already but,good info since most pep do not realize that when installing extra power pulling amps a normal stock alternator will end up dieing or frying the battery.U should always upgrade the alternator amperage if ur running big amp drawing stereo stuff or extra electr access.Nothing like finding out the hard way and so forth.Good info regardless for those who may not realize it b4 adding more than there current electr system can handle (altern).

Now how much power are we talking here when it comes to an amp....I have the optima yellow top with a JL 250/1 and an IXOS 1 Fared powering 1alpine type R12" with a 50x4 alpine cd player.......should I be thinking of this???

also I have noticed the battery dying(stockone) before I got the yellow top, but only when the car was sitting for a long time like 4 moths when I broke my leg and couldnt drive the car(left leg and standard car) during that time the battery would die and I would jump it, you know let the car run/get somesle to drive it around the block ect....now after I went in for sergry almost 2 years later to have the plate removed agin the car was off the road but I learned my lesson and took the fuse out and had no problems(still stock battery at that time)

so what about now when the car really doesnt go more then 3 days without being driven if even that long???



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I have had no problems with my mazda truck which has a small amp running about 50 watts or more and have no problems if it sits a wk or more with starting or anything.But its small and the spkrs are fac size just aftermarket and no extras.Unless ur running alot of amps only then would u need to upgrade ur say 65 amp alt to a higher output alt.And as long as the wiring for the amp is run properly where it does not pull amps while off it will be fine.Typically what happens is u have the radio on for a couple hrs and its pulling alot of amps more than the alter can handle and it will drain ur battery.That's when its time to upgrade if u have large amps based on my knowledge.The battery and alter will stay charged in long term storage or sitting as long as nothing is pulling amps away continuously.I hope this makes sense.