I had a 12 in sub with a 1000 watt amp hooked up to my sunfire and the alternator died. I figured it was just due to the fact that my car had 175k on it and put one in that I had with from my cav.
I took the stuff out some time later cause I got bored with it and needed the space. I again wanted some boom and put it back in again. This time with the same 12 but a 400 watt amp.
Again my battery then died or so I thought. I put in a good battery but in the process I broke a wire to the starter. I didn't realize that I did this and the alternator went again.
So all the audio got taken out and I said screw it.
About a week ago I noticed my radio started to cut out when the car was running. It only did this when turned up and the bass was turned up.so It would do this before with the subs hooked up but when the car was turned off.
So I took it out and re did the connections from the HU harness to the car harness. I noticed that the car harness had a wire with a nick taken out of the one brown wire. So I taped it up good with e tape. I turn he radio up and lo and behold it dosent cut out.
I'm wondering if I'm safe to put a sub and amp back in without killing another alternator. I scored a new sub and amp for a decent price so I wanna hook it up. I'm just worried.
I had my old setup like this. Power from the battery to the amp. Amp grounded to the seat anchor bolt. Yes the ground was cleaned up very well. Metal on metal. I had the remote wire hooked up from the HU to the amp and rca cables from the rear of the HU to the amp.The actual woofer was hook straight from the sub to the amp.
Is there a way to do this or am I doomed?
sounds like your battery is too cheap or you just have bad luck with alternators. either that or you are blasting it too high and it's draining so much power from your alternator that it keeps dying. car audio systems are very hard on alternators, believe me. best bet is to keep it at a safe listening volume. i just saw some new metal brackets you can attach to the battery so your amp and sub wires are going to that bracket instead of the battery terminal itself. they are gold plated and have like 5 holes in the front and a battery terminal attachment. very cool and wish they had that when i was into car audio. anyways, good luck!
I would suggest getting a higher output alternator. Sounds to me your'e voltage regulator keeps going on ya.
Good Luck.
oh yeah, i was going to suggest getting one of those canister type power boxes. they go near your amp and act as a second battery for your system. that would be a great way to cut down on the power. tons of companies make them now. its just like a battery but in a cylinder form.
to me it sounds like you first one died and you shorted the 2ed out. you should be fine to hook everything up
Seriously Justin Smith, the best advice given in here was the advice given to you to shut up. Don't give audio advice. If a capacitor not only "is like a second battery" but also is called "one of those canister type power boxes" to you, you DO NOT know jack @!#$ about car audio and shouldn't be attempting to give advice. Nothing irks me more than someone talking in a smart tone and giving absolutely BAD or WRONG advice. Be warned what I do in this audio forum with jackasses who try to tell people the wrong things to do
On the other hand....you have other fingers.
Liquor is not a drug John, liquor is not a drug.
Okay so I thought it might have been my ground. I had it around the seat bolt anchor. When I pulled the seat to check and if it was still solid metal but it was rusty.thought my ground was the problem. So I used the rear seatbelt bolt.
Now it cuts out when I crank up the bass with the key turned back. I figured it was just not getting enough juice. With the car running it still cuts out but only when I have the gain higher and the volume turned up.
I have my gain turned down. Its about half and keep the volume at about 30,which goes to 50.
I'm okay with not having the bass rattle my car apart. I just want more than my speakers put out.
Would I be okay of I keep it toned down.
justin smith wrote:oh yeah, i was going to suggest getting one of those canister type power boxes. they go near your amp and act as a second battery for your system. that would be a great way to cut down on the power. tons of companies make them now. its just like a battery but in a cylinder form.
you really need to staple your face shut.
time for a new sig for me. Thanks Joey. You never let me down!
On the other hand....you have other fingers.
Liquor is not a drug John, liquor is not a drug.
Schaffer wrote:Okay so I thought it might have been my ground. I had it around the seat bolt anchor. When I pulled the seat to check and if it was still solid metal but it was rusty.thought my ground was the problem. So I used the rear seatbelt bolt.
Now it cuts out when I crank up the bass with the key turned back. I figured it was just not getting enough juice. With the car running it still cuts out but only when I have the gain higher and the volume turned up.
I have my gain turned down. Its about half and keep the volume at about 30,which goes to 50.
I'm okay with not having the bass rattle my car apart. I just want more than my speakers put out.
Would I be okay of I keep it toned down.
Seat belt bolts are 90% of the time are dirty ground. Find a nice piece of metal drill a hole in it, sand in it, and ground to it.
TheSundownFire (GME Chat) wrote:Schaffer wrote:Okay so I thought it might have been my ground. I had it around the seat bolt anchor. When I pulled the seat to check and if it was still solid metal but it was rusty.thought my ground was the problem. So I used the rear seatbelt bolt.
Now it cuts out when I crank up the bass with the key turned back. I figured it was just not getting enough juice. With the car running it still cuts out but only when I have the gain higher and the volume turned up.
I have my gain turned down. Its about half and keep the volume at about 30,which goes to 50.
I'm okay with not having the bass rattle my car apart. I just want more than my speakers put out.
Would I be okay of I keep it toned down.
Seat belt bolts are 90% of the time are dirty ground. Find a nice piece of metal drill a hole in it, sand in it, and ground to it.
Define dirty ground. Cause I'm not sure what you mean
I cleaned it down to bare metal with a wire wheel and a drill as well as the seat belt bolt.
Might just do what you say. Seems safer.
Could the @!#$ty ground kill my alternator?
Its a high resistance ground usually.
So just find some metal. Make it shiny and screw it down. Would any old metal screw work? I should prolly use one of this eyelets at the end of the ground right?
Any good sized sheet metal screw should work. Seat bolts and belt bolts are usually some complex sandwitched metal contraption between layers of metal that may or may not be painted or coated between. That's the main reason the ground never has a solid connection there.
On the other hand....you have other fingers.
"You really need to staple your face shut"-THE Joey Baggs.
So just sheet metal somewhere on the car?
Any specific location?
Close to your amp, make sure you don't drill into a gas tank or any lines under it.
On the other hand....you have other fingers.
"You really need to staple your face shut"-THE Joey Baggs.
JLAudioCavalier wrote:Close to your amp, make sure you don't drill into a gas tank or any lines under it.
Within 12 inches generally IIRC.
Thought it was 18. I was thinking under the plastic trim on the drivers in the backseat
I did mine under the back seat.
J03Y wrote:justin smith wrote:oh yeah, i was going to suggest getting one of those canister type power boxes. they go near your amp and act as a second battery for your system. that would be a great way to cut down on the power. tons of companies make them now. its just like a battery but in a cylinder form.
you really need to staple your face shut.
THIS.
TheSundownFire (GME Chat) wrote: I did mine under the back seat.
And this. Good place for it.
To the OP, I defiinitely don't think its the power draw of the equipment killing the alt, so I too would say it's more than safe to go ahead and hook it all up...I've been running a 1400 watt amp pushing two 12" subs, as well as am 800wat 4 channel driving my 6.5" fronts (280 peak) and 6x9 rears (400 peak) for 4+ years with no problem at all.
Definitely sounds like a grounding issue. Also, are you running a fuse in your power line from the battery to the amp, and are you using the correct gauge wire (power and ground) based on the lengths of wire being used? Just little stuff to keep in mind.
No fuse. Been meaning to get one. What sorta amp should I look for? I'm running one 1000 watt amp to a 12.
I was Leary about drilling into the metal under the backseat. Isn't the gastank under there?
Just double check where youre drilling. Mines kind if on the rise where the seat bottom sits against. The tank is straight below the rear seat IIRC.
I got some o ring connectors and used a sheet metal screw. I'm down to the bare metal. I used a wire wheel with a drill. Nice and shiny.
I'm still having a problem tho.my HU still shuts off and turns off when the bass is turned up. Its starting to get annoying that it cuts out or not having bass. HELP!
huh dustin? i used the seat belt bolts and never had one issue. 3 amps strong on the stock alternator and i was fine....
180hp in 1989 or 145hp in 2002, you decide. >
