do i upgrade my alternator?

I know I am an Mecp advanced installer but I am not part time and find myself asking a lot of questions lately. 2002 Maxima stock alt is 110 amps with stock style battery. I am getting kicker zx1500.1 and zx650.4 qs65.2 for the front and rs65.2 for the rear. I am either doing dual L 5's or dual L 7's not sure yet. I am pretty sure I will have to use two or zero guage wire. My questions is power. I think I calculated to need about 150 amps at the alternator. I priced a 190 from HO for 600 bucks. Crazyyyy. What size do I actually need and can I get away with adding a second dry cell batter in the rear? I am prepared to do what I need to do but for money sake and being a pain in the but to change the alternator I rather avoid it if at all possible. Thanks in advance

Pioneer Deh-80mp is my current and will remain my radio for now.

Well since you asked . . .

Considering the money you want to spend on that much amp pwr, you just have to suck it up and buy an alernator that will handle your business.

Even if your 150A figure is too rich and you can live with 50% - 75% of that, the stock alternator would be nominal and taxed if you also run headlamps etc.

I see no way you can "get away with adding a second dry cell battery in the rear" , unless it has a fusion core that never needs recharging . . from your taxed alternator.

If you are going to spend $175 on a Optima Yellow Top, why not just put that money toward your alternator?

maniacelectricmotors

HIGH OUTPUT ALTERNATOR 190 AMP REPLACEMENT FOR 1995-2003 MAXIMA

 Item# 13826HOYour Price With Exchange: $318.00Price with core value: $348.00

Original Equipment Numbers / Core Return / Applications / Warranty

1 YEAR WARRANTY

$30.00 REFUND WHEN CORE IS RETURNED USING THE PREPAID CORE RETURN LABEL THAT COMES WITH YOUR ORDER!

ALL THE POWER YOU NEED FOR ALL YOUR CAR TOYS ! STOCK UNITS WILL PUT OUT BETWEEN 100-125 AMPS THIS UNIT SUPPLIES 190 AMPS OF POWER FOR 1995-2003 MAXIMA'S WITH 3.0L AND 3.5L ENGINES. 90 AMPS AT IDLE / 190 AMPS REACHED AT 1400 RPM ! AN UPGRADED POWER CABLE AND GOOD QUALITY FULLY CHARGED BATTERY REQUIRED FOR YOUR PERFORMANCE ALTERNATOR TO WORK PROPERLY.

I know just enough to be dangerous. VERY dangerous.

So this alt would be fine for my setup? Should I also get a new battery for this setup? I think a walmart battery is in there now. Should I add a batter or replace and leave just one good one? And what does taxed mean? I will spend the money if I have to dont get me wrong. Thanks for the laugh with the funny battery joke. And thanks for the help.

I've already been pondering your battery while I research, and by the time you replied again, I came to this conclusion.

1) Even if you don't have the original battery, the one you have probably has quite a few months on it, and wasn't purchased with "more juice" in mind.

2) speaking of juice, if you do upgrade the alternator, I would put the most ferocious battery under the hood that will fit without some chainsaw action.

3) while replacing the battery, you would want to replace the terminals , clean spade lugs etc and plan out how you will run all the + cables and grounds, which should NOT be direct to the battery.

(of course the + will be, but the grounds should be off battery and on a heavy strip bolted to the frame)

4) with all the new cranking amps, alt current and clean connections, you might set your car on fire if you ever have a short, but you'll be sounding g o o o d.

Oh and did I mention the 40 hours it will take to do all this?

.

I know just enough to be dangerous. VERY dangerous.

Also can anyone vouch for this vendor? I read horror stories of people buying "ho alternators" and getting nothing more then stock. anonymous thanks for the suggestions. So how about the 190 is that plenty or should I go more? I am getting all that equipment at about 1/4 or less than msrp due to working for a retailer. so I do have more money to spend but dont want to spend more then needed. if 190 is fine then its fine if I need more then I have to do it. What about battery choices? Yellow top good enough? I have done the big 3 as well as upgraded grounds under the hood as well as running large wire to the trunk since I am a installer at Best Buy. I understand the risk of fire and I plan on replacing all battery terminals and use kicker power wire. I understand I need to run a new line from the alt to the battery when going high output (big 3) what is your opinion on fusing this wire? I have heard mixed opinions. I myself fuse it.

Also can anyone vouch for this vendor? - I can't I just found something less than $600

So how about the 190 is that plenty or should I go more? - Yeee I don't think so, not if you stick with what you previously stated.

What about battery choices? Yellow top good enough? - For the second battery yes, there are different sizes to chose from.

To be clear, when I mentioned the humongous battery I was referring to the primary and not the second. 800A DIE HARD with a vengence. Or 4? I forget.

I understand the risk of fire and I plan on replacing all battery terminals and use kicker power wire. - I'm not a hype guy myself, I just bought generic welding cable and ran it through my frame, it was more than sufficient.

I understand I need to run a new line from the alt to the battery when going high output (big 3) what is your opinion on fusing this wire? I have heard mixed opinions. I myself fuse it. - you can fuse it but that's just one more junction you have to deal with. If you think the benefit is worth the protection then plan accordingly and leave enough slack for the fuse and find a good spot for it.

I know just enough to be dangerous. VERY dangerous.

all sounds good. I was asking if anyone can vouch for maniac? The alternator you suggested. so I should do two batteries? I got a little confused about that part. One beefy battery or two batteries one beefy and the other not so much?

I'll vouch for anonymous1 !! (We have differences, but have more in common. [Sorry anon - not meant offensively...] And he states and understands some (IMO) very important basics & principles that (IMO) others may fail to grasp....) Paraphrasing bigger alternators or bigger (or 2) batteries (without internal fusion).... A loaded battery discharges. If not recharged, it eventually goes "flat". The alternator recharges the battery. The alternator supplies the vehicle's load (engine, audio, charging batteries, etc). If the alternator can't keep up with the load, the battery discharges. Simple enough? If the battery goes flat enough, the vehicle stops. Or it may get too flat to crank & start the vehicle. Solutions: - an alternator that is big enough; - get home and recharge the battery (eg from a wall socket) before the "flattery" kills the car....; - reduce loads before stalling and hence recharge the battery. A bigger battery merely takes longer to become a flattery, but maybe it will last long enough to get you home, or to a charger, or long enough to last the date. Maybe. That might be ok. But when your date becomes a honeymoon and your battery flattens on that longer trip; just short of before Las Vegas (or Disneyland, wherever....) Or maybe you turn down the audio to let the battery re-charge.... well, let's just say your honeymoon may well be over before it even began! So how do we have our date and eat it too? A big enough alternator. Or - how do we try to guarantee cranking and staring power? A second battery. Or what if on the first date at the Drive-In, the audio flattened the battery? A second battery (that was isolated from the main battery). Whilst there are a few benefits to a second battery (specifically an AGM close to the amplifier), it is not a proper substitute for an undersized alternator. [Exceptions - short periods that the alternator can't handle - eg: whilst the engine is idling, or very loud (audio) output power/volume (eg during musical peaks, or peaks of dates (shhhh - LOL) - where the battery supplies the shortfall and the alternator replaces the charge later - ie, recharges).] Another issue is that an alternator usually keeps the system voltage between 13.8V and 14.4V. (That's an average long-term and it varies with temperature...) When the alternator can't keep up, that voltage drops towards the battery voltage and maybe lower - eg, 12.7V to under 10V. (That's a bit complicated, but 12.7V might be a typical "full" battery and (say) 11.5V is flat. But during cranking, a good & full battery might dip to 10V or less....). In other words, with an adequate alternator, your vehicle's system voltage should be (say) 13.8V to 14.4V. When inadequate, that can drop to below 12.8V etc. [Again, complicated maybe...   But that means dimmer lights (unless HIDs etc); maybe weaker ignition; maybe less audio output - else higher currents into "constant power loads" (like HIDs, some audios, etc).]    But I'll pause here... (my mate wants to hog this PC...) I can explain more (oh no no.... please not!) or describe "simple" and cheap systems... and the "no need to match batteries" etc etc. But the BIG preference is for a BIG enough alternator. And of course "the BIG 3" upgrades. I was going write "How do I know when/if I'm under charging?".. or "if I have a flat battery"... That's called a voltmeter... But in respect of my recently landed mate from afar..... (Ask if more is wanted... I have written the options elsewhere...)

OMG! This is what my mate is involved with..... exploroz-joining batterys Who is the battery salesperson? So not only do paralleled batteries not have to be matched, we can now have 2 parallel batteries - one with a collapsed cell - and that is fine? I think I am missing something....!