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Dimming Lights, Lower mileage


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ieatglue6457 
Member - Posts: 3
Member spacespace
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posted: January 01, 2007 at 4:28 PM / IP Logged  
I have a '96 Chevy Cavalier, and I just upgraded my subs. They're two 12" Jensens in a bandpass box, 400 watt RMS and 1200 watt peak. I'm using my previous amp, with a 150 watt peak (yes 150 watts) to power them temporarily. Ive had my new subs in for about a week, and i'm getting about half my mileage, and all my lights dim whenever the bass hits. The subwoofers are pretty heavy, maybe 100 pounds, which might lower my mileage a little, but im sure its the power going to the subs thats burning my gas. I've looked around online and found a lot of stuff that i think i need for my system. I know I have to upgrade my amp. Thats given, but will a better amp use my cars power more efficiently, or will I have to get a capacitor and/or a battery?
jeffchilcott 
Platinum - Posts: 2,483
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Joined: April 11, 2002
Location: United States
Posted: January 01, 2007 at 4:55 PM / IP Logged  
the electrical system will not make your car get worse gas miliage, you have more problems with your car.
if you lights are dimming with a 150 watt max amp you have serious issues with your charging system.
First thing get your car to an oilies or other auto center to have you battery and alternator checked out, as I think one of them is bad or going bad
as far as the gas miliage there is nothing a system will do besides add weight and thats a long shot if your only getting half the milage your used to getting.
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haemphyst 
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Joined: January 19, 2003
Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island
Posted: January 01, 2007 at 5:14 PM / IP Logged  
Actually, Jeff, it CAN make your mileage worse... It is an additional load on the engine, right?
770 watts is one horsepower. Where does that one horsepower come from? The gasoline being burned in your engine. 770 watts is roughly a single 400 watt class A/B amplifier. (It'd be about 600 watts worth of Class D) So, you can see that in today's day and age, with the mega watt systems going on, it can add up pretty quickly! My Eclipse DA7232 would eat about 5HP when wide open, at maximum load. Other than the electrical drain, there is also the added weight, too!
ieatglue6457, Jeff is right, though... If a 150 watt amp is causing you headlight dimming issues, you need to have your electrical system check by a competent 12v electrician. He is also right about the decrease in mileage... I think you may have OTHER issues besides electrical, and it is coincidental that it is happening at the same time as your system install. I noticed a decrease in mileage as well, when I installed the system in my Civic, but only about 4 or 5 mpg, in the city. Only 1 to 2 on the freeway.
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
ieatglue6457 
Member - Posts: 3
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Joined: January 01, 2007
Posted: January 02, 2007 at 1:38 PM / IP Logged  
Its a definate fact that my subs are giving me lower mileage. Ive looked around online and it seems that when the bass hits, the power level in the car drops, including the power going to the spark plugs. the spark plugs then wont burn the fuel up as well, and therefore dropping my mileage. The weight of the subs i know is having an effect, because they're about 100 pounds, but its not just that. also with the amp, could it be that its drawing more power from the car to make up for what the subs are drawing from it? So if i got say, a 400 watt amp, would it use the power more efficiently from the car? I dont think theres something terribly wrong with the alternator either, im no mechanic, but i think its just a really weak one. If thats the case, could i wire up a battery and/or a capacitor to the amp so it doesnt draw it directly from the alternator?
haemphyst 
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Joined: January 19, 2003
Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island
Posted: January 02, 2007 at 3:15 PM / IP Logged  
Wow... I think you need to first get a grasp on how electricity works, THEN install your stuff.
The spark plugs, as long as they are making a spark at all, will ignite the fuel/air mixture in the cylinders, or the car won't even go. Your spark plugs are working. If you pull a spark plug out, is it wet with gasoline? If not, then that cylinder is working, and the fuel is being ignited. Does you car feel like it has HALF the power that it had before this install? If not, then that's not likely the issue.
NO, adding a different amp will fix nothing. A bigger amp will only cause more problems. Your electrical system is NOT UP TO PAR. That is the end of the story. Either your alternator is on the way out, the wiring under your hood is corroded or too small, or your battery is pooched, or a combination of any or all of the above. Have your electrical system checked, upgrade all your underhood wiring, and probably replace the battery.
Where does the battery get it's power from? Is it magical? No, the battery gets its charging power from the alternator, and in the case of your electrical system, adding an additional battery will add to the problems you are having. ALL accessories in a car get their power from the alternator, no matter HOW MANY bateries or capacitors you add.
It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
ieatglue6457 
Member - Posts: 3
Member spacespace
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posted: January 02, 2007 at 5:28 PM / IP Logged  

alright, thanks for the info. i have a decent grasp on electricity, im just lost when it comes to electrical components inside of a car.  I've looked in a lot of places to see what was going on and how to resolve my issue, and ive seemed to get mixed results. some people say to install a second battery, and others say that thats the worst thing to do.  I do know though that I have a weak alternator, about 100 amps, but i'll get things checked out. Thanks for the help.

DYohn 
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Joined: April 22, 2003
Location: Arizona, United States
Posted: March 02, 2007 at 3:17 PM / IP Logged  
Also realize that the added weight of a subwoofer system in a properly constructed enclosure will reduce your fuel efficiency.
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jettagli03 
Copper - Posts: 311
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Joined: January 16, 2005
Location: United States
Posted: March 02, 2007 at 11:49 PM / IP Logged  
A 100amp alternator fuctioning properly and wired right will not dim the lights with a 150 watt amp like that OR cause the gas mileage to decrease that drastically.
I've got a 90amp alt in one of my Jetta's and I'm running two amps that are dramatically more power hungry than yours and my headlights dim only slightly at moderate volumes but do dim a good amount when its cranked, but again... that's running easily over a 1000 watts RMS when pushed.
Your alternator pretty much sucks and like it has been stated before, a second battery will not help you.. UNLESS your car is off.
splaudio 
Copper - Posts: 237
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Joined: January 22, 2006
Posted: March 04, 2007 at 7:41 PM / IP Logged  

guys i have seen it happen.  it is no joke if ur voltage is dropping below 12v on ur electrical system, mostly gm cars. there is 2 things happening ur not getting as much voltage to ur coil packs for ur spark plugs to burn the gas. the 2nd and biggest is the fuel pump on gms if not enough voltage it wont produce enough pressure. they range between 60-65lbs of pressure and if they fall below 55lbs the carwill start to stall.

i have experienced this with a weak battery in my pontiac. i am running over 2krms of class a/b high current amps.  going down the road it would skip with the system slamming turn the radio down and it ran fine, new battery fixed it all. even with a 130amp alt a bad battery hurts.

i think this cavy has a bad battery or a bad connection for anything under 500rms to dim.  clean all terminals and have ur battery load tested. or put a dmm on it when idleing should be min of 13.8 and after it has sat a while should read no lower than 12.3 or ur battery is bad.

the extra 100lbs wont take but max of 1mpg and i doubt that much...SPLaudio/Corey

master5 
Silver - Posts: 1,123
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Joined: October 10, 2006
Location: United States
Posted: March 04, 2007 at 7:58 PM / IP Logged  

I can do nothing but laugh about this one guys..sorry.

If I ever told anyone I know that my gas mileage was cut in half because I upgraded my woofers..I think they would have to be taken to the hospital from laughing so hard thier kidneys would fall out.

And this is what this post says.....read it again..and again....this post says that the upgrade of the subs is causing the gas mileage to be cut in half...........The upgrading of the subs is causing.......

I am dying here...help me.....


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