97 eclipse gs battery

i have a 97 eclipse gs. the battery was good. then i put a system in and it was fine. lately though the car was getting harder to start the battery wasnt holding enough charge or whatever. the past few time its barely turning over. now i have to jump it everytime i start my car. so the battery is done. could this have been from my system. its not that high powered. a 50x2 amp and a 250/1 amp and a cap. no lights dim. nothing is shorted to ground draining the battery. un related question or maybe it is. lately when the battery started acting up. my system isnt as loud as it was. i have to turn the head unit up more to get the same sound. could this be a factor from the battery. or could it be a voltage drop somewhere no giving the amps enough power somehow. and how can i check if its the battery or voltage drop somewhere in teh system. thanx!!

You have alot of Q's . . .

1. If you are listening at a high level all the time while other OEM accessories are running. The OEM alternator cannot keep up with the demand.

When this happens the vehicles electrical system will draw the extra current from the primary battery in the engine bay.

The problem here is this. . . If you do not drive around long enough to let the OEM alternator recharge the battery. It will never be fully charged, thus causing sulfication.

Sulfication is the formation or deposit of lead sulfate on the surface and in the pores of the active material of the batteries' lead plates.

If the sulfation becomes excessive and forms large crystals on the plates, the battery will not operate efficiently and may not work at all.

Common causes of battery sulfation are standing a long time in a discharged condition, operating at excessive temperatures, and prolonged under or over charging.


2. Now you know what causes your problems. You will have to also know that each time you let the battery drain, or endure a deep cycle. Each time it is run down the batteries service life drops 30%.

ie. If the battery is intended to last 5 trouble free years. You have cut off 1.50 years off the battery.

3. Each time the battery is deeply discharged the battery will also not want to hold a charge.

4. If you want to find out the batteries actual service life and whether it has any further service in it. Have it tested with a conductance meter.

This will tell you 100% as to the state of charge, and what the specific gravity, etc are.

If you do not know anyone who has a conductance meter, than a standard AVR test is next on the list at the auto store.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

I have a 96 eclipse and the same thing happened to mine. I had two amps as well and i guess over time wire coming from the alternator to the fuse box then the battery had melted. The car has I believe four 8 white (might even be ten gauge) wires coming from  the alternator and I replaced it with a two 4 gauge wires. Havent had the problem since.  Just my two cents, but i just wanted to throw some ideas out there