new member big problem
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=106943
Printed Date: May 13, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Topic: new member big problem
Posted By: millionville
Subject: new member big problem
Date Posted: August 22, 2008 at 12:03 AM
a 2003 dodge ram 1500 3.7l v6 is the name a bad electrical problem is the game... i will start from the beggining. 2 kicker 15" l7 subs; 1 kicker 2500w mono amp; 4 mb quartz 5.25" component sets; 1 mb quartz 4x100@4 ohms amp; soundstream 400amp cell; 0 guage kicker cable (batt. to cell); mean green high output alternator; optima yellow top. Now to the problem... when i started my truck it was running fine, i turn on the tunes and drive. Eventually i find that song i was lookin for and turn it up, now if i play it loud enough long enough my battery guage needle starts to drop.. eventually my engine studders and starts loosin power. now from here it sounds like my alternator could be bigger because after it drops because of the amp drawerage...its almost like its blown, no smell tho. From here i cut the music down for the rest of the ride because it wont charge fully power cell only reads about 13.5, it should read 13.9 when its fully charged.. anways i turn the truck off only to return to an almost dead battery and an alternator that wont charge the battery. however if the truck sits and i fully charge the battery i can come back two or three days later and its back to workin fine.. if my alternator keeps goin out i wanna know why it keeps cuttin back on after a few days or so... anyone know what the real problem is or can suggest a better choice than mean green cause it doesnt seem to be workin
Replies:
Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: August 22, 2008 at 5:05 AM
Is it the original battery?
Posted By: audiocableguy
Date Posted: August 22, 2008 at 11:46 AM
A few ideas:
A bad battery cell? Bad voltage Regulator? I would disconnect the Soundstream Cell400 and see if the problem occurs. Can you run the A/C, headlights, etc without issues?
Break out the DVM and start taking some readings!
Posted By: benzo33
Date Posted: August 23, 2008 at 7:09 PM
Perhaps your current draw from the amps and system is more than the alternator can put out.
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2001 Corolla S and 2005 Neon SRT 4 ACR.
Posted By: millionville
Date Posted: August 24, 2008 at 5:20 PM
it was the original battery the last time it died...i went to the store on a bad bettery cell idea, thets when i got the new yellow top optima. when i put it in it went straight to dead. The auto guy told me it was my altrenator...i dont think so, the aternator has done fine since it started working properly the first time.(yes this problem has occured before.. it went back to normal after a few days of no driving and charging the battery.) Anyways, bad voltage regulaor... maybe. I have bypassed the cell and got the same result.. and can drive with a/c and low music untill the batter completely drains itself. tell me more about this regulator it might be close to the problem
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: August 24, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Regulators are generally built into the alternator....so this is pointing right back to a bad alternator. ------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: lspker
Date Posted: August 24, 2008 at 9:37 PM
Check your engine groung wire, maybe to small and overheats with heavy draw, cools off and works again.
Posted By: frizkysquirrel
Date Posted: August 25, 2008 at 10:16 AM
lspker wrote:
Check your engine groung wire, maybe to small and overheats with heavy draw, cools off and works again.
i would say in addition to this, check all of your big three resistances.
make sure you have a nice low resistance on them all.
Posted By: millionville
Date Posted: August 25, 2008 at 9:16 PM
the alternator is good for sure... i have two good ones i test with but neither will work now... how long would it take for the leads to cool...not more than any amount of days im sure... theres got to be something were missing here. could a weak ground from the batcap to the frame be the problem... it gets a little rusty sometimes.? Alot of times im almost sure i need a new alternator but its happened before and i replaced the alternator before only to get the same results when its hooked up properly.?!?!?!?!?!?
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