battery not charging due bass

Hows it going guys. Question. I have a 800 x 2 Mono Block Sony Xplode amp and 2 MA Audio 300 watt 12" subs. After playing about 30 minutes of bass heavy music (Rap and Hip-Hop) while cruising around town, I cant turn off the Camaro because the bass doesn't allow the battery to charge. So I usually need a jump start after turning off my Camaro. How can I counter this problem at hand? My Camaro has a new alternator and new Duralast battery. The voltage while running at the posts is 14.2 volts. Thanks in advanced.

I forgot to mention. I have a 1986 Camaro.

Higher output alternator, big 3 upgrade, and make sure the voltage regulator is up to the task of handling the higher current. By the way, there is no such thing as a "800 x 2 Mono Block Sony Xplode amp." If it's a mono amp, it can't be "X 2." That would be a stereo amp. Mono amps are X1 by definition. It might have two or more sets of connection terminals, but they are connected in the amp to the same output.

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Right. A mono is one but i should of clarified. my mono has 2 output terminals. I also stand corrected. Here is the specs to my mono block;

500 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
900 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms (wire subs in parallel for a 2-ohm load)
Class D design
variable low-pass crossover (50-300 Hz at 12 dB per octave)
speaker- and preamp-level inputs preamp outputs
variable bass boost (0-10 dB at 40 Hz)
(Sony XM-DS1600P5)

As for the voltage regulator, its built into the alternator. One more thing, what are the "big 3 upgrades"?

Others may have better explanations - eg, see DYohn's How to upgrade the Big Three.

The big 3 upgrade is upgrading engine to body/chassis & usually battery- to body or engine (or both) ground paths, and upgrading alternator to vehicle (fuse box) +12V feeds, and usually the battery+ to the fuse box and usually also the alternator.
If the alternator is upgraded, definitely upgrade the alt +12V to vehicle wiring.
If the battery is upgraded, usualy both batt+ & batt- feeds are upgraded.

The key recommendation is the engine to body/chassis ground strap since it's usually the alternator that supplies electrical loads, and upgrades can be done by adding extra cables as opposed to changing the OEM cable/strap and impacting warranty etc.

The heavier the wires (ie, the thicker the gauge), the lower their voltage drop will be. Most such OEM wiring has a relatively large voltage drop, and adding loads will make that worse and maybe even burn out ground straps etc (which can result in huge damage to electrical equipment - especially ECUs & audio).

Battery cables are usually only important if the battery needs to supply a good voltage to loads when the system is not charging (ie, engine off).

And of course your amps have their own copious and fused +12V wiring to the battery/alternator with matching or heavier grounding to the battery- else vehicle or engine, and that GND capacity ADDED to the battery and alternator (engine) ground straps to the body assuming the body/chassis is used as a ground path.

chevy86 iroc-z wrote:

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The voltage while running at the posts is 14.2 volts.

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If that is typical when the amp is running (yet causing a flat battery), then the alternator is not the issue, it is something else.

But make sure that voltage is read across the battery posts, not from the alternator output or IGN +12V etc, nor with GND to the engine or vehicle GND.

If the battery is getting 14.2V then it is not discharging.
It may be a faulty battery, else where the run is too short to replenish the lost cranking current and whatever else was used before charging commenced. But generally a few minutes at ~14.0-14.4V replaces 90-95% of lost charge, and 10 minutes should be more than enough.

Well said. Thanks for the tips oldspark.

[QUOTE=oldspark]

upgrading alternator to vehicle (fuse box) +12V feeds

There is no need to upgrade any wires to and from the fuse box. Just from the Alternator + direct to the battery + with a fuse close to the battery and the other 2 grounds.

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Don't know what the problem is yet... but I know what it's not.

But if it's the same battery, there won't be any additional current to it from the alternator - except perhaps during its original post-crank recharge.

And since this is about a flattening battery (despite it apparently being charged at 14.2V), I won't ask how the bigger alternator's extra current gets to the rest of the vehicle. (For amps that are powered from the battery +12V, that's not an issue.)

oldspark wrote:

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But if it's the same battery, there won't be any additional current to it from the alternator - except perhaps during its original post-crank recharge.

And since this is about a flattening battery (despite it apparently being charged at 14.2V), I won't ask how the bigger alternator's extra current gets to the rest of the vehicle. (For amps that are powered from the battery +12V, that's not an issue.)

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The original poster needs a battery obviously, it's dying. The rest of your post is confusing things for no reason. Why on earth would you want to upgrade power wires going to a fuse box?

The so called big 3 is all about the current draw put on an electrical system cause by aftermarket amps. The rest of the electrical system is NOT affected nor should it be altered from the manufactures specs.

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Don't know what the problem is yet... but I know what it's not.

Well aside from the big 3, if it's an upgraded alternator, how does the extra current get to the vehicle?
Alternator capacities are upgraded for vehicle loads, NOT batteries!

The big 3 is NOT about added accessories nor amps though it is an essential requirement else consideration for them.

But IMO to say NOT to upgrade an upgraded alternator's wiring to the vehicle electrics shows a disregard for safety, not to mention a lack of understanding of power flows in a vehicle.
Of course if your statement(s) ignored the alternator upgrade suggestions or that maybe the "new" alternator was larger, then I understand (big 3 etc withstanding).


As to the rest, I was going to suggest read again. VIZ:

oldspark wrote:

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If that {14.2V} is typical when the amp is running (yet causing a flat battery), then the alternator is not the issue, it is something else.
.....
If the battery is getting 14.2V then it is not discharging. It may be a faulty battery, else ...

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Granted, the latter was poorly organised and should have been up top...

I too think it's the battery (with 90% confidence), but it may not be, plus I usually expect the usual "but it's a new battery" counter comments.
Hence my original reply - firstly to counter the suggestion for a bigger alternator - and to consider related factors.

Though the Duralast is not an AGM, maybe the amp surges are damaging it, or maybe a dual battery setup is required? But let's eliminate the simple causes of the OPs situation first.


If my posts are confusing, let the OP deal with it. You are not my target.
Confusing things? Fine, let the OP get a new battery. If that is the problem, cool.
I was the first to suggest the battery, and that was in my first reply.

When upgrading the Big 3 there is no need to alter any of the wiring intended solely for normal vehicle loads. This includes all of the fuse box wiring. The purpose of the Big 3 upgrade is to improve current carrying capability from the alternator to the battery to the added amplifiers and back. That is all it's for.

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Please Mods, if there is a problem with this reply, please indicate why it keeps getting deleted so that I can correct the problem.
Thank you in anticipation.


Cool.
As usual I have described the Big 4 as used more generally - ie, to improve or overcome OEM electrical performance or issues, or compensate for additional loads off the main electrics (lights etc).

The Big 3 is fine for the mere battery connected additions like winches and amps, though the OP hasn't stated that that applies - but hence my prompt about being battery else alternator connected.


The main point though is that based on the OP's info, it is NOT an alternator issue, nor is it the big 3.
I'm with bospet40 - it probably is the battery.

Not sure why a post was being deleted but there's no reason for that one to go.

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Thanks. After 2 deletions I was getting sus... I've seen similar issues on other forums - always by sore losers, sometimes by request but usually corrupt mods. (Normal deletions IAW rules and etiquette are a different issue.)

Many BBs have logs for traceability (eg, pHp v3).

Yes, well please read the third bullet point in the forum rules. A mod does not have to be "corrupt" or a "sore loser" to delete a post or an entire topic. No need to develop a persecution complex, sometimes I delete posts because they contain incorrect information, not for any personal or "corrupt" reasons. Chill out about that , please.

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Is that the clause about "for any reason"? Ah yes, it is - and "for no reason".

As far as I am concerned, that is an issue for Admin or Mods to deal with.
But I wonder how my same reply could have been deleted 3 (THREE) times - it was posted and displayed correctly.
I don't think I am the one with a "not chilled" problem.

My reply was deleted 3 times. That is not a persecution complex!   


Anyhow, nice to see that it remains without issue.

IMO Problem solved.

TURN IT THE HELL DOWN or get an alternator and baterIES that are ment for systems
i just got a new alternator because i played my music to loud it sucks to ruin it
now my temperature gage doesn't work right and it took a fuel pump with it

namesmeanlittle wrote:

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TURN IT THE HELL DOWN or get an alternator and baterIES that are ment for systems
i just got a new alternator because i played my music to loud it sucks to ruin it
now my temperature gage doesn't work right and it took a fuel pump with it

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Before you start yelling at me, learn proper grammar. It'll make you look smarter than you think you are. As for your issues, nobody cares. Start your own thread about you, your temp gauge, the fuel pump and the smallest violin that plays after your feelings get hurt.

namesmeanlittle would look even smarter if he replied with something relevant. Neither volume nor alternator have anything to do with chevy86 iroc-z's problem. (At least not based on the info so far.)