I belive I need to add another battery to my trucks power system to handle the draw requirements my system and accesories currently have. Is there a battery management device that is recomended? I can come up with the hardware to mount the 2nd battery easy enough but efficiently managing the power and charge from the alternator would be key before I buy something I don't need or do need. The vehicle is a 00 k2500 silverado classic with a 5.7 eng. Don't yet know what the alt output is. After a year on the current config I have recently run into a voltage problem at high volume levels that my head unit does not appear to like as it seems to be shutting down the remote turn on lead for the amps. I have been watching the voltage level drop from my power grid for about three weeks until I ran inot this problem last night at or about 13 volts registered on the amp and head unit screen. System: Alpine CDA-9835 Head - Alpine MRD-M501 Sub amp-Alpine MRV-F340 mids and highs to Infinity Seps and plates and 1 each Alpine SWR 10" Sub in a q-logic enclosure (modified to fit sub).
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JKJ
i'd look into how much you alternator puts out and what kind of condition its in. I doubt adding another battery is going to help your problem much, unless of course your battery has gone bad, check that too. :D
At 13 volts nothing should be shutting down. You might want to check the resistance on your ground wires. ensure you have a solid ground with low resistance. Most amps and head units will operate down to 11 volts before you have issues
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2009 0-1000 Trunk WR 154.0DB 2009 1001+ Trunk WR
2007 USACI World Champion
2007 World Record
2006 USACI Finals 2nd Place
A second batt will help when playing your system when the truck's motor is not running, but to get the best of your elc system a new high output alt is were you need to start. 200amps and 2 good batts will be a good start.
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Big Dave
Read the grounding sticky at the top of the forum first. Next get the battery replaced if it is found to not be holding a charge. Next consider a larger alternator. Adding a second battery is only going to compound the problem. Remember that a battery is a storage device, it does not create power. You need to make the transfer of power from the alternator / battery to the audio system as efficient as possible (the grounding thread explains this). If problems still arise, more than likely the battery ahs had it's day in the sun and needs to go to the old batteries home in the sky. The only thing that you can do to get more power available once the wire upgrade is done, is to use a larger alternator as this is the device that operates the vehicle and it's electrical system when the engine is running.
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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Thanks for all the feedback. Turns out is was a faulty primary feed fuse holder under the hood. The unit had small cracks in the polycarbonate housing that allowed water to get inside and corrode the push in connection at the glass fuse. I replaced it with a blade fuse config from Rockford Fosgate and watched my voltage problems dissapear.
Thanks again.
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JKJ