Car Headlights Dim

Hey guys,

I just got my system working sick in my 1994 Mitsubishi Galant. The problem i have is that when im driving at night and i crank it, my headlights and my interior dash basically dim and flash with the bass of high area's of power going through the amp.
Now it looks really cool and gets plenty of looks from people down th e street, but im guessing it isnt good at all.

I know it could be the alternator or the battery.
i have had my batterey go flat on my randomly sometimes and i cant find a consistantcy for a reason why.

I have a Pioneer 600watt 4 chan amp with 2 6x9's and a 500watt sub. The ground is good and proper on the body in the boot and power is 8 gauge running directly down the side of the car around 10 - 12 foot straight off the battery.

What i want to know is what is the common reason for this happening and what is the easiest way fo finding out.

Cheers blokes! (and gals if there are any)

Well you should first make sure your alternator is working right.  I don't know how many amps a Galant alternator puts out, but you might need an HO alternator. 

You also need to check and see how well your battery is.  It could be getting old an run down. 

First you should upgrade the Big 3 though.  Do a search in this forum to figure out how to do it.  If that doesn't help, then try the two things I mentioned (alternator first). 

The reason your lights are dimming is because your alternator can't produce enough power for your amp and regular electronics that come stock in your car.  As a result the amp needs to draw more power from the electrical system.  This takes power away from the stock electronics which results in dimming.  That's all i can think of now.  Everyone cover me if I left out anything.

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That's my opinion. Take it, leave it, or correct me.

sorry to sound like total n00b, but what is the "Big 3"?

Sorry

The "Big 3" is just upgrading a few wires to get a little more power so hopefully your headlights won't dim. It includes upgrading:
1) Power wire from alt to battery
2) Ground from alt to chassis
3) Battery to chassis
Do a search on these forums for it, and you should get all the instructions and explanations you need.

I would try that first. Then, if that doesn't solve your problem, I would suggest upgrading to a HO alt.

Dosn't sound like you have that much of a draw on your electrical system, it could be your alternator wearing out or your battery wearing out.  I would reccomend a high output alternator but you dont seem to have a high power system there really to justify the expense.

Get your battery tested and your alternator also.

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2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.

Yeah... Sounds to me like you have an EXISTING problem, electrically speaking. MAXED OUT, that amp shouldn't ever pull more than 60-75A, and chances you are doing that are pretty slim - you have not mentioned any blown speakers. My guess is you have an alternator working on going out.

Important to remember - do the big three FIRST. Dont be cheap about it either. Spend good money, and upgrade all of your high current wires under the hood to at least 4 gauge. Monster makes some good battery terminals, do those as well. Also mentioned, you battery MAY be crapping out on you. Since it is time to replace it anyway, spend good money on that as well. Optima red top, (yellow tops are a waste of money - extra labeling for something the red top already does! Here is a link to the explaination for my choice...) or many people here swear by Kinetik batteries. Those will probably cost you around 100 to 150 each.

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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."