Dimming Headlights
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=70898
Printed Date: May 10, 2024 at 2:59 AM
Topic: Dimming Headlights
Posted By: 99 mondeo
Subject: Dimming Headlights
Date Posted: January 16, 2006 at 10:15 AM
Can anyone help me I have just installed my new amps and am having problems with dimming headlights. The two amps are both 1800watt 5 channel, they are connected with 4awg cable on both earth and live and the resistance is fine on all cables, There is also a 10farad powercap connected excactly as the manual that came with it said to, but still when the volume goes up a bit (nowhere near full volume) the headlights start dimming just like the old days before things like powercaps and nice wiring and high output alternators came about. There is a voltage display on the power cap and two (one for each amp) inline AVM's (amp, voltage meters) and they all display the same voltage this being normally around 14 volts which is the same voltage as at the battery. I did have two amps before but together they came to a mere 1000watts and I never had the problem then using just a 1 farad cap, Any help would be very much appreacited as it does look really bad and obviously cant be doing the battery and alternator any good at all.
Replies:
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: January 16, 2006 at 10:59 AM
You need a high-output alternator capable of supplying the current needed by your amps and by the vehicle. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: January 16, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Just squint...you won't notice the lights dimming. Read the grounding sticky at the top of the forum, next up is a bigger alternator. ------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: 99 mondeo
Date Posted: January 17, 2006 at 9:31 AM
thanks I did look at uprating the alternator in the past as I also have a ICEled ufo kit and a few more leds in places that the factory dont fit. The only other one i found for a straight swap has 15 more amps on it than the current one, I know any gain is worth it but do you think that a mere 15 would cope with the extra demand?? or do I have to start looking through endless catalouges to find some else that will fit in the hole properly with all the right dimensions? and if so what sort of power would I be looking for?
Posted By: alpine_king
Date Posted: January 17, 2006 at 2:35 PM
goto eBay, if you have an account, if not its easy to sign up and stuff, they have alot of alt's for all kinds of vehicles. get a good name brand one tho.
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1993 Ford Ranger.
Head Unit.Alpine CDA-9831
Front Speakers.Infinity 6010 Reference Series
Amp.Alpine MRD-M1005
Subs.3 Kicker CVR10
Rear Speakers.SPL CS-573
20" Boss 312's, lowered 3/4
Posted By: tex12gage
Date Posted: January 18, 2006 at 11:38 AM
It probably wouldn't hurt to upgrade the "Big 3". Might be a good place to start. ------------- TEX
Posted By: downstarinc
Date Posted: January 18, 2006 at 11:12 PM
ide do the "big 3" first, get a optima yellow or red top battery, get a h.o. alternator, and run 1/0 wire to the amps..im running 2000watts to to my subs and i have 1/0 "big 3", yellow top optima, 1/0ga to the amps, and 2 farads of caps, and my lights still dim..next step is another battery. basically, upgrade, upgrade, upgrade!
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jl audio..nuff said
Posted By: 99 mondeo
Date Posted: January 19, 2006 at 5:01 AM
Cheers to everyone so far I have looked into a HO alternator but cant sem to get a price on one aywhere just to make enquiries about the specs can anyone help with a place to actually buy one in the UK?? What sort of ampage should I be looking for? Theres a 90amp there at the moment which I've been told is the biggest ford ever fitted to this model of car. There is a 130amp one from a simular model and I'm trying to get my hands on one to see if it will fit but will that be big enough to cope??
Posted By: novice86
Date Posted: January 19, 2006 at 6:49 PM
another thing to keep in mind, for both 99 mondeo, and downstarinc, on your factory or aftermarket alternator, if you happen to look at the power and ground cable running from\ to it, youll notice only 4 awg. (what i have seen anyhow) so even if you do put a 'big 3' on there your still only running it through 4 awg power wire, therefore the 1/0 awg you have running through your car is utterly and unfortunately pointless. so 1?0 awg to\from your new bigger/better alternator would make a big difference, especially for downstarinc.
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Jimmy
Posted By: novice86
Date Posted: January 19, 2006 at 7:49 PM
in which you would have to put 1/0 awg ground for battery and frame. not alternator. sorry. ------------- Jimmy
Posted By: darthness
Date Posted: January 20, 2006 at 11:07 PM
doing the big 3 won't help much with a stock battery and alternator.. you'd be best off to do the big 3 at the same time as you do the alternator.. and then doa red top.
Posted By: diabolicaldon
Date Posted: January 27, 2006 at 9:16 PM
Actually, doing the big three will help even with a stock alternator and battery.
Posted By: 99 mondeo
Date Posted: January 31, 2006 at 7:12 AM
Thanks everyone, I do have te biggest standard option battery on the car for the whole range (it has about 50% more capacity and discharge rate than the factory one). As for the alternator part at the moment the factory one is 90 amps which is obvoiusly not up to the job anymore but what sort of output should I be looking for? I have now managed after a lot of searching on the internet have found a place that will rebuild my excisting one to run a higher output but I need to know how many amps to aim for so I can get it done. They do have a 150amp one off the shelf but I dont really want to just go and buy it if its not going to do the job properly. Will it damage the battery or maybe some other electrical items if i fit a 150/200amp one knowing that 85% of the time my kids are in the car with me and the volume never goes up high its only that last 15% of the time that it gets turned up and I need the extra power, Would the electrical system be overloaded with the extra power output from a high amp alternator??? Sorry for all the questions but its good to pick other peoples brains on things I'm not 100% on and you all seem to know so much about the whole subject who else better is there???
Posted By: HottAccord
Date Posted: February 02, 2006 at 8:01 PM
Yeah man, you need more JUICE!!
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Im a fiberglass whore!!
Posted By: willdkartunes
Date Posted: February 04, 2006 at 1:55 AM
A whole new approach that you might wanna consider is to skip hooking your amps up to your normal car battery. If you got the room and the money you could buy 2 yellow top Optima batteries and hook them up seperately to each of your 1800 watt amps along with a bigger capacitor. (that is if you got the room for this) It might be a little more pricey but you won't have to fool with your alternator and I guarantee you'll never have a problem getting juice to those amps!
Posted By: dwarren
Date Posted: February 04, 2006 at 2:01 AM
willdkartunes wrote:
A whole new approach that you might wanna consider is to skip hooking your amps up to your normal car battery. If you got the room and the money you could buy 2 yellow top Optima batteries and hook them up seperately to each of your 1800 watt amps along with a bigger capacitor. (that is if you got the room for this) It might be a little more pricey but you won't have to fool with your alternator and I guarantee you'll never have a problem getting juice to those amps!
Oh, and what do you suppose is going to charge those batteries? That puny 90 amp alternator already not cutting it? -------------
Posted By: willdkartunes
Date Posted: February 04, 2006 at 2:23 AM
The guy said that he doesn't need the power all the time right? so really the batteries are just giving the juice to the huge capacitor which should give him the power he needs when he finally decides to use it. The Optima batteries don't take that long to recharge themselves, do they?
Posted By: dwarren
Date Posted: February 04, 2006 at 2:27 AM
One red top would suffice and avoid the caps, they will compound the problem. The use of deep cycle batteries is ideal when you plan to listen to the radio while the car is off. I don't even bother with deep cycle batteries, my alternator works just fine.
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Posted By: kfr01
Date Posted: February 07, 2006 at 2:10 PM
99 mondeo wrote:
Can anyone help me I have just installed my new amps and am having problems with dimming headlights. The two amps are both 1800watt 5 channel, they are connected with 4awg cable on both earth and live and the resistance is fine on all cables, There is also a 10farad powercap connected excactly as the manual that came with it said to, but still when the volume goes up a bit (nowhere near full volume) the headlights start dimming just like the old days before things like powercaps and nice wiring and high output alternators came about. There is a voltage display on the power cap and two (one for each amp) inline AVM's (amp, voltage meters) and they all display the same voltage this being normally around 14 volts which is the same voltage as at the battery. I did have two amps before but together they came to a mere 1000watts and I never had the problem then using just a 1 farad cap, Any help would be very much appreacited as it does look really bad and obviously cant be doing the battery and alternator any good at all.
Are the amps class a/b or d? ------------- New Project: 2003 Pathfinder
Posted By: travis n
Date Posted: February 09, 2006 at 9:57 PM
uummm question, why dont you just install 2 altinators. one small one to run the car and it accesories, and a bigger one to run your amp and stuff. isolate the two altinators from each other. put a blu top or yellow top battery in the trunk, and a good cheap battery up front to run the car. would that not work better???? i doubt that they will make a braket to house two altinators, so you might have to move a few things around and make a lot of brackets. i sugest 1/4" aluminum plate, its very strong for the size, or 3/16" steel plate. you will have to get a new belt(s) to run all your new positions and accesories locations. just a thought.
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Trav
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