high output alternator? keep blowing amps

Hey guys,

I keep blowing out all the amplifiers that get installed in my car, luckly I bought 5 year warranty with my system...but its still a pain when an amp has to get sent for repairs or watever...They keep telling me to put in a high output alternator...does anyone know where I can get a good high output alternator at a good price?? Also, do you guys think this will solve the problem?

This is what I currently have...

2005 Civic SI (canadian, equivilent to the US 2005 Civic EX model) with a stock alternator and battery

2 12" kaption SPL-1200 subs (600rms/1200peak each)
1 Pheonix Gold Tantrum 1200.1 amp
1 Phoenix Gold 1 farad capacitor
1 Pioneer Premiere DEH-P8MP head unit

They've tried three different ways of wiring it...each time it with a 2 ohm load (which should be stable on all the amps that I have used)

1. With an 80 amp fuse between the battery and the amp
2. A circuit breaker between the battery and the amp (can't remmeber how many amps)
3. Two 80 amp fuses between the battery and the amp (two wires comming from the battery into the fuse units, then the wires from the two fuse units are saudered into one and run to the amp). This is the current set up.

The amps that I've gone through are the following, they were either repaired and tryed again or replaced:

Kaption 700.1
Kaption 250.2
Phoenix Gold Xenon 1200.1
Phoenix Gold Tantrum 1200.1 - This one with the last set up lasted the longest (about 5 months)

My Tantrum amp is now sent in for repairs

By the way, the amps is mounted on the back of the sub box and I always keep my back seats down so the amp is exposed to maximum airflow at all times..

Thanks!

I would consider an alternator, but not before a close inspection of your ground, not just a "oh its tight and the paint is scraped away" but go to it with a meter.

Who is in charge of the gain setting?

Perhaps mounting the amp away from the box, there may be too much vibration and bass transfer destroying solder joints. Also, what would be very helpful to know, is what went wrong the prior amps. Each time they are sent  in for repair they usually list any components in the amp that have gone bad. With this info, it may be possible to narrow it down.

I take it these are the same subs through 5 different amps?

What evidence does your shop cite for calling for a high output alternator? 

What sort of power symptoms does your car display?  Light dimming, etc?

Is your shop smart enough to do this? --> https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp~TID~73496~PN~1

Regardless of anything else, ditch that stock battery for a decent deep cycle like an Optima Yellow or something.  I couldn't imagine running a monoblock that big off a stock Honda battery.  Yikes.

jasdip wrote:

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By the way, the amps is mounted on the back of the sub box

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Just conjecture here, I can't back this up at all, but I really wouldn't trust a PG amp to hold together mounted to a box getting some 1200watts.  Most people I know with broken amps had them mounted this way when they broke.  Most people would tell you it doesn't matter but this always makes me really nervous.

I kind of just summarized the answers to both your guys' questions and comments, thanks for the input though!

i will get the to test the grounds with a meter, however, I remmeber them upgrading one of the grounds to a thicker gauge wire after the first amp went out (right in front of you when you open the hood, stock ground maybe?)

They set the gain settings themselves, I never touch any of the settings...i only control them from the head unit and still NEVER crank the setting to +6...maximum i ever go to is +2

Mounting the amp on the box i suppose could be an issue...i will bring that up to them next time as well

As far as I know, there were always certain components on the amps that had just melted...usually when they blew, i could smell an electrical burning type of smell as well....but i can try to get the details on the repairs...but like i said, i keep my seats down and windows are usually open...and the amp is exposed to the most air it can possibly get...I noticed that the tantrum amp (lasted the longest) never really ran that hot...although the other ones usually did even with the airflow..

Everything remained the same after switching through each amp..besides the wiring from the battery which changed to the three different setups that i mentioned

They're saying I need a high output alternator because my car is struggling to power the amp, i still don't understand why the amp would blow out because of that....but either way, my lights do dim like crazy wen i turn it up...but i dunno if that will solve the amp blowin out problem or not....I can see how it will give it some more power though..

I don't think they did the Big 3...i have lifetime install warranty (Audio Video Unlimited)...therefore, i don't want to go in and start modifying things myself and end up voiding my warranty!

Will upgrading the battery without upgrading the alternator make any difference?

forbidden wrote:

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When voltage drops, current spikes, power supplies do not like this kind of thing. Ensure that you also have a good ground, read the what is a proper ground sticky here on the forum. Next as far as the amps go, I am going to presume that you are in BC (lower mainland) as that is where AVU primarily is located. Kaption seems to have a stranglehold in Ontario as well. Both the Kleenex Gold and Kaption amps are alright amps at best, they are not top end, they are not entry level but just alright. An amp can't make power unless it gets power. Simple principle here, you need air to breathe. Someone chokes you, you can't breathe and you pass out. This is the same thing as the amp being tasked to do something it cannot, be it from a bad ground, poor supply of power or just plain being overworked. In many cases it is a case of expecting too much from too little and the wrong products to back it up. There is a lot of you get what you pay for in this industry, it seems as though I hate to say in this case, that you might be on that track as well. Blowing this many amps, in this time frame = a serious flaw in either equipment, install or both. Let me know where you are so that I can direct you to a appropriate shop to have the install gone over if you would like a second opinion.

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I've put it a total of about $3600 into this system already, I didn't that was not too little given what other people I know have paid for their's....however, I would definately like a second opinion and to have the install gone over with someone else...if you know someone reliable, I would definately go there and get it checked out....I am located in Surrey, BC...please let me know as soon as possible...thanks!

forbidden wrote:

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Go see Tim Baillie at HzeMall Customs in Port Kells. www.hzemall.com for address and local ph#. I would recommend myself but somehow a trip to the island might not be in your best interest. I am located at CFB Comox.

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I'll go talk to him and see what he can tell me...i'll tell him that Rob at Forbbidden Auto refered me to go there...should I call ahead of time to set up an appointment? I will also consider comming to the island to see you, since i'm getting pretty fed up with this now and want a solution...however, it would have to be after May 25th which is the last day of my final exams for school...thanks a lot though!