Do i need the Big 3 upgrade, or alternator or red top deep cycle battery???

**iamgnat** · 07-10-2007, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by BenOBS

Are we talking about a 200amp alternator to power a 1000w amplifier for music use only???????

Hey, I can do some light arc welding with my 250!!!!

I won't deny that my 250 (technically I ordered a 200, but he sent me a 250 as he didn't have any stators for a 200 built at the time) is waaaaay overkill. Hell, there is a 120AMP fuse between it and my electrical system in the distro box so I know i'm not close to tapping it's power. In my case, my Alt got fried due to a short so it wasn't producing enough power to charge the battery (I also have a 10-15 minute commute). Before the short, I ran ~1000W of Amps and my Mac just fine off the factory Alt.

I would only recommend replacing the Alt (at least in the Escape, my wife's BMW is right there at the top, so I may replace it for the hell of it cause it's so easy

) if there is something wrong with it or you are indeed maxing it out. And if you do, go BIG so you have more overhead than you need. When I replaced mine, the 200 that I ordered was only $50 more than the factory replacement but at least twice the power. Kind of a no brainer really...

-dave

P.S. Red, at least you have an "easy" alternative

**meth68** · 07-10-2007, 08:40 PM

I am in the same boat as well. I have a 04 G35 Coupe I believe stock alternator is 110a, I added a red top as a 2nd battery and (2) 1f caps. Running a JL 1000/1 and JL 300/2. Hopefully the stock alt holds it own if now upgrade will be due up next.

**ephyouckay** · 07-12-2007, 04:23 AM

do not get capacitator. itll make it worse....

make sure you run 1/0 throughout and do big 3 first.

im running 1200rms plus the carputer and i have never hit below 12v on full tilt. usually above 13v unless the song realllly wangs. i only have big 3 and stock alt is also 105amps. also on stock batt. You should be fine... only problem i have is i have to have my car on if i want my system playing or battery will die pretty quick... but other than that... never had a problem and batt has a constant 12.4ish volts when car is off and at idle it is like 14.5

**binary.h4x** · 07-12-2007, 09:22 AM

Capacitors make what worse?

And a big 3 upgrade can't hurt, and its a lot cheaper than a new alternator.

**BenOBS** · 07-12-2007, 11:11 AM

Good reading...

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t88047.html

**durwood** · 07-12-2007, 01:57 PM

A cap won't make anything worse but there is always confusion on whether or not they are good/bad, what they do, bla bla bla. I refuse to get into any argument over it anymore. I like to let people make up their own minds. I know what my opinion of them is.

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...ad.php?t=14000

The engineer of the Alumapro cap actually joined in on this discussion and there were some more comments regarding Navone/Clark towards the end of the thread.