Thread: 1998 Camaro Install- lots of pics, rear seat delete

i have class from 8:00-5:00 and then work from 5:00-11:30. The snow killed me today because we got rain first and then snow and more rain. It made for some heavy shoveling.

What do you do?

I got the cable today. I hope to get a chance to get it installed tomorrow.

I'm having electrical problems

How does the tension on the spring look?
The first 24 hour period: the tension left
I cut off the ends and crimped new ends tighter.
The 2nd 24 hour period: still nice and tight
Then I shipped it out. I don't know where the slack came from, not the crimped ends, so maybe the cable itself. Hopefully it is all stretched out and will not stretch anymore.

Do you have the electrical stuff sorted out?

Originally Posted by JasonWW

How does the tension on the spring look?
The first 24 hour period: the tension left
I cut off the ends and crimped new ends tighter.
The 2nd 24 hour period: still nice and tight
Then I shipped it out. I don't know where the slack came from, not the crimped ends, so maybe the cable itself. Hopefully it is all stretched out and will not stretch anymore.

Do you have the electrical stuff sorted out?

The tension looks and feels great. It must have been the cable itself.

My electrical problems seem to be too much draw on my system. The cold weather kind of put me over the limit for draw. I'm going to see how big i can get my stock alt rebuilt (dad has a friend) before i buy a 160 amp online.

I'm planning on getting 0/1 gauge from knukonceptz.com (for big three and run to back)
then a battery isolator and a deep cycle for the back.
I hope that'll get me thru the winter.

I've been driving without the system just so that i don't get stuck somewhere with a dead battery and being cold.

Have you considered one of those portable jumper batteries? They've saved my bacon quite a few times.

Speaking of isolators. You know how they drop your voltage? Since both the car and the stereo will see lower voltage, I wonder if you could order an alternator or modify one to supply 15.5v? I forget what the voltage loss is, but something that will make the car and the stereo see their regular 14.4 volts max.

Originally Posted by JasonWW

Have you considered one of those portable jumper batteries? They've saved my bacon quite a few times.

Speaking of isolators. You know how they drop your voltage? Since both the car and the stereo will see lower voltage, I wonder if you could order an alternator or modify one to supply 15.5v? I forget what the voltage loss is, but something that will make the car and the stereo see their regular 14.4 volts max.

I've thought about those jumper batteries, but i haven't ever heard how well they work (till now)

I'll have to do a little more research on the isolators and ask mel (shop owner) what he can do for me when it comes to that. How do alot of people run deep cycles in the back? Just have a sylinoid on the wire run to the back? I thought that having an isolator would be the safest way.

I think most people use an isolator. If the alternator is putting out 14.4v the rear will still see 13.2v or so. I think it's a 1.2v drop or something close to that. With the engine off it's going to have the regular voltage of 12.2v or so. They work, you just lose some voltage. If your not trying to squeeze every last bit of power from your amps, then it should be fine.

If your main battery goes dead, you can jump the 2 batteries together to crank the car.

How do you know your overpowering your alternator?

Originally Posted by JasonWW

I think most people use an isolator. If the alternator is putting out 14.4v the rear will still see 13.2v or so. I think it's a 1.2v drop or something close to that. With the engine off it's going to have the regular voltage of 12.2v or so. They work, you just lose some voltage. If your not trying to squeeze every last bit of power from your amps, then it should be fine.

If your main battery goes dead, you can jump the 2 batteries together to crank the car.

How do you know your overpowering your alternator?

13.3 wouldn't be bad since my sub amps rated at 12.5v it benches are 1700-1800 at 14.4v

From what I've read alot of people tend to just use big relays. wouldn't that be bad since it doesn't control backflow? Maybe I'm mixed up with all this

My alternator can't keep up, i even replaced it with another stock one that has been tested to see if i could hold me off till i found one that i wanted and it still wont keep up. Cold weather really does weird things

Originally Posted by sporty_drew

13.3 wouldn't be bad since my sub amps rated at 12.5v it benches are 1700-1800 at 14.4v

From what I've read alot of people tend to just use big relays. wouldn't that be bad since it doesn't control backflow? Maybe I'm mixed up with all this

My alternator can't keep up, i even replaced it with another stock one that has been tested to see if i could hold me off till i found one that i wanted and it still wont keep up. Cold weather really does weird things

I've never run dual batteries so I can't say for sure.

When you say the alternator can't keep up, do you mean the lights dim when you hit a big bass note?