Auto "mood" lighting......... :(

[Hailz]

Ok first of all many thanks to the people that pointed me in the right direction in my previous posts for setting up my sounds - they sound amazing!! Everyone thats had a listen has said that they rock

Anyways I now have a new problem...........the lights flicker when I give the volume knob a bit of beans

Im running 4g cable to the boot with a splitter box and 8g going to the smaller amp and 2x 8g going to the sub amp, both amps have 2x 8g earth wires and mounts each and I've sanded back the mounting points and all that.

I have spoken to a car audio guy in Timaru over the ph and he said "you shouldn't have a problem" and suggested running an Optima battery to fix it. I can leave the sounds going with car off for a couple of hours in the garage and it'll start with no problems so I wouldnt have thought the battery was an issue.

Here's what I'm running:

(all pioneer)

TSA1702C 260wat components

TS-D1602R 260wat 6inch rears

GM5400T 760wat amp (Sub)

GM3300T 300wat amp (front speakers)

1200 wat 12inch sub

DEHP7150UB Headunit

Any help would be awesome!!!!

[wrx_lou]

Your draining your system with your power hungry amps

Easiest solution would probably be to install a cap into the system. What they do is store up the power and when ever theres a drain in the system , say when your sub kicks, they will release some of the stored power.

After you install one, you may actualy find that your sub has more of a defined kick also.

I would recomend around a 2 Farad Cap like this.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-stereos/Other/auction-356949116.htm

Not nessesarily that one in particular but something similar. Don't worry, you can get them cheaper.

[DRFVDR]

 wrx_lou said:

Your draining your system with your power hungry amps

Easiest solution would probably be to install a cap into the system. What they do is store up the power and when ever theres a drain in the system , say when your sub kicks, they will release some of the stored power.

After you install one, you may actualy find that your sub has more of a defined kick also.

I would recomend around a 2 Farad Cap like this.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-stereos/Other/auction-356949116.htm

Not nessesarily that one in particular but something similar. Don't worry, you can get them cheaper.

Yup he got it in one

also a battery in the boot next to the amps would help as well

[subout]

just upgrade battery and grounds. Dont need a cap - biggest marketing ploy out

[Guest]

 subout said:

just upgrade battery and grounds. Dont need a cap - biggest marketing ploy out

but they work and are cheap

-smurff

[subout]

 smurff']

[quote name='subout said:

just upgrade battery and grounds. Dont need a cap - biggest marketing ploy out

/quote]

but they work and are cheap

-smurff

i suppose what you define as "work" they are just like a bandaid at best. its like using silicon to fix a blown headgasket LOL

[spark_38]

I've never used a cap, ever, and I've been into car audio for about 8 years now!

And I'm running 3 amps: 2x E-audio and 1x JVC. 1600W RMS (total).

I've had the same Exide Orbital (750CCA) battery for 2-3 years now. No fancy earthing kits; just a 2 gauge, 4 gauge and a few 8 gauge ground wires.

[Hailz]

hmmmm yea the install guy i spoke to refered to the cap idea as a band aid too, i wouldnt have thought my amps are too power hungry? So would the best fix be a gruntier batery and some more earth points lol i thought 4 would suffice

thanx guys!

[subout]

 Hailz said:

hmmmm yea the install guy i spoke to refered to the cap idea as a band aid too, i wouldnt have thought my amps are too power hungry? So would the best fix be a gruntier batery and some more earth points lol i thought 4 would suffice

thanx guys!

yep i would just upgrade battery, my spl setup was running 2x3000wrms amps and i never had any problems with my yellowtop and a larger single ground (72mm2) off the battery

[Hailz]

Well had the car all checked out at local auto electricians and he said there's nothing wrong with my wiring, battery or alternator and advised the best thing I could do was to run a capacitor ahh i'm soooo confused lol

[DRFVDR]

bigger battery as previously mentioned, more CCA's are needed to overcome the draw of the amp OR live with the dimming lights or turn the amps down.

[nickch]

don't go with a capacitor!

look at upgrading your battery, Optima (at least a red should do it).

Or in extreme cases, upgrade your alternator.

Most likely alternator not supplying enough current to power your system..

[Scoobydoo]

Unfortunately all the good batteries are pretty expensive. I will also say to upgrade the battery to a Deep cycle or Dry-cell type. If you can get an Optima, or Orbital for less then $400 new then you're doing pretty good.

A capacitor will solve the problem but as has been said above, it's a band aid for a bigger problem. I believe there are some batteries out there which aren't general brand-name ones, but will also do the same job. Look around on Trademe, see what you can find.

[Hailz]

Hmmm well I ordered the cap this morning lol, the guy I dealt with at the auto electrician (which I trust as he's worked on my cars for the past 7 years) said that the current draw wasnt big enough to warrant putting in a bigger CCA rated battery - he reckons the prob is that the amps cant get it quick enough, its already got a 530CCA battery in it which is ample he thinks, however after the weekend I will know ???

He can supply me with a 700CCA optima red top for $375 inc - I didn't think that was too bad

[DRFVDR]

Go the redtop also a ns70 fits and they are 650 cca's

[boon]

OK - here's the test about whether some money-waste may have just occured.

Turn your car off and give it some beans, see if the lights dim. If they do, your battery is poked, get a new one.

If they don't, then what's happening is the dimming you're seeing is the drop from 14.4v (charge voltage from your alternator) to ~12.5v (loaded voltage of a normal battery). Your alternator is probably only a 90A jobbie. It takes probably 40 odd amps just to run your car so there's 50A for other stuff. So as soon as your audio pulls >50A (which happens quite quickly really) your voltage will drop from 14.4 to 12.5.

A cap will help slightly but the only true solution is a high-output alternator which costs $$$ out here and who knows if anyone makes one for a subey.

[Scoobydoo]

 boon said:

OK - here's the test about whether some money-waste may have just occured.

Turn your car off and give it some beans, see if the lights dim.

By this I'll assume you mean the car in ignition, but no engine going. If the car is only in ACC, the lights won't work.

[Hailz]

 boon said:

OK - here's the test about whether some money-waste may have just occured.

Turn your car off and give it some beans, see if the lights dim. If they do, your battery is poked, get a new one.

If they don't, then what's happening is the dimming you're seeing is the drop from 14.4v (charge voltage from your alternator) to ~12.5v (loaded voltage of a normal battery). Your alternator is probably only a 90A jobbie. It takes probably 40 odd amps just to run your car so there's 50A for other stuff. So as soon as your audio pulls >50A (which happens quite quickly really) your voltage will drop from 14.4 to 12.5.

A cap will help slightly but the only true solution is a high-output alternator which costs $$$ out here and who knows if anyone makes one for a subey.

Yeap lights still dim without the motor running......

[newsuba]

 spark_38 said:

I've never used a cap, ever, and I've been into car audio for about 8 years now!

And I'm running 3 amps: 2x E-audio and 1x JVC. 1600W RMS (total).

I've had the same Exide Orbital (750CCA) battery for 2-3 years now. No fancy earthing kits; just a 2 gauge, 4 gauge and a few 8 gauge ground wires.

+2

Not only are caps useless in this context but they will degrade your SQ too.

[Hailz]

 newsuba']

[quote name='spark_38 said:

I've never used a cap, ever, and I've been into car audio for about 8 years now!

And I'm running 3 amps: 2x E-audio and 1x JVC. 1600W RMS (total).

I've had the same Exide Orbital (750CCA) battery for 2-3 years now. No fancy earthing kits; just a 2 gauge, 4 gauge and a few 8 gauge ground wires.

/quote]

+2

Not only are caps useless in this context but they will degrade your SQ too.

ah shiiit! I didnt realise it'd have an effect on sq, bloody hell what to do now then, ive got ten different people telling me different things lol, cap is stil in its packaging so can take it back if need be (i hope)

[Scoobydoo]

 newsuba said:

Not only are caps useless in this context but they will degrade your SQ too.

Uhmmm wut?

How would a capacitor degrade SQ?

[Hailz]

 Scoobydoo']

[quote name='newsuba said:

Not only are caps useless in this context but they will degrade your SQ too.

/quote]

Uhmmm wut?

How would a capacitor degrade SQ?

I wondered that lol..............

[boon]

Look forward to hearing this one... I'd like to think I'm pretty clued up on the whole audio thing and I don't see how a stiffening cap will degrade SQ...

[Pappu1]

Thinking the sAme as to how a cap degrades SQ

Anyway try the cap cos if the battery is just under the limit the it could do be trick but yea a new batter sure will help and as far as I have tried a cap is not a bad idea for any decent system

Currently I have a 550rms amp and battery is stock size and has not given issues touchwood

 Hailz']

[quote name='newsuba said:

Not only are caps useless in this context but they will degrade your SQ too.

/quote]

Uhmmm wut?

How would a capacitor degrade SQ?

I wondered that lol..............