i have a 91 crx si w/b16a and the charging voltage is 12.8 and when i give it a lil gas 1500rpm or so it jumps up to 14.5, but with my audio system its diming the lights and not charging enogh, and the subs are cutting out, how can i fix this?i have a optima battery and a 160amp alt and a 2fared cap.

 

Makes and models of amps and subs?

A 160A alt. should be enough unless you are running huge wattage, add to that an Optima and a 2 farad cap and you should not be having any problems.

It's hard to see in the pix but although it looks like the batt. ground has been "beefed up" it does not look like the ground lead off the batt. is the same gauge as the power cable, and it needs to be.

I assume because I only see one power cable at the batt. that you are using a distribution block of some sort, [or do you only have a sub amp]?.

So , makes and models of subs and amp(s)"
Gauge of power and ground cables, [all of them]?
Types and wattage of fuses used, [all of them]?
Where and how have you got the amp(s) and cap grounded?
Where and how is the extra batt. ground grounded, [and what gauge is it]? 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Makes and models of amps and subs?

A 160A alt. should be enough unless you are running huge wattage, add to that an Optima and a 2 farad cap and you should not be having any problems.

It's hard to see in the pix but although it looks like the batt. ground has been "beefed up" it does not look like the ground lead off the batt. is the same gauge as the power cable, and it needs to be.

I assume because I only see one power cable at the batt. that you are using a distribution block of some sort, [or do you only have a sub amp]?.

So , makes and models of subs and amp(s)"
Gauge of power and ground cables, [all of them]?
Types and wattage of fuses used, [all of them]?
Where and how have you got the amp(s) and cap grounded?
Where and how is the extra batt. ground grounded, [and what gauge is it]? 94</TD></TR></TABLE>

i have 2 10' jl w7's jl 1000/1 and a jl 300/4 and the red top and the cap and a couple jl componet sets, iam using a anl 150 amp fuse, i did upgrade the ground from the valvecover to the front support and i ran all zero guage from the battery back and i ran a zero guage from the alt straight to the battery.i should upgrade the other 2 grounds to zero guage, should i put zero guage to the starter also?

 

For 1300W RMS 2ga cable would have been more then enough, but 1/0, [I assume that is what you mean by "zero gauge"] can't hurt, the 150A fuse is too small a 1/0 cable can handle up to 350A, with the 150A fuse the cable may as well have been 4ga.

Your batt. to chassis ground should be the same gauge as the power cable and should be grounded to the firewall or as close to it as you can get, [shock tower studs work very well] beefing up the valve cover ground will not help, or will running anything bigger to the starter motor, but it would not hurt to run a beefed up ground from the motor, [alt. bracket] to the same place you ground the batt.

You have not said where the batt, ground goes, how and where the amps and cap are grounded or how you split the 1/0 to the 2 amps.

What kind of ventilation do the amps have?
What indicator light comes on on the 1000/1 when the subs cut out, green,red, amber or blue? 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> For 1300W RMS 2ga cable would have been more then enough, but 1/0, [I assume that is what you mean by "zero gauge"] can't hurt, the 150A fuse is too small a 1/0 cable can handle up to 350A, with the 150A fuse the cable may as well have been 4ga.

Your batt. to chassis ground should be the same gauge as the power cable and should be grounded to the firewall or as close to it as you can get, [shock tower studs work very well] beefing up the valve cover ground will not help, or will running anything bigger to the starter motor, but it would not hurt to run a beefed up ground from the motor, [alt. bracket] to the same place you ground the batt.

You have not said where the batt, ground goes, how and where the amps and cap are grounded or how you split the 1/0 to the 2 amps.

What kind of ventilation do the amps have?
What indicator light comes on on the 1000/1 when the subs cut out, green,red, amber or blue? 94</TD></TR></TABLE>

i just checked to see where there grounded it ground right under the battery and also the transmission, 6 or 4 guage and the other 2 ground wires go to the same ground point next to the transmission but on the body... , iam not sure which light it is but i think its the blue light i will double check, also the ventelation is what you see its behind the plexiglass with the jl logo cut out

 

what kinda head unit is that

 

its the pioneer 300 i think i have a different one then in the pic, need held

 

where should all of the grounds go?is there 3 grounds?does it matter if the ground is bigger then the power? thanks

 

It does not matter if it is bigger, but it does not need to be, just as long as it is at least as big.

The stock ground should be left in place, [single cable , from batt. to under batt. "box" to bracket on transaxle, a "beefed up" ground should be run from the batt. to the chassis, [as close to the firewall/floor pan as possible, there should als be a ground run from the alt. mounting bracket, [bolt holding alt. in place] to the same place the "beefed up" batt. ground is grounded to the chassis.

Ideally you would have run two fused power leads from the batt., one for the 1000/1 and one for the 300/4, this would have isolated the 300/4s power supply from the current demand of the 1000/1s power supply and made the cap more effective on the 1000/1.

You have yet to say how you have split the single power lead to the two amps and how the cap is wired in, is it a secret? 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It does not matter if it is bigger, but it does not need to be, just as long as it is at least as big.

The stock ground should be left in place, [single cable , from batt. to under batt. "box" to bracket on transaxle, a "beefed up" ground should be run from the batt. to the chassis, [as close to the firewall/floor pan as possible, there should als be a ground run from the alt. mounting bracket, [bolt holding alt. in place] to the same place the "beefed up" batt. ground is grounded to the chassis.

Ideally you would have run two fused power leads from the batt., one for the 1000/1 and one for the 300/4, this would have isolated the 300/4s power supply from the current demand of the 1000/1s power supply and made the cap more effective on the 1000/1.

You have yet to say how you have split the single power lead to the two amps and how the cap is wired in, is it a secret? 94</TD></TR></TABLE>


i didn't install the audio system i had a shop install it.there is not 2 power wires for both amps iam pretty sure there is a distrubition block, also when my stereo is pretty loud, the sound 'clips' but the bass is still going.why is this?the grounds look good but this week i will clean up the engine bay and upgrade all the grounds just to be safe, does it matter if i upgrade the power wire to the starter?thanks


Modified by vw eater at 8:24 PM 8/31/2008

 

You do not need to "upgrade" the cable going to the starter.

If the amps are clipping it is because of lack of power, [current] or they are adjusted too high, [gain].

A clipping high-pass amp, [300/4] can be the result of a distribution block and/or grounding of amps and cap.

I need to know how all that was done, how the cable is split to the two amps, [type of splitter] how the cap is wired and how and where all of it is grounded, pix would help a lot. 94