Should I upgrade cars electrical??? or Just big 3 upgrade?

LeaF

So having done some research I am doubting myself as to if I need the Big 3 upgrade, a new battery, or alternator or cap or anything else.. So much confusing information out there for a beginner :redface:.. very frustrating :mad:... I am thinking I will be Ok with solely the big 3 upgrade and I may not even need that :question:... But my additions to stock vehicle are as follows
- Polk SR-104DVC
- Polk PA D1000.1
- Knukonceptz Fleks 4 gauge Wire

My car is a 2013 Nissan Altima... The stock Specs that matter in this case are
- Battery - 550 CCA
- Alt - 110 amp

I don't know if the Carputer and the Sub and Amp set @ the 700W RMS (I obviously won't be frequently hitting that... But would like to have the option to crank it you know...) if it will put the cars electrical at risk...

I know i've asked a couple questions prior to this one... So thank you guys for your help thus far! (MacLeod, Arun, Irish Champ and Vital) And thanks in advance to anyone for sharing you knowledge on my current dilemma haha.

exalted512

Always start cheap and work your way up. Do the big 3 first. If you're seeing your voltage drop a lot, get a bigger battery. If you're still having issues, THEN upgrade the alternator as a last resort.
-Cody

LeaF

exalted512 wrote: »

Always start cheap and work your way up. Do the big 3 first. If you're seeing your voltage drop a lot, get a bigger battery. If you're still having issues, THEN upgrade the alternator as a last resort.
-Cody

Thanks for the reply Cody! Now I guess what I am wondering is based on the items I am installing and what the car comes with stock do you think I would even require the cheapest upgrade (being the big 3) or would I be able to get away without... I could ask the installers but I know they will just say do it because that's more $$ in their pocket...

Systems

I would skip the cap...............for now.
IMHO it should come much later.

I have ran some very good systems (mucho $) and have never needed a cap.
I have nothing against them and actually like em, but that would be my last step.

Alternator, cable, and battery will make a huge difference.
Hell you are not going to listen very long without a good battery.
Make a "GOOD" ground with everything, meaning no "inside" grounds.
Actually drill the smallest hole you can get away with through the frame somewhere, sand it with a 4" inch angle grinder (both sides if possible), and run your ground through that.
Biggest mistake I have seen with some other "good" systems is grounding it on a seat belt plate, or some other "in cab" point.
"Ground" that system to the frame.
Makes a marked difference.
You can get some good "juice" with the above, THEN your cap will thank you!:cheesygrin:

arun1963

Capacitors are worthless. Just stick to what Cody said, if you need to go that route. In most cases even the big 3 would not be required.

KaosTsoc

Getting a deep cycle battery is a good investment, and will help with current draw. A good battery would be something like an optima yellow, or blue top, Kinetik, XPS, or Stinger. All these batteries are deep cycle one, take a few, and look them up, and look at price, and see what fits your budget. There are a few more companies that make these, but cant think of them. As for the big 3 upgrade. It is a good upgrade if you notice head light dimming. All it does really, is help with current flow mainly. You would only need to upgrade your battery, alt, and wires if you were using something 1800-2000+ watts. With the current amps from your alt, and the battery, I think you will be just fine. Hope this helps.

Thanks.

PerfectCreature

Like they said, do not get a cap. It is like a band-aid that provides no real sollution. Sure it helps, but it does not fix anything.
Do the BIG 3, then if it still does not help. Invest in a name brand battery, I like Kinetik as I have had zero trouble with any Kintetik battery I have had.
Then, I would look into a larger alternator.
Keep in mind though, your alternator only starts charging once you hit roughly 1500rpms and above. So if at idle your voltage drops, it is only normal.

LeaF

KaosTsoc wrote: »

Getting a deep cycle battery is a good investment, and will help with current draw. A good battery would be something like an optima yellow, or blue top, Kinetik, XPS, or Stinger. All these batteries are deep cycle one, take a few, and look them up, and look at price, and see what fits your budget. There are a few more companies that make these, but cant think of them. As for the big 3 upgrade. It is a good upgrade if you notice head light dimming. All it does really, is help with current flow mainly. You would only need to upgrade your battery, alt, and wires if you were using something 1800-2000+ watts. With the current amps from your alt, and the battery, I think you will be just fine. Hope this helps.

Ok so I will test out the system with the stock cables and see how it goes then try big 3 then battery but hopefully ill be good! Thanks for the info man that's the track I was going to take buti just wanted to make sure!

frosty2k

I'm not sure where you are located, but I'm in Canada and bought an Eliminator battery from Canadian Tire. It's got a 7 year warranty. Its not a deep cycle but even if I burn it out through draining to the bottom and recharging, they will replace it. Unless your doing competition, a decent regular battery should do the job.

As far as damaging your electrical system, this is extremely unlikely unless you wire the system incorrectly, and even then its a stretch, you'll likely blow the amps before anything happens to the car. Per my battery note above, the worst you would do in a correctly wired setup (reds to reds, blacks to blacks etc) is excessively drain the battery.

I'm running a system that is fused at 110 amp (50+60). The amp you mentioned is fused at 120. Your ears may be different, but when i'm at 3/4 power I'm calibrated to maximum recommended power, and its fairly ear bleeding and I have no major electrical issues running off a 95 amp alternator.

If it doesn't perform to the way you want it to after getting it all in the way you've planned, then I would start considering addional parts.

Bugstyvy

Where do you get a beefed up alternator?

Oldfatdogs

Some shops will do custom windings.Check the shops in your area.I picked one up for my old truck a few years ago.
Dan

Sherardp

I would do the big 3 and battery from the start. For your Altima I would do the XS Power D3400.

exalted512

frosty2k wrote: »

I'm running a system that is fused at 110 amp (50+60). The amp you mentioned is fused at 120. Your ears may be different, but when i'm at 3/4 power I'm calibrated to maximum recommended power, and its fairly ear bleeding and I have no major electrical issues running off a 95 amp alternator.

You really can't compare a 'system' at 110 combined amps to a single subwoofer amplifier. It's going to draw a lot more and is going to do it at peak intervals, not spread out.

And theoretically, your fuse at the battery is based off the size wire you're using, not the amperes your amplifiers are drawing. You didn't specify what you had done one way or another, just thought it would be worth noting.

-Cody

LeaF

Hey guys!
So I got my system installed finally! I didn't end up getting the Big 3 or new battery / alternator. And everything's working great so far no light dimming (even when running high beams, seat warmers, AC and interior lights) and I never plan on playing it with the car not turned on so I am very excited about it but I noticed something.. I don't know if I am just over analysing this... But I figured since i've never had a system to compare to that I may as well ask you guys...
So the stuff listed above is installed:
- Polk SR-104DVC (custom built enclosure to spec)
- Polk PA D1000.1
- Knukonceptz Fleks 4 gauge Wire

I also got this axxess ADCT2 in order to hook my amp up to the stock Blose system....
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_26694_Axxess-AX-ADCT2.html

Now what I am noticing is that my sub is not playing loud like i thought it would... I don't know if its because of the fact that its hooked up via the rear channel with the LOC or what... But My cone does not even begin to move and I don't hear the sub making a difference until i have the gain a HAIR below halfway which I felt kind of weird... I also turned the gain to max just to hear and the amp does not clip... Do you guys figure the amp isn't getting the power it should? or am I just being anal and foolish? I mean it still hits hard as F*** but Not what I was thinking... I have the Factory bass settings set to 0 I can turn them up but it doesn't make a big difference for the SR it just makes the Bose speakers sloppier then Lindsay Lohan... Do you guys figure I should have got something like the Rockford Fosgate RF-BLD or I dunno... lol Maybe its normal...
Thanks for taking the time to read and for your input guys!

eloplayspolo

I don't remember but does that amp have input levels?