headlights dimming

[supmet]

Originally Posted by The Architect

odds are it'll say right on the wire at some point what AWG rating wire you have.

I'll be damned.. lol

Everything I'm running is 10..

So redo everything in 4? Should I use 4 for the big 3 too?

edit: http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp answered my question... damn stereo shops..

[The Architect]

its good to just use at least 4ga all the time regardless unless you're on a serious budget crunch or something like that...at which point you should save more money.

If you can afford 1/0 and don't mind working with it and if you think you might go bigger in the future it wont hurt.

All the big 3's I've ever seen have been done in 1/0 with the exception of a few.

[supmet]

Cool thanks. I see 4 gauge power wire and 4 gauge ground wire, is there a difference or can I use power for both?

I see pyramid power 25 foot spools of 4ga 15-20 bucks each for power and ground, does brand really matter?

Do I need to buy new connectors for the battery terminal and ground? What connectors do I need for the big 3?

edit: I checked, the battery to cap is actually 8 gauge, the rest is 10

[The Architect]

all any wire is (usually) is just many many many strands of copper inside some insulation, it doesn't matter what it says its for.

The only difference between this brands 4ga and that brands 4ga is the strand count (how much actual copper) and maybe the flexibility and ease of use....maybe color of jacket too if you care.

Of course the greater the strand count the better. Kicker and Knu have really nice wire but that's not to say other brands aren't good as well, I've only worked with those two brands recently.

As for attaching them to the battery you'll just need some 4ga ring terminals and shrink tubing if you care about aesthetics a lot. Same goes for your big three, they're the easiest way to get it done although there are other connectors.

[sqcomp]

Here's a quick tip...

Before you go an straight out buy new cable, ask the shop if they have a cable bin with some leftover cable you might be able to trawl through to find what you want on the cheap. I know our shop has a fairly big box I'm always diving into for little odd jobs. It'll probably save you enough money to go 1/0 gauge instead of settling for 4 gauge.

just a thought.

[RUFFSTUFF]

Keep in mind the wattage specs you guys are throwing around are all subjective to the manufacturers ratings. While RMS specs are more consistent, they are still unregulated in the industry as well. Don't confuse a 500W 2-ohm stable Pioneer amp as being more powerful or drawing more current than an Orion 250W 1/2-ohm stable if loaded to the minimum spec, for example. Typically major players in the amplifier game (read competition amplifiers) UNDERRATE their amplifiers since in competition, most classes are arranged by 4-ohm power ratings. Yeah it's 50Wx1 at 4-ohms, and oh, btw 400Wx1 at 0.5.
The current draw is what's causing the lights to dim. I would expect the Yaris alternator to have a small current capacity, say no more than 75amps, but really I don't know. At idle, the alternator may only be putting out 5-10 amps which means a decently powered amp could overpower the alternator, which would cause the voltage to drop from it's nominal 14.4vdc. The excess current required would then come from the discharge of the battery. This combination is why the lights would dim, as the voltage lowers from 14.4 to whatever battery voltage may be.

[sqcomp]

...Yes...

I think we've passed that point. Whatever the amplifier is asking from the alternator, we've given the suggestions on how to overcome the draw.

At this point we're suggesting to upgrade his grounds and then replace the alternator with a more capable piece when the money permits.

[The Architect]

holy commas and paragraphs batman.

[sqcomp]

Oh, How's the Iraggi alty working?

[The Architect]

still pretty good, charges at 14.3-14.4 and doesn't dip below 14 unless its really really cranking but even then its at 13.8 or so and It gets uncomfortable anyways at that level.

The only time Ive seen it get truly low (13.3-13.5) is when there's something of a double bass hit literally like .01 seconds behind the last and at the right frequency but it jumps back to the high 14's after.

I do think I'm getting belt slippage though because sometimes the voltage will fluctuate within +-.3 volts randomly with no music on, usually at idle.

I'll be taking the belt off and wiping the pulley clean and using a wire brush on it as well so as to encourage friction and remove any glaze or oils.

[talnlnky]

the reason I said to just go 4awg for all of your cables is because...

1) you could squeeze by with 8awg power cable to the amp, but 4awg will be much better, much less resistance for the amount of current your are drawing.

2) the alt to bat & bat to chassis cables are going to be 8awg or 6awg stock... they should be upgraded if running a stereo just to improve the efficiency (read: reduce the losses) in your electrical system. 4awg cable has the same current capability as 2.5 runs of 8awg cable. 1/0awg would be even better, but if you only have a few hundred watts in amps, it might not be even worth the slightly higher cost. I like SQ's idea of asking to look in the scrap bin. I once got 2ft of 1/0awg for cheap once. The battery to chassis ground is a short cable... the alt to bat is longer and you may have to just pony up for that run.

oh yeah... just for refrence... you run 10awg power cable to your amp right now... I plan on running 10 or 12awg power cable to my electronic crossover, and 8awg to my cd player, and both only have 2amp fuses, compared to the 15-25amp fuse on your amp. Bare minimum you should have 8awg to that amp.

[sqcomp]

To mirror what Taln was saying, my first iteration of the big three was done for $13. That included to Lightning Audio compression fittings for the engine to chassis.

The next and final iteration of my big three will be all 1/0 gauge that is Techflexed and heat shrunk onto nice terminals. Yeah, that'll cost more but it's worth it to any judges that look at the time put into the electrical system.

[RUFFSTUFF]

Originally Posted by sqcomp

...Yes...

I think we've passed that point. Whatever the amplifier is asking from the alternator, we've given the suggestions on how to overcome the draw.

At this point we're suggesting to upgrade his grounds and then replace the alternator with a more capable piece when the money permits.

You don't think I read ALL your posts do you? Technically nothing is passed until his lights stop dimming...

[sqcomp]

...yes...

Again, we've identified the issue. The correct solutions have been offered given the variables.

[RUFFSTUFF]

Well I would hope so 30 posts into it. My post was directed more towards the wattages...

[sqcomp]

Blaupunkt VA2200
* 700 watts MAX, Class A/B Velocity Series 2-Channel Amplifier
* RMS Power Rating:
o 4 ohms: 200 watts x 2 chan.
o 2 ohms: 300 watts x 2 chan.
o 4 ohms Bridged: 600 watts x 1 chan.

We're not taking into evidence anything other than what is given to us. Whether it is dawing more than advertised is pure speculation at this point. The owner of the amplifier would have to take a DMM to the piece and give us that conclusion.

I would refer this to the original thought of upgrading the grounds and replacing the alternator.

As far as I know this isn't a