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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:54 pm
by High Society
Look for your car and see if they have one that fits.
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:57 pm
by snakey51389
i dont see it. 01 impala
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:00 pm
by High Society
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:03 pm
by snakey51389
should i get the 200 amp or is that not really needed?
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:07 pm
by High Society
If you plan on upgrading your system, that is a lil much. 200amp alt is closer to 1000-1500rms I believe. Just go get your alt beefed up and a electronic repair shop
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:24 pm
by snakey51389
how many rms for 160w?
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:34 pm
by smoker
snakey51389 wrote:how many rms for 160w?
that depends....is it hard wired or do you plug it in to the cigarette lighter?
i wouldnt upgrade over 160 watts.....
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:17 pm
by veggie-man
snakey51389 wrote:how many rms for 160w?
Did you mean 160 amp alternators?
It is hard to say without knowing your car...this is because an alternator is used just to keep your car running in the first place. With the extra strain of a high powered system a normal alternator may not be able to keep up with the power supply. This would be the reason for the need of a high output alternator.
This may help paint the picture above... say your car uses 50 amps just to keep its self running.... the system you installed also needs 50 amps to keep its self running but the problem is your stock alternator is only rated at 80 amps. Your car won’t be able to keep up with the 100 amp demand and will need to tap into the battery. This will drain the battery. Having an alternator that was rated at about 110 amps would have prevented this from happening.
High society was saying that you could go to a local shop and get someone to rebuild the inside of your alternator(I think they either put more of the copper stuff in it or just put more reactive stuff in it). Going to a local shop will ensure you don’t mess up your installation of a new alternator and save you A LOT of money. if your system is going to be around 600 rms getting your alternator rebuilt this is your best bet!
Note: Certain cars alternators come already built with the best fiber things inside of the alternator (certain imports have these) so the shops won’t be able to rebuild the alternator but they may be able to buy a different one. Some cars will only have stock alternators and won’t offer high output alternators as a choice… in this case I would go to someone that knows what they are doing and you will be able to find an alternator that will fit your car.
Here is a section that may help:
http://www.caraudiocentral.net/forums/s ... php?t=1890
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:21 pm
by OnYrMrk
A word to the wise, it is imperative to pay attention to the other electrical needs that draw on the alternator. I didn't pay attention and forgot totally about the air ride suspension. Now I am scrambling to get my alternator rebuilt or get a new one that is about 200amps. I have roughly 1800w running through all 3 amps combined. So in addition to the draw that the air ride consumes, I will have some left over for my system.
Hope this helps.
Joe
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:37 am
by GlassWolf