Stueck

i need a higher amp/watt alternator. respool or just get a new one?

Roddimus Prime

if you need more power for an audio system you need to purchase a capacitor (lightning cap). Anything else will fry your ecu.

Stueck

wow, that was very good to know! any ideas where i can get one perfect for my car?

Omron

http://www.7453217467431.com/product...=1139451530562

it caught my eye before and i didnt get it and the price went up a bit, but his one is 55 bucks for 1 Farad, it use to be 45 bucks and free shipping,

i would be careful of Ebay ones. I had a friend buy one that blew up. and fragged his trunk and dual 15" Subs lol

supra2xtreme

I have a 2006 2.3L mazda hatchback and would like to know if anyone knows where I can find a mgf for a higer output alternator. I'm running a 2000 watt amp for my subs with a 2 farad cap and the lights still dims out. I haven't been able to add my other 1000 watt amp because of this. I also haven't been able to locate a manufacturer. Can anyone Help??

broiler

Hey supra2extreme, Stinger makes high output alternators. They are a little pricey but they work really well. I think they are avaliable up to 250Amps. (3000watts / 14.4volts= 200amps). It should work for you very nicely. Good luck.

steve_protege

Whats the link to their site? I might be in the market for a higher alt as well because my lights dim like crazy with my Rockford 1000 watt amp and RF 1 farad cap.

J-Protege

Are you sure about this? I have had a high output alt in my setup for a while now, with no problems at all. I asked the shop owner if there were any risks involved with overcharging the electrical system, and he assured me that the power simply goes to the battery until it's fully charged, then the alt shuts off until needed again.

Have you had a system fry because of a high output alt?

Roddimus Prime

your mechanic needs to have his shop closed down. That's not how the charging system works in your vehicle.

The battery is only used to start the starter motor and get the engine spinning. After that the alternator provides everybit of power to keep your vehicle running....

This is why you're able to diagnose a bad alternator by removing the ground cable from the battery while the car is running. If the car dies the alternator is bad...if it stays running then it's good.

macdaddyslomo

that's not exactly true on a Protege, Matty..The battery completes a circuit...if you unhook the battery the car WILL die, regardless of the alternators condition

my guess is that jay protege got ripped off...I wonder if he has ever actually MEASURED the amount of amps coming off his alternator, or just assumes it's what his mechanic told him

Roddimus Prime

is the voltage regulator internal or external on the protege? The ecu pick up is off a lead from the battery? I haven't seen a protege engine bay in so long.

macdaddyslomo

The voltage regulator is part of the alternator...I know there is a workaround for a higher output alt, but it is, some kind of rigging, not something I would necessarily trust....A REAL audio guru would fabricate a second alternator, just for audio and run it seperately from the stock electrical

KrayzieFox

I second that. Had it happen when my battery terminal came loose and I hit a bump on the highway. Terminal popped off, car died

broiler

Did he use something to limit the current drawn by the cap? You can use a resistor or a light bulb, something. If not the cap will draw as much current as it can to charge to the supply voltage. The cap cannot handle a charge this fast, and will blow up.

broiler

The lights in your car are dimming because your power supply cannot supply enough current to power your amp and your voltage is dropping bellow the rated voltage. I'm pretty sure Proteges come with alternators that can supply a very small amount of current (65Amps I think I remeber reading somewhere). If anyone reading this knows for sure let me know. A stiffening cap will only do so much. It might help to look at a bigger cap or a digital capacitor and a better battery. Aftermarket alternators are really nice but they are pretty expensive. I have heard good things about "Batcaps". That might help. 3000Watts is a lot of power. Assuming your amp runs at around 60% efficiency (being very generous) thats 5000Watts drawn by the two amps. 5000Watts/14.4Volts=347amps. Thats a far cry from the small Protege alternator. Best bet is to go to a local stereo shop and talk to the pros. I'm worried about running a 1200Watt amp on the factory charging system.