where do you go to get a "better" alternator?
I've got several cars that all have systems, some better than others and if you watch closely, at idle, the headlights dim when the subs hit, and/or the idle will drop ever so slightly. Hooked up a voltage meter and you can watch it drop every time the subs hit. The GST I've got has a stock alternator and it only puts out 75 amps. I don't think the 240 or rx7 are much better. I would have to assume that an alternator with a higher amperage would have the nuts to sustain the added load.
Or am I attacking this from the wrong angle?

thanks for the help.

 

I would hope that a massive amount of power drain would make your voltage drop...

This is completely normal, and to be expected when you put in high power amplifiers to support subwoofers and non-stock speakers. The first thing to do that is the most important, cheapest, and easiest to do is to upgrade your "Big Three". Once that's done, check how the car reacts. Not enough? Upgrade your alternator. You'll have to find out from other members where to get them since I don't have a clue, nor am I interested. After that, upgrade batt/add a second batt. Don't bother with caps.

 

Your idle RPM drops because the alternator has to make that extra current from somewhere - its not a magic device, it converts kinetic energy to electrical.

Need more electrical energy? It will tale more kinetic.

For the light dimming, that could be either that the alternator isnt fast enough to respond to the power demands, or the power demands are so great the alternator cannot produce enough power at idle. Neither one is a big deal unless your car lights dim while at 2k rpm.

 

id have to agree with that

 

i understand why it does what it does. Not fast enough, not magic, and added load. makes sense. But I wasn't sure if increasing the amps would be the "right" way to go. I know when you go to shows, you see these guys with a million alternators. I don't want a million alternators. I don't want two alternators. I would assume that I would get one alternator to kinda meet in the middle of the stock one and two... Makes sense, right?

as for the "big 3", what is it?
The only big 3 I know of is a junk yard on 118th ave...

 

Upgrading your grounds.

Just by doing this, you might fix your problem entirely.

 

1- battery negative to chassis
2- alternator to battery positive
3- chassis to engine

this might help http://www.sounddomain.com/ubbthread.../312025/page/1

 

thanks. i overlooked the alternator to battery connection when we upgraded connections and what not.
I've already got a better battery ground. and a better engine ground on all three cars... I'll do the alternator to battery next and see what kind of difference it makes...

 

make sure it's a thick wire (to alt, from alt to batt). Will make a big diff.

 

that will definitely help your dimming, not so much the idle drop though.