Dimming car headlights is a common car audio problem when you install a big powerful subwoofer and amplifier without considering upgrading any part of the electrical system. This is because of the more amount of current drain you are placing on your vehicle more than what is designed for your aftermarket system. If you notice that your lights flicker when the sub hits its due to the voltage dropping. If you are wanting to stop the dimming lights for your car audio system, there are many different things you can do to make the electrical system more stronger and solid.
1) Power cap. This can be connected inline with your amplifier to help stop dimming car headlights. Its role is to temporarily store energy and release it when the sub hits. They come in different Farad ratings the higher it is the more charge it can store. Also make sure you purchase one from a good quality manufacturer like Rockford Fosagte and avoid brands such as Boss. Cheap power caps provide you nothing more than a fancy volt meter.
2) Bigger Alternator. Installing one that has higher amps over the current alternator will provide the battery with more charging capacity. What you need exactly is a high output alternator, for each 100 watts rms your car audio system produces it requires around 16 amps. So you have to work out the maths to see what is the rating of the high output alternator you require. They can vary from 200 right up to 300 amps.
3) Upgrade to a Deep Cycle Battery. This type of battery is purely designed to always be charged and discharged in very short amounts of time making it the most used in the car audio automotive world. Compared to a standard battery, they are designed to deliver quick rapid bursts of high current when your system demands it. Some good manufacturers that make good deep cycle batteries are XS power, kinetik and the yellow top optima. If your system is around 1000 watts, you can just use this as this as your starting battery and your dimming headlights should be fixed.
4) Add a second Battery. Having more batteries is always better since it provides a more of a reserve for power demands. But you also need a good alternator to back this up or they will not be charging properly, damaging them in the long term if this is not addressed. How the setup works is one battery is used for starting the car and the second on is dedicated to the powerful car audio system.
5) Big Three Upgrade. Upgrading the existing three small sized cables in the car electrical system to thicker ones will provide better current flow. You will need to replace the following cables with 0 gauge wire to ensure maximum performance. They will be all found in the engine bay.
- The cable going to the battery ground to the chassis.
- The chassis to the engine block.
- The alternator to the positive battery wire.
Having problems with your car? Pellon Auto Centre can help. Offering a full range of services and repairs to get your car back on the road.
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