stereo system and battery light, related??

[RedEclipseGS]

I have just installed my system, and using a stock head unit so i have to have a high low converter for rca's. Anyway my battery light keeps coming on when i have my amp hooked up, but if i disconnect it goes off. What gives. Any help would be aprrectiated. Also this is a fairly new battery (few months old)

 

[RedEclipseGS]

hmm no help?

 

[Neo Racer]

Is your engine on or off when this happens?

 

[RedEclipseGS]

my car is on and running when this happens, its only when my system is hooked up

 

[Neo Racer]

Hmmm, never heard that one before. I dunno if I would really worry about it...being your electrical system is running off your alternator when your car is on. I say don't worry about it unless your car seems affected by it (ie, it doesn't start...or struggles to)

 

[nutshot]

Sounds like yer using top-end components, perhaps yer wiring job is as thorough as the rest of the install? What size fuse is between the amp and battery? What gauge wire did you run? Is the amp running a sub, and if so what size cap you got?

 

[RedEclipseGS]

200 watt amp, 30 amp fuse between battery and the amp, 10 inch sub, no components, running off factory head unit, car sometimes struggles to start, just started doing it. I think thats bout all the information i have

 

[nutshot]

Sooo... no capacitor? Buy a cap (.5 farad). Oh, where is the remote turn on for the amp wired?

 

[nutshot]

And what gauge is the amp wire?

 

[RedEclipseGS]

hmm im not sure on the guage of the amp wire, i bout a whole kit and it was for a 300w amp. the remote wire is wired to my stereo so when the stereo turns on the sub/amp turns on

 

[nutshot]

Well, the amp draws power for the sub in pulses, this is bad for auto electrical systems. Capacitors are mandatory. Buy one, install it, then let us know.

 

[nutshot]

Oh, if you don't have atleast 8 gauge, return the 'Kit' and buy a 15 foot length of 8.

 

[RedEclipseGS]

how much will a cap cost, thanks for all the help

 

[nutshot]

www.cmttrading.com

I love that site.

 

[Neo Racer]

I seriously doubt a cap is your answer. There is no way in hell your car shouldn't EASILY handle a 200w amp. You should be able to easily push 1000w before running into anything more serious than some dimming lights. I'm assuming you have everything wired correctly? Amp power wire to the battery, remote turn-on to your HU? Maybe your alternator is going out? That's really all I can think of...

 

[nutshot]

In my head, and this is of course only an opinion, the capacitor keeps the amp from drawing vital current directly from the alternator, starving the necessary components such as the computer, dash lights and fuel injectors. I have never met anyone with electrical problems that had installed a cap. Of course, this is reverse problem solving, but if it works, why knock it?

 

[nutshot]

Capacitors are important, and work at very low voltages for a reason. When you have a subwoofer, most of the time it doesn't draw a lot of current, but when it does draw high or max current (say 200w for this case) it puts a pretty hefty load on the electrical system. It's essentially a reverse power spike. A capacitor just stores up excess energy and when the big bass hits come, your cars headlights don't become the brightness of a keychain flashlight.

oh, if you don't believe the capacitors working for low voltage and amperage, look at the inside of your computer. Along the CPU socket, there are a bunch of little caps. they range from 1.5 - 3.3v and are incredibly important.

get a cap. they're pretty stinking cheap. Eventually, get a deck with rca outs so you don't have to use a high/low.

(alpine makes some really good stuff)

 

[slugsgomoo]

sorry about that. Nutshot "borrowed" my machine and i didn't realize he didn't log out. The last post there was mine.

-andrew

 

[RedEclipseGS]

my new pioneer 6400 HU is on the way, im thinking that high low to converter( someone gave to me) is causing some problems, it screwed up stuff in my friends truck. I left my light on at school like a week back drained the battery then about a week after that all this crap starting happening with the battery light and not wanting to crank sometimes. As long as my amp is unhooked though everything works fine.