electrical problems big time

[SMpaintball78 58]

i noticed that when i turn my system up (1 kicker oldschool zr240 and 1 solo x 10) that the amp will give the sub a good amout of power for about 10 seconds then will lose id say a quarter of the power it had and stay that way. could this be becasue my alternator is not giving the amp a steady voltage??? i have all stock electrical right now with 4 gauge wire and the big 3 done. what do you all think?

[[email protected] 0]

i noticed that when i turn my system up (1 kicker oldschool zr240 and 1 solo x 10) that the amp will give the sub a good amout of power for about 10 seconds then will lose id say a quarter of the power it had and stay that way. could this be becasue my alternator is not giving the amp a steady voltage??? i have all stock electrical right now with 4 gauge wire and the big 3 done. what do you all think?

I'm no pro but I would check the voltage with a digital multi meter. They're not expensive. Maybe $20-$40 bucks for a decent one. I would check the voltage drop. That would be my first step. Do your lights dim alot? Maybe your alternators crapping out on you bro.

[Duran 387]

There is no way to tell unless you measure.

[SMpaintball78 58]

i noticed that when i turn my system up (1 kicker oldschool zr240 and 1 solo x 10) that the amp will give the sub a good amout of power for about 10 seconds then will lose id say a quarter of the power it had and stay that way. could this be becasue my alternator is not giving the amp a steady voltage??? i have all stock electrical right now with 4 gauge wire and the big 3 done. what do you all think?

I'm no pro but I would check the voltage with a digital multi meter. They're not expensive. Maybe $20-$40 bucks for a decent one. I would check the voltage drop. That would be my first step. Do your lights dim alot? Maybe your alternators crapping out on you bro.

i have one but im not sure which setting i should use to measure. iv never used one before. and when i do measure the voltage? where do i measure it at? like the amp, or battery??

[emh9009 199]

Set it to DC volts. Measure either at the amp or battery terminals, wherever you want.

[SMpaintball78 58]

Set it to DC volts. Measure either at the amp or battery terminals, wherever you want.

ok i did it. i with truck off, im getting 12.8. with truck on at idle, im getting 13.5-14.0 but sub all the way up. it is only a little 30x2 fused amp.......

Edited September 21, 2011 by Lantz

[SMpaintball78 58]

update: i have 2 kicker zr240's. one is the real made in usa and the other is the cheap made in china one. they even look different. anyways i took the zr240 i had laying around and put it in the place of the one i was using. its probably 1/4 more power. any thought on y this is? the one i had it did blow once but i sent it out and it was repaired. the one i have in now is all original.

[emh9009 199]

Set it to DC volts. Measure either at the amp or battery terminals, wherever you want.

ok i did it. i with truck off, im getting 12.8. with truck on at idle, im getting 13.5-14.0 but sub all the way up. it is only a little 30x2 fused amp.......

so your float voltage is 12.8

idle 13.5 -14

what about at full tilt? able to see what you drop to?

[SMpaintball78 58]

Set it to DC volts. Measure either at the amp or battery terminals, wherever you want.

ok i did it. i with truck off, im getting 12.8. with truck on at idle, im getting 13.5-14.0 but sub all the way up. it is only a little 30x2 fused amp.......

so your float voltage is 12.8

idle 13.5 -14

what about at full tilt? able to see what you drop to?

well i have the amp at between 3/4 and full gain and when the amp startes to draw it only goes down to 13.3 at the lowest i saw.

[emh9009 199]

Hmm not too bad of drop. Is that after the 10 seconds or so when it's louder or whatnot?

[SMpaintball78 58]

Hmm not too bad of drop. Is that after the 10 seconds or so when it's louder or whatnot?

i had the truck running, turned it up to what i normally listen to music at when im bumping and closed the door. had the hood popped and i stood there for a good 15 seconds and it never dropped below 13.3

[ricksi30 923]

Hmm not too bad of drop. Is that after the 10 seconds or so when it's louder or whatnot?

i had the truck running, turned it up to what i normally listen to music at when im bumping and closed the door. had the hood popped and i stood there for a good 15 seconds and it never dropped below 13.3

13.3 at full listening volume is fine.

[Ohjay 116]

Not bad at all.

[SMpaintball78 58]

Not bad at all.

ya. im surprised my alternator still works at all lol. iv been drawing 135-150 amp from it for the past year and a half and it still puts out a damn good voltage. its a little stock 95amp from 1995 haha. i noticed my buddies 2005 f350 had the same bolt pattern as mine so would it fit? id love to just go get a used alternator off a f350. there 130 amp. compaired to my 95 amp, it would help a lot until i get the cash for a HO

[SMpaintball78 58]

Hmm not too bad of drop. Is that after the 10 seconds or so when it's louder or whatnot?

i had the truck running, turned it up to what i normally listen to music at when im bumping and closed the door. had the hood popped and i stood there for a good 15 seconds and it never dropped below 13.3

13.3 at full listening volume is fine.

only thing i didnt check becasue i forgot was when i bump with my headlights on, my dash lights seem to dim a good amout more with them on. they are hid's

[Ohjay 116]

is it a ford 3g?

[SMpaintball78 58]

is it a ford 3g?

yes i believe so.

here is a picture of my alternator.....

here is a picture of a 2005 f350 alternator...

[ricksi30 923]

Yeah measure with headlights and a/c on, that should give you the lowest dip.

[SMpaintball78 58]

Yeah measure with headlights and a/c on, that should give you the lowest dip.

shit with just my a/c on my volt meter on the dash drops hella haha. i VERY rarley use my a/c though. like this summer i used it maybe 3 times. saves gas in my opinion.

[ricksi30 923]

Haha guess its different here in AZ. I don't think I've gone three days without it since last march.

[SMpaintball78 58]

Haha guess its different here in AZ. I don't think I've gone three days without it since last march.

im up in ohio. in the middle of the summer, it will get up to the high 90's. which even if u roll my windows down, its still hot as fuck. but like right now, its like 75 outside which is perfect haha.

[pmureika 31]

Check the voltage at the amp with your system on.

[SMpaintball78 58]

Check the voltage at the amp with your system on.

my volt meter wouldnt work so i used my buddies and hes not home. ill try check it again today. but i know at the battery, with truck on, subs blaring, i was getting 13.3 and that was the lowest it dropped. with just truck on at idel no subs, i was getting 14.0

[pmureika 31]

Check the voltage at the amp with your system on.

my volt meter wouldnt work so i used my buddies and hes not home. ill try check it again today. but i know at the battery, with truck on, subs blaring, i was getting 13.3 and that was the lowest it dropped. with just truck on at idel no subs, i was getting 14.0

But when you measure at the amp it will also take your wiring voltage drop.

[95Honda 486]

Useless to measure at the amplifier input terminals, you have no idea what the drop at the amp is, and that is all that counts.

Kicker made in USA = Chinese, exactly the same. If there is a difference, one of them is messed up, or the settings aren't the same. You can't rely on what the knobs are set at also, the silkscreened numbers are never exact.

When the output drops on an amp with that low of power, it isn't because of the vehicle electrical.

The gain setting has nothing to do with how much power the amp is putting out.....