need some help `

[beatz]

got a question

this weekend i put in my whole audio system its bout 1600 watts peak total . as im going along listening to the radio thumpin pretty good the radio turns itself down then after bout 45 seconds it returns to the volume it was set at. and it does it spuratically , only thing iu can think of its the alternator isnt strong enough to handle the load of the system and the car , i am also noticing the lights dimming when the bass hits


any answers am i right ?

[Mr03SC/T]

maybe you have the function on your radio that automatically adjusts the sound to the road noise in your car. Also 1600Watts Peak is not very much. Your car should be able to handle that without a problem. The lights dimming occur even with a stock radio so that really is not a problem.

[car audio dave]

what do you have? i cant answer anything without more info.

[beatz]

k heres the list

pioneer p7700 head
power acoustic gothic series 1600 watt amp
2 12 inch kicker comp vr's 2 ohm stable
power acoustic wiring

[beatz]

also i will be sending the headunit back for a replacement cause the remote turn on wire wasnt live so it needs to be replaced at the moment the amp is connected to the acc wire in the headunit (i know it isnt the right way but we had to improvise )

[tomknotts]

is it you raidio (mids and highs), you subs or both that turn down. if its just your subs you might have a ground/power fault. also it might be posible that you beck might have a 50% mute function thats activating due to the vibrations from your bass (ive seen this before the HU was faulty.). and does this happen only at high volumes.

[beatz]

usually happends at high volumes , and i do believe the head is faulty just like the remote turn on wire , i dont believe it has the 50% mute however it does have a attention button where it turns the volume down a considerable amount but more then 50 %

[beatz]

also i am not running a capacitor would this help fix the light dimming problem ??

[Payam81]

The capacitor will only "hide" the problem and not solve it. You will be better off with a strong battery/alternator in the long run.

[beatz]

see thats the thing some people swear by them and some not so much the question who do i believe lol but thank you for your input my sponser is tellin me get a cap i got friends with a cap and all stock bat and alt that are run a substantial amount of power compaired to me that run caps and they dont have these issues but me of course

[beatz]

bahwell i just ordered a cap from my sponser it wasnt to expensive hopefully it works

[Payam81]

Yea there's always been a debate between caps and stronger alt.
Caps basically store power and deliver it very fast when needed.

Here is an interesting article on crutchfield I suggest you take a look for a better indepth look:

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-pPNaszIKUP7/learningcenter/car/amplifiers_install_power.html

Good luck.

PS I like the white color with the tint! Some cars look 1000 times better in white :)

[beatz]

"If your system needs more current than the alternator can supply, it starts to grab current from the battery — not a good thing for your car or your music! Here are a couple of warning signs to look for:
your headlights dim in time to the music when you crank it up loud at night;
your bass sounds great when you first turn it on, but gets mushy and less powerful within a minute or so.
One easy, effective solution is installing a capacitor. Heavy-duty capacitors connect to the power cable (just before it reaches your amplifier) and act as a buffer zone between your amp and your car's electrical system. They store up a reservoir of power which can supply the amplifier's peak demands (like a kick drum beat) without having to pull current from the battery. "


awsome article man just what i needed i am still iffy about the cap but he assured me it will help out so i gotta go with him right now, if it doesnt whats the worse thats gonna happen i go out and buy a optima and a ho alternator


but thank you very much for the article it answered some questions i had