8T1-7T9 BIONIC VETTE

I just ordered a 150 amp alternator....Hope this resolves my under charge during idle....Right now running the twin fans, stereo, electric fuel pump, and the headlights,......the amp gauge shows very low charge. Guy says I'll need to run an extra wire to the ignition as these high amp units require a start up voltage source......Can I run wire to starter?......If so,....how do I know which terminal to connect to?.....Aloha Cappy :seeya

daily_driver

i think youll find it doesnt solve the "under amp" at idle...

beciuase that 150 amp alternator aint putting out 150 amps at idle rpm!!!

its probably got a smiliar output as your stock one does!!

i upgraded from stock ~50 whatever amper to a 100 amp model and noticed no difference in the guage at idle... (when im running ALL accesories at once...)

8T1-7T9 BIONIC VETTE

Woa....I'm running 100 amps now....even when I'm going down the road about 45 mph I'm barely above the charge line....I was told this would give me a higher charge during cruising and at idle what you said. Thanks for the reply :seeya

BAD-L88

Related question please:

My friend has a mid year that he recently equipped with a very high end audio system. Two amplifiers, one is 2 x 500 Watts per channel that has been bridged to one channel, the other is 4 x 145 Watts per channel. I was just about to begin researching "super" alternators for him and voila, there is a conversation going on right here.

What is the strongest alternator that can be installed in his car without any modifications? Brand?

Will this along with the strongest battery he can find be in his best interest?

Excuse me if this is a stupid question, but can all of that stereo equipment drain the battery with the standard alternator while the car is running down the highway? (and thus cause the motor to stop?)

Thanks

8T1-7T9 BIONIC VETTE

BAD-L88,
According to the tech doing the upgrade for me....150 amp is enough to light up a little village or run a portable welding unit.....It seems at idle nothing is being generated....and the needle will show slight discharge, however during higher RPMS the charge is greater to the battery.....so recovery to a fully charged battery is quick.......as all that equipment is draining the battery at a very rapid rate.....It also helps if you have a very deep cycle battery in there....He's taking my 100 amp unit and upgrading to a 150 amp for $165.00.....don't know if this is a good deal.....however more power is better than not enough......I'm a Tim Allen type of guy....Bigger is Better... :seeya

BAD-L88

Thanks Bionic Vette. Here is an interesting article I just found:
http://www.termpro.com/articles/electsys.html

daily_driver

stereo equipment doesnt draw too many amperes..

what draws amperes is your blower motor, your electric fans (mine draw ~18 amperes !!! :eek: :eek: ), and your headlights too...

daily_driver

and lets not forget those wipers.

Tominator

Does a bigger amp take more HP to run?

8T1-7T9 BIONIC VETTE

BAD-L88,
Thanks, that's a good article.....Now I'll be shopping around for a good deep cycle Battery....Aloha Cappy :seeya
Oh.....and BTW, yes bigger alternators will consume more HP,....however I have the HP to spare....I'm also installing a switch to cut off the alternator when I'm running on the drag strip. :seeya

nunus79

ahh, just get rid of that pimp daddy boom box :jester

Flareside

A midyear will be much different than what is being discussed here. I believe all Corvettes '68 and older used an "external regulator" type charging system (I know my '68 does) where the regulator isn't built into the alternator, so you can't use the high output "single wire" alternators that everyone with '69 and later cars use.

-Joe


[Modified by Flareside, 1:56 PM 1/16/2002]

peer81

A normal stereo doesnt draw too many amperes, but a hi output stereo is a different thing. I my previous car i had 2 amplifiers about 1 kilowatt. When i was running the stereo at three kwarters my amp gauge was jumping between 20 and 50 amp. Bad L88's friend has about 1.6 kilowatts. So without extra battery and an other alternator his music will not play to long. :(

I now have 4 amplifiers somewhere around 1.3 kilowatts, and bought 2 battery's good for 160 amps and searching for an other alternator. (the system isn't running yet)

Greets Peter.

nastee383

yes!

brewvette

For those who are interested, Summit has a 140 amp alternator from PowerMaster (PWM-32794) that generates 70 amps at 800 rpms. I can testify that it solved my problems when running my electric fans, headlights, radio, etc.

Budman68

I'm running a late model truck 100 amp alt. and it works fine at idle. Trust me I am pulling the amps. Power everything. Also no dimming head lights at red lights.

daily_driver

i second what brewvette said.. they do make special alternators that give higher output at idle//


now about the 1.6 kilowatt sound system....

if any of you rice boy punks put that in your vette im gonna smack yah!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

then all you would need is the hydrualics and the neon lights!!!

ok im not a young punk anymore... i dont do the BOOM BOOOM BOOM stereos anymore..

thats what 2 chamber flowmasters are for!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :blueangel: :blueangel: :blueangel:

so no more talk of 10 kilowatt stereos thankyou..

like i was saying before, the NORMAL PEOPLE vette stereo systems dont draw to much amperage :lol: :lol: :lol:

nunus79

daily
But Cappy has an "image" to maintain :jester

8T1-7T9 BIONIC VETTE

Yo nunus79,
Pimp Daddy Cappy here......stereo has to be loud....I'm old and going deaf....and with the car so low to the ground all that scrappin and dragging going on underneath it makes it hard to hear da tunes. Ju no wat I mean man.... :D :seeya

BAD-L88

The only reason my friend went with so much wattage was to overcome the soundof the motoe through the sidepipes and the highway noise with the top down. With the car sitting still, all of that wattage just makes it sound normal wit hthe engune at 3,000 RPM.