2 batteries in my car

[Kully E220 Coupe]

Hi All,

Just wanted to know whether the 220 engine is very power (Electrical) hungry? as I have a new odyssey Competetion spec dry cell battery, and i when i`m running my audio system (uprated) on high levels i notice that the headlamps are dimmimg. To resolve this issue i have two plans;

1). Buy a 1 Farad Power Cap (not sure if this will stop lights from dimming tho)

2). Move my odyssey battery to the boot and install a New Varta battery at the front (to run the car and other electricals like windows sun roof). I have been told this would be the better of the two plans.

I would like to see what you guys think, any comments welcome.

Regards,

Kuldip Panesar

 

[turnipsock]

It shouldn't matter what you do with the batteries. If you are using more power than the alternator can deliver...any battery will drain and you will be at a lower voltage (hence the dimming)

Also if you are idling a lot, the charging may be not as good as normal running.

 

[television]

Change the alternator, it will be the only way,you are not going to solve it any other way. A hearing aid is much cheaper.

Malcolm

 

[E320C]

Alternator

How about a diesel alternator or uprated voltage regulator?

Don't bother with a E320C alternator as mine dims on high current ice drain.

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought those farad caps are to allow extra current to amp when needed and not for the purpose of aiding battery charge.

E320C

 

[television]

How about a diesel alternator or uprated voltage regulator?

Don't bother with a E320C alternator as mine dims on high current ice drain.

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought those farad caps are to allow extra current to amp when needed and not for the purpose of aiding battery charge.

E320C

How these things are supossed to work is that during heavy bass notes (max current drawn) its a little something to fall back on. Imfd is of little use. bearing in mind that good amps use 4000mfd in the power supplies.

Fit a 240 AC alternator and run things´from that, carry a honda generator in the boot,you will not hear it as you will have the amp on.

malcolm

 

[jberks]

In the olden days when I had 'massiv' stereos (quite tiny by todays standards but still..), plus the usual big lights and stuff, I went into my local alternator/starter shop and asked for the biggest alternator and battery I could bolt into my car. From memory, I went from the standard 35ah to a 55ah. Never had a problem after that.

 

[mlc]

Change the alternator, it will be the only way,you are not going to solve it any other way. A hearing aid is much cheaper.

Malcolm

As always Malcolm hoits it on the nail. You need to be capable of making at least as much power as you are using or the voltage will drop.

On the hearing aid front. As the victim of listening to music too loud in the 70's I would recommend that you ditch all this heavy duty ICE kit and revert to something sensible. That way you will stand a chance of holding a conversation at age 50 and actually hearing what you grand childrens first words to you are

Alternativley you can start learning how to lip read now.

Mark

 

[television]

On the hearing aid front. As the victim of listening to music too loud in the 70's I would recommend that you ditch all this heavy duty ICE kit and revert to something sensible. That way you will stand a chance of holding a conversation at age 50 and actually hearing what you grand childrens first words to you are

Alternativley you can start learning how to lip read now.

Mark

Mark, back in the late 70's i fitted a Yamaha CA 1000 amp and the insides of a pair of Yamaha 1000 loudspeakers into an XJ6 with an inverter, set off on holiday,1 boy wanted Queen,the other Blondie, so i put it on, within ½ a mile from home i could not think where we were going, i turned it off and took it all out when we got back home.


To Kully E220 coupe, Marks words are the best advice that will get posted here today, take heed.


Malcolm

 

[thespirit3]

I totally agree - once your ears have started ringing, or you realise you're high end hearing is gone - it's a bit late.

I started noticing slight hearing loss in my mid 20's. I write music - spend perhaps a few hours a week sat behind synths with headphones on. I've attended a few live gigs - and everytime I've left a gig I've had ringing ears. By my early 20's I realised the 'ringing' wouldn't be gone by the next morning - and by my mid 20's the ringing would still be there 2 days later. Then, one day - it never really went away (despite me then wearing earplugs at gigs).

I didn't attend that many gigs - perhaps one every few months. I didn't even do that much clubbing - and certainly not at clubs with huge sound systems.

My point is, I'm only 30 - and whilst I can still hear perfectly ok - I'm aware my hearing isn't what it used to be - and not just due to age. It's a very delicate thing - and the sound pressure levels in a car (essentially an enclosed space) is scary. As I enjoy music - and it's a huge part of my life - I'm now very protective of my hearing

Anyway, enough of that ...

Television - the capacitor the poster is referring to is 1 Farad (not micro!). They're huge things, often fitted with a display on top to show the voltage across them - and like most things in the car stereo world often used more for look than function.

I believe, regardless of capacity, car batteries can have trouble supplying the current required by huge amps (internal resistance?) - and hence, the capacitor acts as a very handy resevoir for insane current draw.

 

[television]

Hello spirit 3
I spent 15 years servicing the most expensive HI FI in the UK for the importers, hearing also used to be a worry for me as my dad went deaf at 60.

I can still hear 10k at 71, but any sign of a cold and ringing starts, almost to the point that i can loose my balance, so i keep fit and warm.

Car batteries are seldom joined directly in parrellel these days.

Thank you for the info. Malcolm

 

[thespirit3]

I'm very jeleous of the high-end hifi thing.

Interesting website:- http://www.ochenk.com/entry.php?id=63

Anyone can play the samples from 10 to 25khz and see at what point their hearing tails off ...

 

[thespirit3]

I can hear up to 17khz clearly at low volume. At high volume I can just about hear 18khz (although it's significantly quieter compared to 17khz). 19+ - can't hear a thing. I'm 30 - so I guess that's average.

 

[mlc]

I can hear 13k (age 49), my son can hear 19k (age 22).

Really good proof of my limitation, thanks.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
Think we,ve gone off of the subject just a tad " by the way i can hear to
19k" (age 39).lol
As far as the original problem is concerned you should source the highest powered alternater you can find possibly modifing one of another car manufacturer (i used a renault 25 v6 bit old now but had over 100A output).
Use the two battery idea but not with the batteries in parallel but wired independantly thru a split charge relay 1 battery for stereo and 1 for the car
Battery (a switch should be included so you can select either or both batteries to be charged) for the stereo should be a leisure battery as they have different discharge characteristics more suitable for the stereo, and it should be located as close to the amps as possible to eliminate volt drop and wired in high quality copper cable largest possible diameter.
There are electronic units that will select automatically which battery needs the charge most but can be expensive.
Personnally i think you should just not put so many amps in the car.
I,ve got 2 amps (300w and a 200w) screens 2 multichangers multitude of electrical accessories and make my ears bleed at half volume!!!
Suggestion don,t crank it up!!!

 

[television]

A 90amp alternator,works as follows, 30 amp to the engine,30 for the consumers,the rest goes to the battery and the charge is adjusted by the exiter wire, so 30 amps is possible.

Just back to the hearing test link,sorry its a waste of time,whats the spec of you computer amps and speakers, in any case test cannot be done with loudspeakers as headphones (Callibrated) at a fixed level are used.
its on a par with an advert showing how nice the picture is when you are veiwing it on What ? a clapped out TV. When ever you are down my way I can give you a free correct test. What did you say !!!!!!!!!!


malcolm

 

[Hibbo]

The one farad (Malcolm - that's 1 whole farad! 1,000,000uF! that's what the boy racers use!) resevoir capacitor should help prevent the headlights dimming, as it will provide the instantaneous current required by the kick drums etc.

As long as you are not suffering from flat batteries then your alternator is sufficient.

The lights dim as when the intantaneous current draw is very high (kick drums) the internal resistance of the battery (and alternator) create a noticable volts drop and thus the overall voltage drops.

 

[Kully E220 Coupe]

As always Malcolm hoits it on the nail. You need to be capable of making at least as much power as you are using or the voltage will drop.

On the hearing aid front. As the victim of listening to music too loud in the 70's I would recommend that you ditch all this heavy duty ICE kit and revert to something sensible. That way you will stand a chance of holding a conversation at age 50 and actually hearing what you grand childrens first words to you are

Alternativley you can start learning how to lip read now.

Mark

Cheers for the advice MLC but i`m already partially deaf in my right ear too much bass during uni and not enough study but thanks for all the suggestions everybody, i`ll try the bigger alternator as i done that in my Mk3 astra and it worked a treat but i was assuming getting a merc alternator would cost a fair bit more than a vauxhall one. oh well i suppose i`ll have to keep the volume down until i find a solution thanks thoght really appreaciate all the feedback top bunch.

Kuldip Panesar

 

[television]

Cheers for the advice MLC but i`m already partially deaf in my right ear too much bass during uni and not enough study but thanks for all the suggestions everybody, i`ll try the bigger alternator as i done that in my Mk3 astra and it worked a treat but i was assuming getting a merc alternator would cost a fair bit more than a vauxhall one. oh well i suppose i`ll have to keep the volume down until i find a solution thanks thoght really appreaciate all the feedback top bunch.

Kuldip Panesar

Just go to any Bosch agent or parts co and you get the real thing for half the price.

Malcolm

 

[Captain Flack]

Dual Charging

You could have two batteries with a dual charging system(check out one of the good 4x4 magazines). Usually if you've got a Landy or other 4x4 with a winch which draws a high current you install a second battery(usually a leisure battery). The equipment which draws the current(the stereo in your case)uses the second battery. You don't need the engine running and can even run the second battery flat knowing that you will still be able to start the car ok. I believe it's used in caravans too. I'm pretty sue that you don't need to upgrade the alternator.

 

[television]

You could have two batteries with a dual charging system(check out one of the good 4x4 magazines). Usually if you've got a Landy or other 4x4 with a winch which draws a high current you install a second battery(usually a leisure battery). The equipment which draws the current(the stereo in your case)uses the second battery. You don't need the engine running and can even run the second battery flat knowing that you will still be able to start the car ok. I believe it's used in caravans too. I'm pretty sue that you don't need to upgrade the alternator.

Problem is that with a standard 70 amp alternator will have less tha 10 amps clear for charging, ==== not enough.

Malcolm