How long can I run my car's stereo system before I drain the battery? Assume the typical battery in a typical new mid-sized sedan on auxiliary power.
Surprising, not very long. Most newer vehicles come with undersized batteries, just enough for a few starts in the worst of conditions.Your car radio doesn’t require much power assuming you are not trying to piss off your neighbors, however it does require constant power when on, so while your starter is a huge draw on the battery, it only draws for ~3 second then the alternator immediately starts to recharge the battery, your radio sucks the power without the benefit of the alternator replenishing the spent power while the car is off…in short, I would think if your vehicle in newer, with a factory battery, all in good condition, and you are listening at a reasonable volume (not trying to impress the rest of the world with your factory base) you are likely safe for an hour IF all othe accessories are turned off.Ok, so you forgot your radio on and you come back to your vehicle and suspect you ran down your battery, what do you do now. Shut the radio off, and let the battery rest as long as possible before trying to start it. A half hour minimum an hour is better. If it starts, after the resting period your not done… leave all the accessories off and running your engine for 5 minutes at a driving rpm (~2000–2500 if you have a tach), then take it on the best nearby highway for at least a 15 minute drive if you can leave off all accessories, 30 minutes if you require headlights or blower, even longer if you can’t get up to at least 40 mph without constantly using the brakes (brake lights use a surprising amount of power if not LED) … Assuming your battery was in good health before you drained it, then this charge cycle should be enoungh, otherwise, you might need to replace your tired, undersized, battery with a new one… should you have to replace it, it is always better to purchase a more powerful battery than what came with your vehicle, but that is an answer for another question…
I had new speaker and amp installed and now car won't start! Can this be caused by bad installation?
Oh these are always fun. Though I can't give you a diagnosis over email, I can tell you it is 100% possible to kill a car with a stereo installation. Your amplifier needs a signal to turn on or it will stay on always and kill your battery. Stereo install guys turn on the car and stab a test light into random wires looking for one powered only when the car is turned on. Unfortunately they have been known to splice into a CAN data bus. The CAN network in charge of communication for your security and locking could be disabled keeping your key from being authorized. Or the CAN network for your chassis systems can be shut down that deals with communication for your engine, transmission, and typically traction control. A CAN network is typically a 5 volt system but it suplies power in micro amps as it is only used for communication and not supplying a load such as switching a relay, lighting a bulb, or spinning a motor. Splicing into these to supply the relay to turn on the amp effectively grounds the circuit and does not allow for the digital signal to propogate. Sometimes it easier and they just blew a fuse while poking around with a test light, or shorted a harness by running a screw through it while mounting components. Had a lowjack installer put a screw through a floorboard and into a fuel tank once, cause a check engine light due to an emissions test, luckily it didn't burn down the car first. I have fixed at least a dozen of these problems on Benz's in the shop after a car got towed in from the stereo shop.
Installing two capacitors in car stereo system?
So I have seen many diagrams on installing two capacitors such as the one below. http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff287/carreragt3/power_capacitor_wiring_two.gif However, I was wondering if its okay if I wire them a different way. Like this..... http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff287/carreragt3/myway.jpg So basically instead of taking the positive wire from the first capacitor and connecting it to the amps positive terminal like in diagram one. I would instead be taking the positive wire from the second capacitor to the amps positive terminal as shown in diagram 2. Feed back would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your time.
Chevrolet Uplander. Charging System Failure *Solved* BATTERY TERMINALS!!! ?
It takes approximately 9.5 volts to start a car. If you hear a clicking sound, your battery is not putting out enough voltage. Your radio, headlights, etc., will all work, so you will think that your problem is your starter. NOT SO. Either you have a weak battery which need charging, or the most likely culprit are your battery cables. Most people will look at their cables and if they LOOK clean, and don't see any white corrosion build up on the terminals, they believe the battery terminals are making a good contact. Once again - NOT SO. Those terminals and cables are lead. Lead is a shiny metal. Scrap the top of a battery terminal and it will shine. That darkness on the terminal you scraped off is also present between you battery terminal and cable, and will prevent a good contact. All it needs is to cause a drop in voltage to your starter and you will hear a clicking sound from the starter. The clicking noise is the solenoid in your starter, so most people believe you need a new starter. In my 55 years of working on cars, about 80% of the time the problem is your battery cables. They may look clean, but it doesn't take much to drop the voltage going to your starter, which will also cause the clicking noise. So before you run out and purchase a starter, clean those terminals. Get a good battery terminal and cable cleaner at your auto parts store. The type with the wires inside that will really make those terminals and cables shine. Once you have cleaned them, your battery will put out max voltage. If you still hear the clicking sound, take your battery to an auto parts store and they will check it. It may not be holding a charge or you may have a dead cell. However, DO NOT try and clean your battery terminals with Baking Soda or Coca Cola. I've worked on cars for over 55 years and all that does is clean the OUTSIDE of the terminals - NOT the connection between the cable and terminal. So many people run out and buy a new starter or battery when it is really the connection itself.
What could cause a car battery to drain? The battery is new, I started the car a few times and it ran fine. I went to start it again, and it didn't work. If the alternator is powering the car while it runs, why is the battery not charging?
First, look for some light, door, trunk or other thing that is on and draining the battery. This may be an electronic accessory, like a GPS system, entertainment system, etc. We had a battery being drained by an early model XM satellite radio.Modern cars have lots of lights and different modes and options, so if you don't find anything in the daytime, look again at night for lamps, lights, etc. like a trunk lamp or glovebox lamp that does not go off.Now, if you don't find anything obviously stuck in the ON position, you need to take to a place that does electrical service.You may have a bad voltage regulator, rectifier, or other issues besides the alternator.
Can an expensive sound system mess up a car's alternator or voltage regulator?
Yes it can, if you want it to sound good without damaging stuff do the big 3 and then buy the appropriate amount/farad capacitor(s) for it to help back it up. Good luck
How many amp alternator for 1500 watt system?
If your total system power is 1000 watts RMS or more, you will need to: 1. Upgrade the alternator to a high output alternator (maybe) 2. Upgrade to a heavy duty deep cycle battery 3. Upgrade the "Big 3" - that is to replace the power wire between the battery and alternator, the ground from the battery to the chassis and the ground strap from the engine/tranny to the chassis with at least 1/0 AWG wire. Failure to do this will result in you replacing them anyway as the alternator will eventually fail. Here is a guide that will calculate what size alternator and power wires you need http://www.datafilehost.com/download.php?file=6d26c621 A second battery is never a good idea as it's an added strain on the alternator to charge two batteries AND supply power for the car. The ONLY time a second battery is useful is if the audio system is to be used with the car off. A cap is only good so far as the audio system isn't trying to pull too much from the electrical system. A cap doesn't provide more power, it's designed to 'stiffen' the voltage to the amp, nothing esle. If the current isn't there, a cap won't help. The alternator must have at least 20% more amperage power than the entire vehicle and sound system combined for a cap to be of benefit which is ironically the same requirements for an amp to be efficient. See my site for more info http://spkrbox1.spaces.live.com _______________ My answer always seems to provoke other doubtful answers. This is because most people don't take the OTHER accessories into consideration. In a freezing downpour you may have your wipers, heater, headlights, etc. using power along with the audio system. This will surely strain the alternator to it's limits. My suggestion gives plenty of overhead to aid in power distribution. Better safe than sorry.