Voltage Drop?

[kickercaddy]

I'm adding another amp to my car, i have a zx1000.1 mono for the subs already and im adding the dx400.4 for the speakers. Should i expect a voltage drop, and if so how sufficient will it be? Right now with only the mono i have about 14.4-.7 volts on average when everything is running and turned up. I have an 01 cadillac deville which already has some stock beefy wiring to it. Stock electrical wiring, but I will add another battery as my next upgrade. What can I expect voltage wise when i add the second amp? Thanks

Edited April 25, 2012 by kickercaddy

[JR2011bu]

Not sure how much of a drop you should expect as every car's electrical system is different. Also every amp draws a different amount of current when pushed. For example: I have a kicker zx350.4 and a BRZ1700.1 and i sit around 14.4-.7 same as you do when i have this turned up i see voltage go as low as 13.9. I am about to do the big three and add a second batt as well. But from what i hear big three alone stiffens up your current flow quite a bit and of course im no expert this is just my $.02

[kickercaddy]

Thanks for the reply man. But yea I saw today that when my battery is charged overnight or when I go to class, that when I come back, I am @ around 15 volts on the entire way home. Granted I dont have my dx400.4 installed yet, but I think the reason I dont have too much drop is because of the cadillacs stock wiring. SInce im sitting at 14.5-15 volts on average I think the cadillac stock battery is 16v. Also I was thinking about doing a big 3, but I heard that adding a second battery first would be most beneficial. What do you think?

[Joeym4692]

Be careful with the second battery thing as you just putting more strain on your stock alternator to keep up with powering two amps and then keeping two battery's charged as well.

[kickercaddy]

Yea thats what ive heard about 2 battery setups with a stock alternator. Ill just wait to see what happens after i install the amp.

[Kranny]

Thanks for the reply man. But yea I saw today that when my battery is charged overnight or when I go to class, that when I come back, I am @ around 15 volts on the entire way home. Granted I dont have my dx400.4 installed yet, but I think the reason I dont have too much drop is because of the cadillacs stock wiring. SInce im sitting at 14.5-15 volts on average I think the cadillac stock battery is 16v. Also I was thinking about doing a big 3, but I heard that adding a second battery first would be most beneficial. What do you think?

there is no road car in america that comes out of the factory with a 16v battery. 16v batteries charge at like 18.6v.

do the big 3 first. its always the first thing you need to do as far as upgrades. but as far as voltage drop, i wouldn't be concerned about it unless you start to see 12's full tilt

[kickercaddy]

Alright cool, so what usually comes after the big 3 (electrical wise)?

[Purplehaze]

Alright cool, so what usually comes after the big 3 (electrical wise)?

HO Alt

Batteries

You can use as many batteries as you like, you will just have to charge them once in a while. The more batteries, the more often you will have to charge.

But I don't think having more batteries will hurt your electrical system, or your alt. It just simply will not be able to keep them fully charged.

Also, with just the two Kicker amps you listed, just do the big 3, and do it way better than you have to.

That should be enough, those amps don't draw a lot of power.

I really liked my ZX1000.1, they are really efficient, and sound clean as hell!

But yeah you should be fine with just the big 3 done properly.

[kickercaddy]

Awesome thanks man. So what do you mean by doing the big 3 way better than I have to? Is there more than one way to do it?