fluke

[ROLEXrifleman]

Klein Tools CL2000

[moredbs]

You would need a DC amperage clamp meter, it will most likely do AC amperage as too which is fairly common as well as ac and dc voltage.

However depending on your electrical setup your results wont be what you want.

Say if you have a 300amp alternator, a 5000watt rms amp, and 3 XS Power d3100s in the rear by the subs and amp.

Your alternator wont put out a solid 300 amps on the clamp meter because the amp is pulling its power from the path of least resistance which is the rear batteries.

So when your bumping full tilt and the bass line isnt steady the alternator is going to maybe put out 125 amps of current, depending on what is needed to keep the batteries charged not that 300amps that the alternator is.

Ideally to clamp an alternator your going to need a giant resistive load.

or do something like disconnecting every battery in the vehicle, and play a solid burp in an effort to load down the alternator a little beyond its rated amperage (WHICH I WOULDNT DO unless you want do potentially fry an amp from starving it power).

Ideally if you just want to see if its working, read the battery voltage with the vehicle off, than start the vehicle, if the voltage goes up the alternator is working.

thanks,i guess its working then. my battery bank rests at 13.08 with the vehicle off,and 14.5 with it turned on. but i have been getting dimming lights on the highway when going full tilt,and i didn't get that so much when i was running a single alternator. they are 2 singer 6 phase 370 on dc 9k with 3 xp3000 in bank,and 2 3400 in front.maybe i need to add another battery to the bank,or go 3 alts.

[audiofanaticz]

Im pretty sure your alternator is pcm controlled which blows on newer vehicles.

You can usually bypass it, but you will end up with a check engine light or charging light illuminated on your dash unless you trick it with a resistor on the factor plug.

If your running multiple alts, just unplug the harness from all but 1, and start the vehicle up make sure voltage increases like it should.

then shut the vehicle off and unplug that alt you just checked and plug in another, and so on.

[Broke_Audio_Addict]

In a vehicle that is has pcm controlled alts couldn't a company that does pcm reprogramming change it for you to what ever you want it to charge at?

[moredbs]

Im pretty sure your alternator is pcm controlled which blows on newer vehicles.

You can usually bypass it, but you will end up with a check engine light or charging light illuminated on your dash unless you trick it with a resistor on the factor plug.

If your running multiple alts, just unplug the harness from all but 1, and start the vehicle up make sure voltage increases like it should.

then shut the vehicle off and unplug that alt you just checked and plug in another, and so on.

it is pmc controlled but my alts are internally regulated and bypass the the pcm.battery light stays on because of this.thanks for the input,guess i need to go triple on the alternators if i wanna play at idle.13.7 is the lowest i dropped on voltage while driving,but my lights are still blinking. hids maybe?

[audiofanaticz]

HIDs will work and you shouldnt notice any dimming since the majority of them have an operating range from 9volts to 16 volts.

I have a throttle lock on my tahoe, and rev to 2000rpm and full tilt I can watch my rpms drop to 700-850 when they are going under load.

Its pretty bad. lol