kpllk Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 Hey guys, I know every car is probably a little different, but is there any sort of general guideline as to how much power you can run off of stock electrical before upgrading? I was about to order 2 HDS315's powered by no more than a 2400 RMS watt amp. Would this be safe or is it a bad idea? Read on here that the stock alternator is like 120 or 130 amps on the focus zx3, but ill find out for sure In the morning. But if this is too much power, I'll just end up getting 1 15 and like a 1200w amp for now. That should be fine, right? Also, when upgrading electrical, where should I start? Big 3, ho alternator, then batteries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reedal Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 i personally wouldn't run more than 1500w combined (mids/highs/sub amps) on a 120-130A alt. even that can push it, because different vehicles have different electrical requirements. and i don't know what any one vehicle requires for it's electrical needs Thats a good order to go with for electrical upgrades. SMD Tool Map https://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/193176-smd-tool-map-new-november-2014/ Build log https://www.stevemeadedesigns.com/board/topic/197217-reeds-03-tahoe-hat-sqaq-singer-xs-shca-cockbox-80prs/?page=32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadeTreeMechanic Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 I would think that even 1000w would be too much for stock alt because it has to run the rest of the car too. Big 3 is a must. Ho alt is also necessary for what you want to do and an extra battery would surely help too. If you can't get the alt right away then your headlights will dim when the bass hits. This is an indication that your alt is maxed out and the battery has to supply power. Just turn it down a little so this doesn't happen and don't expect max output until you get your alt. If you put a second battery in the back then the 1/0 needs to be fused at each battery. In the event of an accident, the 1/0 will need to disconnect from both batteries if it gets pinched. 91 C350 Centurion conversion ( Four Door One Ton Bronco) 250A Alternator (Second Alternator Coming Soon) G65 AGM Up Front / Two G31 AGM in Back Pioneer 80PRS CT Sounds AT125.2 / CT Sounds 6.5 Strato Pro component Front Stage CT Sounds AT125.2 / Lanzar Pro 8" coax w/compression horn tweeter Rear Fill FSD 5000D 1/2 ohm (SoundQubed 7k Coming Soon) Two HDS315 Four Qubes Each 34hz (Two HDC3.118 and New Box Coming Soon) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahmed Johnson Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 You could try and run 2400 watts on a stock alt but you will never see 2400 watts. You'll only see what your electrical will give. The alt won't take a crap right away because I doubt you're going full tilt every ride and shit like imp. rise, you probably won't ever see 2400 watts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahmed Johnson Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 he can run a 1000 watt amp on a stock alt. I don't know anyone who upgraded their alternator to support 1000 watts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karkov Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 Watching your voltage no matter what you do is always important. I would start with big 3 and go from there all the while watching what voltage does. Do some reading on this site to see what people believe is lower than optimal voltage. Alternator > battery always What voltage does your stock alt hot charge at? just curious What 2400 watt amp are you going with? Hifonics? they tend to draw a decent amount of current. Look into HO alts now just so you can get a price point because they are spendy. If your under hood battery is getting old and you're not happy with the voltage it's never a bad idea to upgrade the under hood battery. You can get one without breaking the bank also if you look into something like a Sear Diehard AGM or Napa Legend AGM etc. You can be loud with a single 15" but if you are already wanting to run more power and more subs then I would not waste my time on the lesser set up since bass is an addiction and eventually you will want to upgrade. If you have the proper tools to set gains then yea, start with the single 15" and 1500 watt amp and then later on get a second 15" and second 1500 watt amp but make sure you gain match properly. You could run 1000/1500/2400 etc. on stock electrical but it will be hard on it and will most like cause premature failure of alt and you will most likely have massive light dimming etc. not to mention depending how low voltage goes it could be hard on the cars computer. I may do things ass backwards but I usually get the stereo I want then do what I got to do to make the electrical support it. Usually at the same time, not always in that order, lol, but for me I just want what i want! 2007 Chevy Tahoe (SOLD) 12 ~ FI Audio X series 10" w/BP option 2 ~ DC Audio 5.0K @0.67 3 ~ DC Audio 5.0K @1.0 2 ~ PPI 3 way sets (not installed yet) 1 ~ RF T400-4, 1 ~ RF T600-2, 1 ~ RF T600-4 4 ~ CT Sounds 5.25" Strato comps (rear fill only) 1 ~ XS Power D4800 1 ~ XS Power D3400 8 ~ XS Power XP3000 160 stock alt, Mechman 370 Elite, 185 DC Power 320+ Sq. Ft. Sound Deadener Pioneer AVH-X5500BHS Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/knfjdkghjudfhsgkjdhf/videos?sort=dd&view=0&shelf_id=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahmed Johnson Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 This would be the first time I did my electrical first. Of course, I bought a crossfire 4k so I had no choice, lol. Yeah, I'd start on the big 3 and monitor while you go. I'm with karkov, alternator before battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpllk Posted May 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 Watching your voltage no matter what you do is always important. I would start with big 3 and go from there all the while watching what voltage does. Do some reading on this site to see what people believe is lower than optimal voltage. Alternator > battery always What voltage does your stock alt hot charge at? just curious Honestly, I couldn't even tell you. I'm going to order a voltmeter tonight so I can keep an eye on it before I do anything to see where its at. What 2400 watt amp are you going with? Hifonics? they tend to draw a decent amount of current. Look into HO alts now just so you can get a price point because they are spendy. If your under hood battery is getting old and you're not happy with the voltage it's never a bad idea to upgrade the under hood battery. You can get one without breaking the bank also if you look into something like a Sear Diehard AGM or Napa Legend AGM etc. Not too sure about what amp yet. Whatever I can find for relatively cheap. I'm still looking around for HO alternators for my car. They don't seem too common, but I did see a 220 amp for $300. You can be loud with a single 15" but if you are already wanting to run more power and more subs then I would not waste my time on the lesser set up since bass is an addiction and eventually you will want to upgrade. If you have the proper tools to set gains then yea, start with the single 15" and 1500 watt amp and then later on get a second 15" and second 1500 watt amp but make sure you gain match properly. Oh I believe it. Been wanting do get into it for about 4 years now. Just never had the money or the right car. My first car was a 1988 Porsche 944, so I'm not messing with any subs in her. What do you guys think would be fine then? 220 amp? And how well would a stock electrical system work with a decent capacitor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpllk Posted May 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 Sorry about commenting In the quote, didn't mean to do that and I'm on my phone now. Still new here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Coyne Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 Hey guys, I know every car is probably a little different, but is there any sort of general guideline as to how much power you can run off of stock electrical before upgrading. Read on here that the stock alternator is like 120 or 130 amps on the focus zx3, Also, when upgrading electrical, where should I start? Big 3, ho alternator, then batteries? To be honest you can't run much power Stock alternators barely charge at idle and a fraction of the amperage is used to run the car (if it takes 40-50 amps to run you car your left with 70-80 amps to power your front speakers and the subs). You then have to factor in the efficiency rating of both the amplifier and the stock alternator (which will lower the amperage even more). Most people would be lucky to get 350RMS to each sub on a stock setup A good battery is nice but from my understanding it won't technically create more power (it can help stabilize the voltage during extreme bass notes but the moment you start pulling significantly more current then what your alternator can give, your electrical voltage will drop rapidly). I would do alternator first since thats what is going to create the high power you want (it's costly, my Singer 270A alt was bout $400 but its worth it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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