HO alternator or upgrade battery

[Ericburns1]

I have a 06 Avalanche and am currently running two sundown sa15s and a sundown 3k all 0gauge wire. And of course when I turn it up it dims all lights really bad. Right now has a stock battery. Should I just do the big 3 and switch to a Optima yellow top. Or just do the big 3 and a ho alternator. 

[Dafaseles]

Do you know how much your stock alternator is putting out? 

If it where me on 3k, to know my electrical is legit, I would run the biggest alternator I could afford and either run 2 at least 80ah AGM's, or switch to lithium. But I know everyone has their own limit to what they want to spend. 

[Fish Chris]

1) Big 3

 

2) HO Alt

 

3) add super capictor

 

4) as long as the battery is not dead, dont worry about it. If it dies, go pick up a $179 dollar AGM from Costco or Sam's Club  

If your not making enough juice to play your system hard, continuously, and keeping your voltage up, add another HO alternator. Batteries are over rated.

[clarknova]

Just to add to the good information that's been posted above, a bigger battery will increase your engine-off play time. The dimming you describe is due to voltage dropping. If this is happening with the engine on then it's usually because the alternator can't keep up with the current demands of the load. If it happens with the engine off then it's because the battery is undercharged (charge it), in poor condition (replace it), or the wiring is undersized or poorly connected (do the big 3).

 

If your stock battery is in working condition, replacing it or even adding additional capacity won't prevent the voltage drops. Do the big 3, charge the battery and have it tested, then upgrade your alternator if you're still seeing the dimming.

 

Capacitors are another effective tool against dimming and can help improve sound quality, but they have their limitations and they won't be a sufficient intervention if your alternator isn't keeping up. So yeah, I agree with Fish Chris's recommended order of interventions.