djspawn00

This may have been covered so forgive me if I'm generating forum clutter but I have a 2002 GS300 and even stock the electrical system seemed week to me. The lights would dim when the radiator fan would kick on when my car was stock. I recently upgraded my audio system and I have two amps in use. I'm running a JL 500/1 pushing two rockford P3's and a SoundStream Van Gogh pushing my components at 320wats.

It seems like my system can barely handle this load. Yesterday I upgraded my walmart battery to a Kinetic 1800 battery. The Specs for the battery are:
# AGM Technology
# Sealed Non-Spillable Design
# Mount In Any Position
# Ultra Low ESR
# More Plates For Stronger Energy Density
# Higher Voltage Under Load
# Tightly Packed Cells
# Superior Heat & Vibration Resistance
# Weight: 54 lbs.
# Ah: 81
# Amps: 1900
# Dimensions: 10" x 6.5" x 8.2

It seems adequate for now but I'm wondering what else I can do to improve efficiency and output. I'm also going to upgrade the big three and I may add a second battery, but I'm also curious about High Output alternators. I've heard about people using Sienna Alternators, or putting the internals from a Towncar in the housing for a GS3 alternator. I'm really just looking to remedy the dimming lights for the most part. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.

Stormforge

Do you have a capacitor for your system? Try a 1 farad cap first, and see how that works out. Upgrading the alternator would definitely help alot. Good luck.

retrospexo

yeah an upgraded alternator & a 2nd battery will do wonders... you can ask the garage troll he'll tell you, in a riddle of course.

djspawn00

That damn garage troll... someone direct me to someone that sells reliable alternators...

caps are garbage, i got a few for sale if anyone wants, i guess I'll fork over the money for a second battery... and look into that sienna alternator...

krazyGs3

You should add one more 1800. Don't add a cap. The battery has to feed the cap, the battery is allready having a hard time. Adding another 1800 should be ok. Use 1/0 wiring from the front to rear battery. Also check or make it bigger, the main ground wire at the front battery. No need for a high output alternator. For 2-1800 kinetic is good for 3600 watts so you should be ok. I have a 5000w system and 5-1200 kinetic batteries. Ran it for 2 years with no problems.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Dont forget to do the "BIG THREE"!!! That will do WONDERS for the car. The "Big Three" consists of:

1) Upgrade wire from alternator to battery
2) Upgrade wire from battery to ground
3) Upgrade all your grounds under the hood e.i. block to chassis; block to firewall; alternator housing to chassis

Use 4awg, 0awg preferred. as for hooking up the second battery. Yes use 0awg, put a 300 amp fuse at both ends of the wire. Heres a pic of my upgrade. I Love 0awg, its soo sexy!

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

I say put the stocker back in, and run BOTH Kinetics in the back! thats what I did! I too am running 2 Kinetics. I know they say not to mix brands, but I havent had a problem yet. (but another Kinetic is next in line for under the hood too...)

djspawn00

did you isolate the ones in back? I was just thinking of throwing a HC800 in the back. The big three upgrade is coming soon although I'll probably use 4awg, not 0/1awg since most of the 0/1 I've been finding is overpriced or really just 4awg with lots more insulation.