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What’s up crew?? I have a question I’m pushing two amps subs
mid highs etc. my alternator is charging low but even when it wasn’t still had issues with the system cutting off. Has anyone here ever upgraded there unit and can recommend a brand? I’ve seen some online 400$ but also seen some on here saying the cheaper eBay ones were decent. I found one for a little over 200$. Any direction pointers or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
There's a reason why HO alternators are expensive... You get a cheap ebay HO alt, it might set your car on fire.... Nobody wants that.
I'd look at Singer alternators and see what Mike Singer can do for you....
I personally purchased a Mechman 240a alternator... I have it hooked up to the singer alts voltage boost mod... But i purchased the alternator before knowing about singer alternators.
So if either company makes it for you, definitely jump on it... And you're better off purchasing the voltage boost mod also! Otherwise you'll sit well below 13.5V.
At idle (AC on) I'm getting 14.4-14.9V (cold starts) and warmed up i sit at 14.0-14.2V. No CELs, no battery lights.
There's a reason why HO alternators are expensive... You get a cheap ebay HO alt, it might set your car on fire.... Nobody wants that.
I'd look at Singer alternators and see what Mike Singer can do for you....
I personally purchased a Mechman 240a alternator... I have it hooked up to the singer alts voltage boost mod... But i purchased the alternator before knowing about singer alternators.
So if either company makes it for you, definitely jump on it... And you're better off purchasing the voltage boost mod also! Otherwise you'll sit well below 13.5V.
At idle (AC on) I'm getting 14.4-14.9V (cold starts) and warmed up i sit at 14.0-14.2V. No CELs, no battery lights.
what you mean the vintage boost mod??? And really car on fire now you kinda made my heart skip a beat lol. I seen the mech but also they say i need a 1 inch shorter belt where am i supposed to find this lol. Also some people here in my area talking about rebuild and upgrading my stock one. I'm gonna be pushing next a 6k for the bass and still keep the 3.5 for bids and highs other than that no other drawing electronics
what you mean the vintage boost mod??? And really car on fire now you kinda made my heart skip a beat lol. I seen the mech but also they say i need a 1 inch shorter belt where am i supposed to find this lol. Also some people here in my area talking about rebuild and upgrading my stock one. I'm gonna be pushing next a 6k for the bass and still keep the 3.5 for bids and highs other than that no other drawing electronics
Voltage boost mod boosts our voltage from 13.4-13.8 (depending on the car cold start or warmed up), to 14.0-14.9 (depending on if it's really cold out, or it's warmed up).
Our cars voltage rests in the lower to mid 13V range... So the boost mod boosts it up so you get a little bit higher voltage. Amplifiers like it and run more efficient with higher voltages (harsh voltage drops strain your electrical system, your car, and your amplifier also).
You'll definitely need that if you get the mechman alternator.... If you get the Singer alternator it'll already be voltage-boosted from Singer for you (hence the reason why I say if u go with mechman, you'll need to purchase that unit separately from Singer).
If you go mechman, you WILL need a 1in shorter belt, and you'll also need to have AC on full-time, as our idle is too low and the alternator is only outputting maybe 13.0-13.3V.
To get a 1in shorter belt, you'll go to the autoparts store, have them measure your OEM size, and measure a belt that is 1in shorter than your OEM.
If you don't want to do this, and you want a pretty decent belt anyway. I recommend the Continental Elite Poly-V belts (they took over Goodyear Gatorbelts). They're known to grip pretty well and are recommended by many people when I looked it up:
Find your part.... For a 2007 GS350, it is 4070609, it is a 60.9in belt, you'll want a 59.9in belt. So it would be 4070599, but since they don't carry that... The closest part # to that is 4070579, which is 57.9in... That is 3 inches shorter... I don't know if it'll 100% fit, as I have a GS430. Once again, this is for a GS350. If you have any other GS, it will all be different so CROSS REFERENCE....
If you are confused PM me, and let me know what you need, what year car, and what model. I'll try my best to help you out. To push a 6k properly, a 250a alt is not enough... You'll need batteries on reserve for sure...
Check that to see how many batteries you'll need. From what I see, you'll probably need 4 of the XP3000 in parallel (it'll get expensive).
Also note, our cars have a regulator for the alternator, so going potatomon's route might not work. I'd go even as far as saying it will NOT work for your application. As the difference between cross-referenced OEM alternators are only in the 30a MAX range.... So if your OEM is 140a (for example), the MOST you'll find is 170a that's compatible (if there are any).
I only see you going aftermarket route like Mechman, or Singer.
Voltage boost mod boosts our voltage from 13.4-13.8 (depending on the car cold start or warmed up), to 14.0-14.9 (depending on if it's really cold out, or it's warmed up).
Our cars voltage rests in the lower to mid 13V range... So the boost mod boosts it up so you get a little bit higher voltage. Amplifiers like it and run more efficient with higher voltages (harsh voltage drops strain your electrical system, your car, and your amplifier also).
You'll definitely need that if you get the mechman alternator.... If you get the Singer alternator it'll already be voltage-boosted from Singer for you (hence the reason why I say if u go with mechman, you'll need to purchase that unit separately from Singer).
If you go mechman, you WILL need a 1in shorter belt, and you'll also need to have AC on full-time, as our idle is too low and the alternator is only outputting maybe 13.0-13.3V.
To get a 1in shorter belt, you'll go to the autoparts store, have them measure your OEM size, and measure a belt that is 1in shorter than your OEM.
If you don't want to do this, and you want a pretty decent belt anyway. I recommend the Continental Elite Poly-V belts (they took over Goodyear Gatorbelts). They're known to grip pretty well and are recommended by many people when I looked it up:
Find your part.... For a 2007 GS350, it is 4070609, it is a 60.9in belt, you'll want a 59.9in belt. So it would be 4070599, but since they don't carry that... The closest part # to that is 4070579, which is 57.9in... That is 3 inches shorter... I don't know if it'll 100% fit, as I have a GS430. Once again, this is for a GS350. If you have any other GS, it will all be different so CROSS REFERENCE....
If you are confused PM me, and let me know what you need, what year car, and what model. I'll try my best to help you out. To push a 6k properly, a 250a alt is not enough... You'll need batteries on reserve for sure...
Check that to see how many batteries you'll need. From what I see, you'll probably need 4 of the XP3000 in parallel (it'll get expensive).
Also note, our cars have a regulator for the alternator, so going potatomon's route might not work. I'd go even as far as saying it will NOT work for your application. As the difference between cross-referenced OEM alternators are only in the 30a MAX range.... So if your OEM is 140a (for example), the MOST you'll find is 170a that's compatible (if there are any).
I only see you going aftermarket route like Mechman, or Singer.
GL!
OKOK lol that alot of great info a little confusing but I so greatly appreciate the help!!! I probably will PM send u my number if that's ok I do have questions. My lexy just sitting right now dont even wanna really drive her. On another note I am running a kinetic battery upfront at least so itll bang for sec before she cuts out lol
Hello guys. I'd like to give my 2 cents on aftermarket alternators. Currently I have 2 cars (2008 SC430 and 2005 Gs430). Both cars have large stereo systems. The SC has 5 US Amps amplifiers and the GS has 4 Alpine amplifiers. BOTH cars still have the factory alternators. While I don't disagree that depending on the system size you may need to upgrade your alternator, personally I feel that it should not be the first upgrade that I would do.
The first upgrade that I would do is what most people commonly know as "The Big 3". You can watch you tube videos on how to do this. But basically you're upgrading your factory power and ground cables which I believe are 8 gauge to a large gauge wire. In my case I upgraded to 1/0 cables for the power and ground. I even took it one step further and ran a 1/0 gauge wire from the negative terminal of the front battery all the way to the battery that is in the back of my car. I did this same procedure for both vehicles. Both vehicles have AGM batteries. The SC has Stinger and the GS has XS batteries. I still use the chassis for ground in the trunk but in my experience with larger systems the chassis ground is not enough. Don't forget to ground all of your stereo components at the same location to avoid alternator whine.
Now back to aftermarket alternators. I wish I could say that my experience with them was good but it was not. Several years ago, around 2004, I had a 98 LS400. I had a rather large stereo system back then too. At the time I had 5 PPI aka Precision Power PC series amplifiers. I purchased a 250 amp mechman alternator for my stereo install. I did the install myself and enjoyed approximately 1.5 years of trouble free service. Until one day I was left stranded about 20 miles from home. The alternator took a dump on me and I did not realize this until my battery died causing my car to shut down on my way to my girlfriend's apartment. Needless to say I never made it and had to have my LS towed back home. I reinstalled the factory alternator and shipped the alternator back to mechman for repair. I was told that the diodes in the alternator failed and that it would be repaired at no charge. Two weeks later I received the repaired alternator back and proceed to install it again. This time approximately two years later I found myself removing the alternator yet again to have it repaired. Not wanting to wait two weeks to receive a repaired alternator that I'm sure I would have to pay for I went to my local alternator shop and had them repair the alternator. This time the bearings were bad and needed to be replaced. So I had them replace the bearings and later sold it on eBay.
Do you know what difference I noticed those times I was jamming to my stereo when the factory alternator was installed??? NONE....I did not notice any difference in the performance of my stereo system. Perhaps it was because the amps I was using had regulated power supplies (in other words, they made the same power regardless of voltage). Or perhaps it was because of "The Big 3" electrical upgrade I made to my car. Or perhaps every time I made it home I'd put my car on a battery charge set to 3 amps to recharge the battery. I am aware that my factory alternator is not sufficient to power larger stereo systems for long periods of time. However what I have experienced is that as long as you have done the Big 3, have multiple batteries in your set up and you recharge your batteries when you return home, your factory alternator will be enough to run your stereo system while driving. Fyi, I do not experience any headlight dimming while driving but then all of my cars had HIDs.
I have measured the battery voltage drop while my system is on full tilt and I have seen the dips into the high 11s while everything is on and the car is idle. I'm also not the type who tries to force the people in the car next to me to hear my music either. I designed the system for my enjoyment and am respectful of other driver while I'm at a stop light. Music is dynamic so even if you have a 4000 watt system it is unlikely you will be pulling the kind of amperage needed to completely drain your batteries (unless you like listening to test tones at loud volumes). My sub amp (US Amps AX-DE3000) in my SC is rated at 3000 watts RMS alone and the sub amp (Alpine MRX-M240) in my GS is rated at 2400 watts RMS. My SC has 84k+ miles on it and my GS has 308k+ miles on it. Both vehicles have the original factory alternator. Although my experience with the mechman alternator was poor, I am not bashing on the guy or his company. My experience was unique and the guy did provide some wonderful service. But I seriously doubt any aftermarket alternator can make it 300k+ miles. Please let me know if you have one that has that many miles or close to it. So unless you're going with a really massive stereo system, like 6k+ watts and/or your competing in SPL competitions, you will be fine with doing the Big 3 wire upgrade, running 1/0 gauge wire or larger from the front
negative battery terminal to the back of your car, and putting your car on a battery charger after each drive. This is what has worked for me over the years.
I did the install for both vehicles myself so please excuse the wiring mess in my GS. I will be changing out the current subwoofers (Alpine Type R 15s) in my GS to Image Dynamics IDMax 15s and will need to remove all of the amps to do the swap. So I did not clean up the wires like I normally do. But at the time of the pics everything works and the sound is amazing. Better than when these subs were in a sealed enclosure. Btw, the sub configuration in my GS is an infinite baffle just in case anyone was curious. So yes, it is possible to do two 15s in an infinite baffle configuration without cutting up the rear deck.
Hello guys. I'd like to give my 2 cents on aftermarket alternators. Currently I have 2 cars (2008 SC430 and 2005 Gs430). Both cars have large stereo systems. The SC has 5 US Amps amplifiers and the GS has 4 Alpine amplifiers. BOTH cars still have the factory alternators. While I don't disagree that depending on the system size you may need to upgrade your alternator, personally I feel that it should not be the first upgrade that I would do.
The first upgrade that I would do is what most people commonly know as "The Big 3". You can watch you tube videos on how to do this. But basically you're upgrading your factory power and ground cables which I believe are 8 gauge to a large gauge wire. In my case I upgraded to 1/0 cables for the power and ground. I even took it one step further and ran a 1/0 gauge wire from the negative terminal of the front battery all the way to the battery that is in the back of my car. I did this same procedure for both vehicles. Both vehicles have AGM batteries. The SC has Stinger and the GS has XS batteries. I still use the chassis for ground in the trunk but in my experience with larger systems the chassis ground is not enough. Don't forget to ground all of your stereo components at the same location to avoid alternator whine.
Now back to aftermarket alternators. I wish I could say that my experience with them was good but it was not. Several years ago, around 2004, I had a 98 LS400. I had a rather large stereo system back then too. At the time I had 5 PPI aka Precision Power PC series amplifiers. I purchased a 250 amp mechman alternator for my stereo install. I did the install myself and enjoyed approximately 1.5 years of trouble free service. Until one day I was left stranded about 20 miles from home. The alternator took a dump on me and I did not realize this until my battery died causing my car to shut down on my way to my girlfriend's apartment. Needless to say I never made it and had to have my LS towed back home. I reinstalled the factory alternator and shipped the alternator back to mechman for repair. I was told that the diodes in the alternator failed and that it would be repaired at no charge. Two weeks later I received the repaired alternator back and proceed to install it again. This time approximately two years later I found myself removing the alternator yet again to have it repaired. Not wanting to wait two weeks to receive a repaired alternator that I'm sure I would have to pay for I went to my local alternator shop and had them repair the alternator. This time the bearings were bad and needed to be replaced. So I had them replace the bearings and later sold it on eBay.
Do you know what difference I noticed those times I was jamming to my stereo when the factory alternator was installed??? NONE....I did not notice any difference in the performance of my stereo system. Perhaps it was because the amps I was using had regulated power supplies (in other words, they made the same power regardless of voltage). Or perhaps it was because of "The Big 3" electrical upgrade I made to my car. Or perhaps every time I made it home I'd put my car on a battery charge set to 3 amps to recharge the battery. I am aware that my factory alternator is not sufficient to power larger stereo systems for long periods of time. However what I have experienced is that as long as you have done the Big 3, have multiple batteries in your set up and you recharge your batteries when you return home, your factory alternator will be enough to run your stereo system while driving. Fyi, I do not experience any headlight dimming while driving but then all of my cars had HIDs.
I have measured the battery voltage drop while my system is on full tilt and I have seen the dips into the high 11s while everything is on and the car is idle. I'm also not the type who tries to force the people in the car next to me to hear my music either. I designed the system for my enjoyment and am respectful of other driver while I'm at a stop light. Music is dynamic so even if you have a 4000 watt system it is unlikely you will be pulling the kind of amperage needed to completely drain your batteries (unless you like listening to test tones at loud volumes). My sub amp (US Amps AX-DE3000) in my SC is rated at 3000 watts RMS alone and the sub amp (Alpine MRX-M240) in my GS is rated at 2400 watts RMS. My SC has 84k+ miles on it and my GS has 308k+ miles on it. Both vehicles have the original factory alternator. Although my experience with the mechman alternator was poor, I am not bashing on the guy or his company. My experience was unique and the guy did provide some wonderful service. But I seriously doubt any aftermarket alternator can make it 300k+ miles. Please let me know if you have one that has that many miles or close to it. So unless you're going with a really massive stereo system, like 6k+ watts and/or your competing in SPL competitions, you will be fine with doing the Big 3 wire upgrade, running 1/0 gauge wire or larger from the front negative battery terminal to the back of your car, and putting your car on a battery charger after each drive. This is what has worked for me over the years.
First off, I'd like to say, that you did a great job on the install! It's very intricate work.
Technology has come a long time since you've last messed with HO alts (from Mechman included). I've done the "Big 3" upgrade, and it yielded minimal, if any, power gains. I definitely agree with you, that chassis ground is DEFINITELY not enough, especially if you're tapping it off of the trunk. This is because welds back there are tap welded, and it is not connected to the frame of the vehicle.
From personal experience, I've always found, that the best way to find the best means of ground routing, is to take a 1/0 wire, connect it to the ground terminal, and take a multimeter (can't use cheap ones in thsi case), and go around the trunk area and find the spot with the least resistance. This has worked for myself over the years.
As for the mechman repairs, it sounds so unfortunate that you have to deal with that issue, I've had mine's for years now, with no issues, I run ~3kw RMS on the daily (+ approx 100a from the air suspension system for the first 45s every startup).
I get almost ZERO voltage drop while this is happening. I also have music cranked up while this is going and still have near zero voltage drop (i say about .1-.2 volt drop on startup). I've found that, even though mechman probably never told you this, you needed a voltage boost mod.
I got mine's from Mike Singer and I couldn't be happier, he was quick on the response and he was VERY helpful. I would DEFINITELY hit him up if you have a system that requires a little higher voltage boost in it. The reason why you noticed zero difference in performance is, because once again, you didn't get a voltage boost mod done. The reason why I say this is because (unless you purchased the one from Mechman, which also gives you a CEL battery warning), our cars regulate the voltage levels of the alternator, and if you mess with it, it will set off a CEL. The voltage booster that was invented from Mike singer (with years of research, when i last checked) is specifically designed for our cars.....
I will DEFINITELY tell you, I felt ZERO difference, and was TRULY dissapointed when I first got my mechman, until last year or the year before I made the purchase... It was literally NIGHT and DAY difference.
You're right about the HIDs being the way they are, as the lower the voltage gets, the ballast still is able to regulate power... So instead of drawing voltage, it replaces it with a higher current, so say for example, 12V @ 2.0A..... say the voltage dipped to 10V, it will draw current at 2,4A.
This is the exact same concept your amplifier is using (if they have regulated power supplies). Hope it sheds some insight for you .
Like you've said, to each their own. The reason why I recc Mechman, is because they have ready-to-build alts ready to be built for our cars.... (at least for the 3uz motors). They're what i've worked with personally, so it is currently what I can recommend.
I can definitely say, before the voltage mod, I was getting high 11 voltage ranges... But I now rest at 14.0+, at full tilt, compressors on 100%!
However, that mechman sure does get whiney! I hope mine's seriously doesn't fail prematurely like yours (GL to me!).
P.S. If you're willing to give it another chance, I'd TOTALLY recommend you give HO alts another try.... could give room for you to build even bigger, and possibly help you cut out a charger a bit more.... PM me if you're interested! I'd be more than happy to show you video/photo proof at startup!
Thanks for the great info guys.... My car is an 01 GS4 with the 3UZ. So my alternator (I think) finally failed...unless my car somehow has developed a ground-issue or wiring issue. My little battery jumper (Stanley FatMax 1000a) is saying the car's alt is bad/not charging. I'm going to be installing air ride (with a BIG compressor, maybe even two) along with my Rockford X-Type XC7 amp - 1500w continously (@ 2-ohm) which is going to draw an additional 80amps or so, on TOP of the compressors! (although I won't be running both simultaneously very often, I'm sure).... So looking at the 200 and 250a alts on ebay from this seller: https://www.ebay.com/itm/250-Amp-137...ox!15106!US!-1 Their feedback is 100%, which is superb. Not sure what to do, other than the BIG 3, for sure... and that Singer alternator sounds like the best option (even though, I'm sure it's quite pricey...maybe even more than the Mechman for our cars?) I like that it has the higher voltage mod built-in to it...will it cause the CEL light to come on though? I need to check out the Singler alternators, and the OEM alternators... compared to maybe "just" the 200a option on Ebay (which is only $150, shipped)--- https://www.ebay.com/itm/200-Amp-137...ox!15106!US!-1 Not sure what to order. If anybody can shed some light- I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much...
Here's the specs on the amp I plan on using. (in addition the oem Mark Lev amp)... Are "sine waves" BASS NOTES (like at a competition?) 140a! Jeeezz.
Singer alts should range between $250-350. I believe my Mechman was about the same price. I would NOT recc that ebay alt....
You have to remember, once you submit feedback, that is IT, no one goes back to complain a few months later. You also have to note, that when people send feedback to sellers, they give feedback to the transaction most likely, not the product itself, ,so don't gauge your decisions off of the ebay feedback too too much.
installing SINGER'S voltage booster mod will not set off CELs, installing Mechman's voltage booster (I don't know if they've made one for our cars like Mike Singer has) will cause a CEL.
Seriously take it into consideration.... If Singer, Mechman, Stinger, and other various companies can make super high output alternators at a lower price point, you think they wouldn't? I definitely would.... Because the amount of alternators I can push out at a lower price point would negate sales of selling it at a higher price point. I'm MOST MOST certain.... that there's a few situations.... Either
A) They squeezed every last ounce of juice into these alternators, and most likely, later on down the line it will light your car on FIRE (not a joke).
B) False advertising.... says it's 200/250/350A, but in reality, it's only like 140A or whatever the stock alternator produces.
Let's stop looking into these EBAY alternators guys, i really don't want you to set the precious cars on fire.... I'm trying to prevent people from hurting themselves here!
10-20-18, 11:18 PM
Alternator upgrade?? Gs300
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