Alternator Upgrade

[chris03cruiser]

Well first off I'd like to say hi, I am new to the forun and i have owned my cruiser since 03 and love every bit of it. But on to the question, I am really into car stereo's and am having a problem with keeping charge during bass surges. Im running the stock alt. and a 5500 max watt amp (3400 RMS) and a 3 farad capaciter (I know need bigger). But i was running a 1500 watt amp and the headlights would dim every time it hit, well i didnt think much of it but my cap has a digital readout on it and when i was tuning the box it hit and the voltage dropped all the way to 11 volts. I know i need another battery and I have a Kinetik 1400 amp on the way but was wondering if any of you think this will solve my problem or just delay it for future probs. Ive been eye balling this one
Dodge Plymouth Neon
its the 200 amp single rectifier........ do you guys think this will work?? They also have one on ebay for 279 thats 190 amp, I wonder if this would be enough?? Oh and which would be better the single rectifier or dual, and why...... whats the diff??

[lakersfan1]

Which amp exactly are you going to be running?

Have you upgraded the grounds to the battery and engine block?

[chris03cruiser]

havent upgraded them yet, but my current amp is the crunch ground pounder 1500D, the new amp is the SPL FX1-5500D

[lakersfan1]

First, I highly doubt that amp puts out near 3400 watts from that small a footprint. Even at 17 volts, I'd doubt it.

Anyways, the alternator on the PT Cruiser is computer controlled. At 120 amps, it's pretty beefy as far as stock alternators go. If you replace the battery with a low-ESR battery like Optima or Exide Orbital ,and you upgrade all the major factory grounds to 4 gauge or larger, and the amplifier wiring is sufficient gauge for the power you're putting down (0 gauge for the power you're trying to bump with) ............. and you're still getting alot of dimming? It's probably the computer's fault, in which case the only thing that might help the problem would be an alternator with a voltage rectifier that you can control without the computer's intervention.