Nbs...dimming Lights With Added Amp(s)?

[Jnk]

Guys I recently had a jl 500/1 amp installed along with 2 10w3v3's. Everything seems normal and sounds fine except for the dimming lights in my NBS sierra. Do any of you with stereo upgrades have this problem? The dimming seems a bit much for only a 500wrms amp and I still need to add another for a set of components. When the install was done I went ahead and had them run wiring for two amps so I have 2ga running to the back wall to a distro block,properly fused,etc. Is something possibly wrong or am I just in need of a "big 3" wiring upgrade?

[whoseanthony]

do yu mean the lights are dimming when the system is running?

 

You should add a capacitor. It sits between the battery and the amp. It is like adding a 2nd battery and will stop your lights from dimming and cycling your battery dead. The reason your lights dim is because the alternator isn't giving enough power so it is drawing power straight from the battery and the battery cant recover that power as quick as it is giving it out. Add a 1 farad cap for about $100 and save your self from future head aches. or you could always do the big 3 upgrade!

[Jnk]

I was thinking about getting a cap but might as well do the big 3 as well while I'm at it. Its a little discouraging being that the amp isnt that big and the alts in these trucks are of decent size. Similar setups in obs chevys havent done this as bad as my 07,oh well. Thanks for the tip.

[pentavolvo]

Ok my buddy has an 07 Silveradio without the extra battery. We just put in 110x4rms 4 channel and 450rms sub amp. Has no light dimming what so ever. Where did they hook up to your battery, directly at the battery, at the fuse box, etc. This can make a huge difference. If they tapped in at the fuse box this could be why you ahve dimming. We went directly to the battery.

[Jnk]

The power is coming directly from the battery with the fuse no more than 8 inches away and this was installed at a reputable shop that has been in business for a long time. If an amp is faulty in any way can it cause this? Could a weak battery cause dimming despite the work load being on the alt when the truck is on? Thanks for the reply,hopefully other people chime in as well.

[Dyabolical]

CAPACITORS ARE ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS AND ARE A MARKETING GIMMICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Caps are like the infamous "Tornado" thingy you put in the intake to "increase horsepower and MPG"..... Caps are a half ass fix to something that requires only a small amount of thought.

 

A "big 3" upgrade will definitely help. But to make it simple work your way up. Start with upgrading the battery to chassis ground. If that doesn't fix it, then block to chassis ground, then alternator to battery hot.

 

Also, the type of battery can create problems. Consider checking into solid batteries like Kinetik or Optima, Northstar is an option if you want to spend the cash on a battery that will last a good 20 years.

[Jnk]

I will probably get all wiring upgraded at once and look into a new battery. I think the battery might not be as good as it should considering its only had a year or so of use. Even though the whole setup is coming together a piece at a time, I want to make sure it is done right. Thanks for the replys.

[pentavolvo]

Look into the big3 and maybe a new battery. Like i said my buddies truckw ith 450rms to sub and 111x4rms for speakers doesnt dim at all

[Dyabolical]

If all else fails and the lights still dim...and it bothers you that much, look into a better alternator. GM alts tend to lack in output.

[Jnk]

Penta, your post kinda gets me depressed because it seems your buddy is running a decent amount of power w/no dimming. I will look into getting the issue resolved before adding another amp. Thanks

[Dyabolical]

Other things that can cause dimming would be grounding to a bad location, also the awg of the wire used. Also be sure that the hot and ground cables are the same awg. Some shops will try to cheap out and use a smaller awg of ground, and justify it by saying it is a shorter distance and thus less surface area is needed.

[pentavolvo]

Other things that can cause dimming would be grounding to a bad location, also the awg of the wire used. Also be sure that the hot and ground cables are the same awg. Some shops will try to cheap out and use a smaller awg of ground, and justify it by saying it is a shorter distance and thus less surface area is needed.

 

true but generally this will hurt the amps due to voltage drop but you really wouldnt see any light dimming IMO.

 

I would look into the BIG3 it will help alot. The same kid has an 00 Camaro SS stock alternator, with an autozone battery in it thats liek 2 years old. Elemental Designs Nine1 runnin at 1200rms and a big kicker 4 channel its around 150x4 rms. The nine1 is deff running full tilt and the kicker 4channel is prly not being ran quite as hard. Did the big 3 in 4ga no light dimming at all

[AthensGaZO6]

you need to do the Big 3. I run the same amp(500.1) on 2 11kv2s and a 300.2 my comps with a 1 farad cap(waste of money IMHO) and my lights dim like crazy when I crank it. I will be doing BIG 3 as soon as it warms up some.

[Jnk]

Athens, thanks for the reply. I'm glad to see that my truck is not the only one to have this problem. I will try to get the big 3 done this weekend and post the results. Off subject, how do you like those ed's? I was going to run a pair off a nine.5 until I changed my mind. They have those amps set at a really nice price now.

[thecraft]

CAPACITORS ARE ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS AND ARE A MARKETING GIMMICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Caps are like the infamous "Tornado" thingy you put in the intake to "increase horsepower and MPG"..... Caps are a half ass fix to something that requires only a small amount of thought.

 

You couldn't have said it better. A cap is just an extra burden on the charging system, completely useless...