Help, Headlights dim when sub hits

[Shadowkahn]

Actually, the more windings you have in there, the more magnetic resistance there is to rotation - -an alternator has magnets rotating around which generates energy along the windings. More windings = more metal = more magnetic resistance = harder to turn = more power required to turn it.

Now, admittedly it's not MUCH of a power drain, but it's certianly not a power GAIN.

[SkyNex721]

Originally posted by Shadowkahn
Actually, the more windings you have in there, the more magnetic resistance there is to rotation - -an alternator has magnets rotating around which generates energy along the windings. More windings = more metal = more magnetic resistance = harder to turn = more power required to turn it.

Now, admittedly it's not MUCH of a power drain, but it's certianly not a power GAIN.

Damn, you don't know what the hell you are talking about.

There isn't a resistance to rotation. You have to understand how this process works. One way of generating electricity is by cutting the magnetic lines of force (mlof), by a conductor. This is called induction. Now there is a small charge applied to the coils that are in the alternator. Which is called the stator. The rotor is what is in the middle and contains more copper windings. These are the conductors needed to cut the mlof. When the charge is applied to the stator windings, a magnetic field is created. Now the greater the speed at which the conductor cuts the mlof, the more voltage is induced. Basically the faster the rotor turns, the more electricity is created. That's when the voltage regulator comes into play, keeping the amount of current being produced at a constant level. Now in theory since the conductors in the rotor are having voltage induced into them, therefore current is passing through them. This will create an opposing magnetic field. But this is negligible. (too small to make a difference) So it doesn't require more power to turn it.

[Shadowkahn]

the opposing mag. field creates a power drop at the wheels. I didn't say it was gigantic, but it sure as hell isn't a performance gain like that guy way up at the top of the thread was claiming. The whole point here is that putting a higher output alternator on your car won't make it go faster. Otherwise I'd have a hugeassed alternator on my car and be whipping McLarens.

[crxlvr]

what the hell are you guys talking about, alternators have no relation to the speed, HP, or torque of your car, no matter what size it is, it wont affect any of these factors. it keeps your car running by suppling electrical power to various compnents, but your engine is what makes it go faster.

the tighter the windings on the inside of the alt, the more electrical power it will make, not physical power.

[GScivic7]

Originally posted by Melt
ok guys, they started dimming less once I put in the 8ga but they still dim nonetheless. 1 day left on ebay, and then I will have it.

Also, update on the clutch situation, it isnt the clutch, but it is some bearings in the tranny. Probably going to cost about 1k. There goes my savings.

try using 4 gauge wire then, it'll be a lot cheaper to replace the wire again, rather than buying a cap.

[crxlvr]

run 4gauge from the battery into your amps if it fits, if it doesnt fit, then get a distrobution block to switch back into an 8 gauge run, try to keep the smaller guage wire on a short a run as possible, to maximize the power.

[chzdhippt]

Originally posted by crxlvr


thats your problem right there, forget all these caps, change that wire down to at the very least an 8gauge, but id go 4guage into a distributor block, in case your amp doesnt support 4 gauge wire.

I worked as a professional car audio installer for 4 years, and there is a lot of truth to the larger wire with more strands in it making your amp perform better, but the problem is caused because your alternator cannot supply enough current to your amp. True, your amp may sound better with a bigger wire, but this won't solve the lights dimming problem.

You absolutely need to either A) go with a bigger alternator, or B) (my suggestion) go with a 1 FARAD Lightning cap or if you just have a small amp, even a .5 FARAD capacitor would probably do the trick. The capacitor stores energy during lower moments of consumption by the amp, and when the amp requires an instantaneous boost (a big bass hit) it will get it immediately from the cap.

You will be happily suprised if you do this. Go by a stereo dealer and ask them what they think and see if they have one you can demo for a couple days. You will quickly understand.

Expect them to go for between 70-250 dollars. Here is a link that might help, althought with a little searching, you can get them cheaper elsewhere.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-nr7cKKs...arch=capacitor

Kudos!
ChzDhippt

[Shadowkahn]

Alternators do not break the laws of physics. If you could get more electricity from an alternator WITHOUT causing any more power to be taken from the engine then all we'd have to do is hook a Honda engine up to a huge alternator and we could supply the entire world with electricity. This obviously wouldn't work.

If you generate electricity (that's all an alternator does- - generate electricity) then you have to get the power to generate the electricity from somewhere. In the alternator's case, that power comes from the engine.