I was wrong

[cujo613]

I was always under the impression that if you are running a high powered system the best thing for it was a High Output alternator. I was soo wrong. What I didn't know (until know fixing the problems with our car) is that HO alternators do not charge the system at idle, irregardless of what the manufacturer says.

We have been chewing up batteries for a while now, about 1 every 6 months. This time I checked the voltage of the battery. 9 volts. Checked the output of the alternator at idle. 9 volts. Now reved it to about 1200 rpm's I got 14.4

So what does this mean. If you are putting in a HO alternator and live in a city and drive a lot of in town stop and go traffic think twice. Every time you are sitting at that light listening to your music and running the air, everything is being ran off the battery. Cycling the battery more than what it was intended to be, killing the battery.

I confirmed this by calling the manufacturer, he said the alternator does not charge at the 500 rpms that a honda idles at. he suggested that I idle the car up to 800. By my tests it should be more like 1200.

Now these alternators do work, but are nor the best solution sometimes to get your system to charge

 

[Matt.]

just get a battery with a nice warranty, that way you'll only have to buy one when the warranty runs out.

 

[civhatch92]

I run a high output alternator on my civic. Mine idles a bit above 800rpm. I've got a volt gauge and it usually always reads about 14volts.

 

[Melt]

you guys must have a serious system cause ive only killed 2 batteries, one was in my old 91 civic with 1 12 so i think it was gonna die regardless cause i wasnt pushing that much juice, and ive killed one so far in my integra .... stock alts on both cars .... i got 2 infitinti 10s in a sealed box with a jbl 500.1 pushing em, no capacitor ... and my speakers run off the deck

 

[steve98ex]

voltage doesn't matter, its amperage

 

[cujo613]

I run a high output alternator on my civic. Mine idles a bit above 800rpm. I've got a volt gauge and it usually always reads about 14volts.

try romoving the battery cable and usaing a multi meter read the actual charging voltage, you may be surprised

 

[EG Hatch]

the altenator itself wont help you that much... the capacitors help or just get a dry cell. but thanks for the heads up. and what do you mean by HO altenator... like amperage wise? i dont see why more amps hurt.