gromit615

Greetings to all who read this. I just got my '08 xB a week ago and I am scheduled to have my stereo "reinstalled" this coming Monday, January 21, 2008. My question is with regard to power output, strain, potential dangers, etc. I know there is a wealth of info on this site, and I would search it all if time was not such a factor . Since I will be searching for answers/insight throughout Sunday, all responses are welcomed.
My installer has some concerns about "current draw" from the amplifiers that I own. His concern is that the xB will have issues with the amount of amperage and may possibly hinder the vehicle's ability to function properly . I have done many installs with this set-up and have had zero problems , but since the xB is a smaller vehicle than those I have had, he raised the concern and is reluctant about putting all of the subs and amps in the vehicle . Here are the facts:

Three JL Audio 12w6
One JL Audio 1000/1
One JL Audio 450/4

I have had this in an '05 4 Runner, an '06 Rav4, and an '06 Mazda 3 with no problems.

Given your experiences, will the current stock alternator feel an enormous amount of strain and potentially keel over? With that in mind, what is the current amperage of the stock '08 alternator? Anyone know?
Any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated . Thanks in advance and snaps for the site.

HareBrained

Why are you worried? The solution is to buy a bigger alternator. Either you do it now, or you do it when you realize the stock one is not enough. What's the diff? You could probably get an OEM one from a 4Runner or Rav4 and it would fit. You know those work. You're not going to fry any electronics or the battery. As an intermediate step, you could put in a cap before the 1000/1. I have a NIB Monster Cap (1F) that would work.

Bottom line, it costs nothing to try the stock system. Then fix the problem once it is a problem.

bigpapa

You will probably notice the lights dimming on real deep bass notes. I believe the xB has a 90 amp alternator which doesn't lend itself to big systems. Do yourself a favor and upgrade your alternator before you do anything else like capacitors, Optima battery, etc. In the meantime, you will not harm the vehicle. You just might notice your charging system wincing a bit when you have the stereo on, the climate control on, and the headlights on all at the same time.

xseveredveganx

I'm still on the hunt for a high output alternator...

I've been told it can't be rewound. The amp I have on the way requires a 300amp fuse. It's a little on the large side. :D

HareBrained

Note, the fuse needs to be sized based on the size of the wire, not the device. You may have a 300 amp fuse but that doesn't mean you're amp draws 300 amps. It just means that it won't fault with that much current. A dead short can draw thousands of amps but only for a short time. Faulty components can cause long time current draws, but then your amp isn't protected against that type fault. If you're using 8 gauge wire with a 300 amp fuse, your wire may catch on fire before the fuse blows. You better have 1/0 or large wire with that fuse.

xseveredveganx

This is true, but it's a 3000watt RMS amplifier... http://www.sundownaudio.com/pp3000d.html
I already have a + run of 1/0 going back! But I'm sure I'll need more juice than a stock battery, a Kinetik HC1800, and a stock alternator that pumps out 100amps max.

sho0b0x

good lord, who spends 1 grand on a amp!

xseveredveganx

*points at self frantically*

I actually purchased it slightly used by a well known competitor whom used it for maybe 20 minutes for testing and installed by the owner of Sundown himself. And in that time of testing, he stated he got 5000ish watts out of each one with 14 volts of electrical. :D

And since it was barely used I got it for a much better price than MSRP.

chadfo

Someone who likes really loud music! Sometimes it's just not as good unless you can feel what you hear.

gromit615

Thanks for the responses all...
So I had the 3 JL 12w6s installed on Monday with the JL 1000/1 and the JL 450/4. So far, I have not had any problems to speak of *knocks on wood*. Of course, I have yet to test the system to its max capability, but slowly I will do so. Thank you for all of the input. If there are any problems that I see, I will be sure to let you all know of them so you can be on the lookout in the future.
Sounds great by the way

jimmbomb

Where's the pictures, gromit??????... jh

PureAzn

What kind of speakers are you running off the 450/4? I'm running the 500/1 (13Kv.2 w/ custom XB2 enclosure from eD) and 300/4 (Polk momo component fronts/coax rears). I always use a cap just in case - in this instance I went w/ the 5farad for amusement since I got it for just over $100.

Running that much power in any vehicle I'm baffled as to why you wouldn't run a cap to protect it and/or the vehicle...

xseveredveganx

This is why I don't run a capacitor. An extra battery or a little Kinetik HC800 is a lot better than a capacitor.

Just a little reading for you guys!

PureAzn

I see that, but I also see the counterpoint from a proclaimed EE diffusing most of the logic spouted in the first 5 pages of condescending posting - did you read through to that? The original author - I don't care how good he is - sounds arrogant beyond arrogant, especially since he's talking in pure theory and a bubble-environment, which is hardly the case with a car. In theory, everything works...

For the record, for most of us not trying to go deaf, a cap has yet - to my knowledge/readings/scourings on the internet - failed to solve the worry/problem at hand with dimming lights/excessive draw/etc.

xseveredveganx

Doing the big 3 is also a good idea to help stablize voltage. Surprisingly, it does quite a bit. I'd suggest doing the big 3 then see how everything runs. Use a digital multimeter to keep an eye on your voltage while your stereo's up and your headlights are on. If it drops too low, you might want to look into a capacitor if that's what you want to do. If you don't want to do all that wiring, you could just get a larger battery.

uberspeed

Yep. I'm going Big 3 with 4 gauge. IF that doesn't do it then I'm looking into a Kinetic, I believe a HC1800 fits in our engine bay's stock location with no modification needed.

xseveredveganx

For the money, look into the Powermaster D5100R . It's what I've been looking at possibly replacing my stock battery. I suggest this battery over the HC1800 because it has reversed battery terminals. With the reversed terminals, it'll slide right into stock location!

uberspeed

Never heard of them, are they highly regarded?