Will I need to buy a better alternator and deep cycle battery for by 1000 watt RMS car audio system?

Question

I drive a 2001 Civic Coupe EX and I am very sure that the alternator is less than 50 amps. The Audio-Calc.xls sheet and other sources say that I could kill my battery and/or have amp failure with this system?

I'm planning on doing the Big 3 upgrade and buying a 1 Farad Capacitor but iono if I should buy a High Output Alternator and a Deep Cycle Battery.

Would it be safe to test it out to see if it works? What can I do to check for problems other than watching for dimming lights?

I plan on putting two 10" L7's in my car rated at 600 watt RMS each with a 1000 watt RMS amp and not destory me car.

WILL I BE SUCCESSFUL?

Answer 1

Sounds like it will be a killer system.  I would definitely go with a high-output alternator because even with the capacitor, it is going to kill your alternator.  Other than that you should be okay.

There are places that will rebuild your alternator and put several more turns on it.  I had one that went from 95 amps to 170 amps..... running it will 1200 watt system with a 2 farad capacitor.  It ran around 500 rms, but no problems with the lights or dimming of the dash..... alternator is the way to go!

Hope this helps~

Answer 2

A Big Three Upgrade is Always good. If you can find somewhere that will rewind your alternator then that would also be preferrable. As for replacing your battery and buying a capacitor, i would recommend replacing your battery with a Kinetik Powercell (www.KinetikPower.com). Its a hybrid battery so you get the best of both worlds with a battery and capacitor. I'm running 3000 watts RMS with a Kinetik in the front of my car and another near the battery. My lights dont dim at all and I can run my stereo without the car on for hours on end.

Answer 3

I am sure that your factory alternator is over 50A but that is still not going to be enough.  If you are planning on running 1000w RMS then you will need to get a larger alternator, no question about it.  

Just to give you an idea...

If you have a 1000w RMS of output that means you will need 1000/0.8 (80% efficient amp) = 1250w input.  So your car needs to deliver 1250w to your amp to freach full potential.  Now take 1250w / 14.4 volts (running voltage of car) = 87A.  So in order to fully run your system you would need about 87A.  That is even an underestimate because the amp may not even be 80% efficient and the running voltage may not be 14.4 volts.  But it will give you an idea of what you would need.  

Now you know that you need about 87A to run your system.  But that is just your system and does not include what your car needs to run regularly.  So once you factor everything in you will need well over 100A.  

It is always good to have a bigger alternator then you need so get one as big as you can get.  I have heard of alternators that are around 160A for that car.  

The big 3 is a good upgrade to do and a must if you upgrade your alternator.  So I recommend doing that.  Also, it would not be a bad idea to get a deep cycle battery to replace your stock battery.

Don't buy a cap.  It is really not going to help you much and you would be better off saving the money and spending it on an alternator.  A cap will not prevent headlight dimming issues.

You could try to test your system and see if you have problems.  You will have alternator problems in the future, though, if you don't upgrade it now.  If you do this make sure to keep a good eye on the voltage at your amp.  You should have a voltmeter near by so you can know that it is not too low.  If it is too low you could possibly damage your equipment.

Good Luck!!!