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Alt or batt?

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Old 04-23-2011, 09:45 PM
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Default Alt or batt?

When I'm driving, my battery gauge shows close to the 14 mark, but when I come to a stop, it gets very close to the first line. Would this be the alternator or the battery?
Old 04-23-2011, 10:01 PM
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sounds like ur alt... increasing rpm'* is creating more output from ur weak alt.
Old 04-23-2011, 11:02 PM
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Figured it out. My buddy swapped me his optima cause he was selling his car. He said it'd be okay to hook the amp hot to the top post. Even with the amp off, it still messed with it. I took the fuse out and it'* fine. If I grounded it with the top too, would it be okay?
Old 04-24-2011, 08:52 AM
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it would be fine but why would you want to run the ground to the front of the car when you could use a good ground near the amp
Old 04-24-2011, 10:30 AM
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No, I meant a second ground off the battery. The way it'* set up is it uses the side posts for the original + and - of the car. Then, for the amp it uses the top + post. This is whats messing it up. I was wondering if grounding the top post to something(frame?) would work.
Old 04-24-2011, 10:49 AM
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those should be internally connected there should be no difference
Old 04-24-2011, 11:59 AM
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If you are getting alternator whine through the amp, make sure you are using a very short ground wire from the amp directly into the body, make sure your RCA'* are not crossing any power wires, or if they absolutely must they pass at a 90* angle, and if you still have noise, try ground loop isolators on the RCA'*. Some work better than others, so you may have to try more than one.
Old 04-24-2011, 04:43 PM
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I'm not getting any extra noise, just the battery drain, but that stopped when I pulled the big online fuse for the amp hot.
Old 04-24-2011, 04:44 PM
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Meant inline fuse. Darn phone correcting me.
Old 04-25-2011, 06:35 AM
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then theres something wrong with the amp or wire after the inline fuse to the amp. make sure what ever you hooked the remote turn on to turns off for sure and depending were the fuse is it could be rubbing on metal somewhere. i had that happen one of the grommets worked loose and was momentarily draining not all the time.


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