DIM

[lonestar22]

my lights hav always dimed when i start the car and roll up the windows and lock the doors or turn anything on. and now wit my 600watt amp by taillights and headlights kinda dim with the bass. u cant tell when ur driving but one day i was in the parking lot at nite and my system was on and i could see it happening. i had the car running and probably wouldve drained the batter if it wasnt on. my question is, is there a battery powerful enough to not dim anythin on my lant ecept maybe starting it. it makes me feel like my battery is weak. will an Optima cure this

[SinSere]

An Optima will help a little bit, but not much. the main reason for the Optima is to be able to discharge your battery fully and re-charge without frying it. The reason your lights dim is because the draw from your amp is more than your alternator can produce. When you're driving your alternator puts out more amps than when idle, a lot more. So whenever you're stopped at a light and bumpin, your lights will dim and flicker and anything else that is electrical too. The Optima will help a little bit because it is designed for high draw systems. Your best bet is a second battery in the trunk or a HO alternator. The alternator will cost some bills and your 600W amp shouldn't be enough to justify getting one. Your best bet is to updgrade your stock battery with an Optima and see if that helps. If not, then I would go with a second one in the trunk which I know will fix the dimming problem.

[JJSki78]

The cheapest solution would be to put a capacitor in. At least one farad. I have a 1600 watt and an 800 watt amp in my G and with a one farad cap I have no dimming problems. And it's a hell of a lot cheaper and less complicated to install than a second battery.

[Djayfusion99_es_v6]

yeah i just bought my cap yesterday installed it today and yesss!!! no more dimming problems and im running a 2200watt amp and one 400watt amp my cap is a 5 farad cap

[Krackin]

Yup...gotta recommend a capacitor on this one.

Here's what Crutchfield has to say about it:

If you want more power than your alternator can service, you will have to consider having your alternator rebuilt for higher output — or invest in a high-output aftermarket alternator. (Sorry, we can't help you with this.) Installing a second battery won't help — that only allows you to play your stereo for long periods with the engine off. But, remember that any system playing at one-third volume is drawing considerably less current than the same system at three-quarter volume, and may not need a charging system upgrade if the volume levels are kept reasonable.

If your system needs more current than the alternator can supply, it starts to grab current from the battery — not a good thing for your car or your music! Here are a couple of warning signs to look for:

your headlights dim in time to the music when you crank it up loud at night;
your bass sounds great when you first turn it on, but gets mushy and less powerful within a minute or so.

One easy, effective solution is installing a capacitor. Heavy-duty capacitors connect to the power cable (just before it reaches your amplifier) and act as a buffer zone between your amp and your car's electrical system. They store up a reservoir of power which can supply the amplifier's peak demands (like a kick drum beat) without having to pull current from the battery.

[lonestar22]

thanx guys thats a big help. i think im going to just add another battery but will i hav to get a Optima. there soooo expeeensive. could i just get a regular battery or would it die from gonig down and up alot. also how does the rear battery recharge do u hav to hook it to ur altenator also?