Red Top Batteries

Ok, I have my stock Aveo with the upgraded stereo system. I have a Pioneer DEH-P5800MP with a Sirius SIR-PNR2 hooked up to a Pioneer Mono Amp @ 800W running 2 Pioneer Dual Voice Coil Subs hooked together in Series, i believe.

I realize that both my interior lights and exterior lights dim with every bass hit, and I would like to just upgrade my battery. What do you all think of the Red Top batteries? Will it help with the extra demand?

Pedro

[khan4rtist]

you could also get a capacitor, which is like a baby car battery, and your lights shouldnt dim.

[aveosummit]

Khan you are correct, in my opinion, you would do better getting a batcap or alumapro capacitor, they are the best. If you want to upgrade your battery go with a kinetic.. or similar.

[mtlswift]

Cap and a yellow top

[kirko]

The battery will not help with light dimming. Really, the only thing red tops are good for is CCA (cold cranking amps), and the fact that they are solid state.

I can help better if i know these things...

What gauge wire are you running?
What amp/sub are you running?
Where did you ground the amplifier?

I had wondered about the caps, but I have no idea how to wire them in. I know it makes it hit there before it grabs from the battery. Aside the audio system, what other advantages do the Red/Yellow top batteries have over the stock batteries?

To answer your questions Kirko, I BELIEVE its a 4 gauge wire running from the battery to the rear. I have a Pioneer TS-GM7200M 800W Mono Amp and its grounded right in the rear spare tire well. We sanded a little to get the paint off of a small part in the spare tire well, drilled a hole with a screw and connected the ground there.

If I were to go Capacitor, (and this might be changing the subject), but what would I look for?

[aveosummit]

With a capacitor you are looking for the amount of storage capacity (usually a safe bet is .5 farad per 500 watts of power, ie 2000Watt system = 2 farad capacitor) and how long it takes to discharge and recharge.

[ontarian_frog]

Connect it between the battery and the amp.

[kirko]

Capacitors REAL purpose, is to keep voltage in a time of heavy bass, like continous thumps or long drawn out bass... It keeps the music loud instead of sorta losing voltage and fading out. If you are getting dimming lights a lot, then a cap will not fix your issue...

You should have the same 4ga wire as the ground wire also. And i would ground that somewhere else. That will more than likely fix your issue. ANd as an installer, if you brought your car to my work, it is the FIRST thing i would do... You are talking about going through thin sheet metal, you need to ground to the frame. In my aveo, i grounded my amp to the rear seat belt bolt with a ring terminal. This is where i would start seeing as its extremely cheap to fix. Capacitors, in my time at circuit city for 4 years, and now at GM, dont really help all that much. Its more of a placebo. Its the amp draw, not voltage, that makes your lights dim, and therefore, really is in direct relation of your alternator and power wires, not the battery or a cap.

If your amplifier cannot rid itself of the voltage through the ground as fast as the power, the lights will dim, plain and simple.

Let me know how it goes, and if i can help with anything let me know.

[Nemasys]

Capacitors REAL purpose, is to keep voltage in a time of heavy bass, like continous thumps or long drawn out bass... It keeps the music loud instead of sorta losing voltage and fading out. If you are getting dimming lights a lot, then a cap will not fix your issue...

You should have the same 4ga wire as the ground wire also. And i would ground that somewhere else. That will more than likely fix your issue. ANd as an installer, if you brought your car to my work, it is the FIRST thing i would do... You are talking about going through thin sheet metal, you need to ground to the frame. In my aveo, i grounded my amp to the rear seat belt bolt with a ring terminal. This is where i would start seeing as its extremely cheap to fix. Capacitors, in my time at circuit city for 4 years, and now at GM, dont really help all that much. Its more of a placebo. Its the amp draw, not voltage, that makes your lights dim, and therefore, really is in direct relation of your alternator and power wires, not the battery or a cap.

If your amplifier cannot rid itself of the voltage through the ground as fast as the power, the lights will dim, plain and simple.

Let me know how it goes, and if i can help with anything let me know.

Nice reply, very informative man, i have that same problem with the lights dimming but it dont really bother me, ill try grounding the amp somewhere else to see the results. Thanks