head lights dimming help plz!!!!!!!

[puppet_1211 10+ year member]

i recently did the big 3 upgrade when i installed my amp the wire i used is kicker silver tinned ofc 4 awg wire the amp im using is a crunch pza2000.1 on 2 kicker cvr 12s i dont have the amp turned up all that much but when the bass hits my lights dim and flicker i got a 136amp stock alt and my truck does not have power windows or locks etc... its just a standard p/u truck i would like to know what i could do to solve the problem the truck is a 2006 dodge ram with the 3.7 ltr v-6 single cab

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[Epic0318 10+ year member]

i would have gone with 0 awg big 3 and maybe a bigger battery. your alt should be fine with that

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

D@mn your getting dimming from 800 watts? something seems off...

 

[Phoenix Risen 10+ year member]

ditch the 4 gauge and get some ofc 1/0. do the big three and the main power run. check and redo your grounds in the 1/0 as well.

also if you dont have one get a dmm/volt meter and see how much your actually dropping.

 

[Epic0318 10+ year member]

well with the fuses rating on the amp and if god likes this guy hes getting dimming more around 1200-1300 watts

 

[puppet_1211 10+ year member]

there is 4 30amp fuses on the amp and i got a 150amp anl in line i set my dmm up for dc voltage when i set the level on my amp im running my subs at 1 ohm and the battery thats in the truch is actually bigger one than the stock they didnt have the factory size in stock when i had to get a new one so i got the next size up

 

[akheathen Premium Member]

a pair of cvr 12's should not be able to handle enough power to make it dim real bad, possibly near max. i would be checking your big 3 again. sounds like there is a problem getting ground to the body, or from the alt. take readings across all the points for resistance and voltage drops. also, check your factory power distribution. then again, your alternator might have problems... flickering is a sure sign of a failed diode or 2 under load, or a regulator bouncing at over-voltage point. heck, you could have accidentally done something to the regulator connection on the alternator during the big3. also- yah, you should be at a larger power cable size

 

[puppet_1211 10+ year member]

well when i did the big 3 all i did to the alt is take the nut off of the stock + wire and put on the 4 gauge kicker wire but it was rinning to my fuse box the goting to the battery from there now i got it going directly to the battery then to the fuse box could this be the prob?and its raining right now or i would go out and check the power with my dmm right now

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

You shouldn't be getting dimming bro:\

I'm pushing a much stronger set-up than you, on half as strong of an alt, and OEM battery... And I just barely dim, at full tilt.

 

[puppet_1211 10+ year member]

then what could b wrong

 

[Davecubs14 10+ year member]

well when i did the big 3 all i did to the alt is take the nut off of the stock + wire and put on the 4 gauge kicker wire but it was rinning to my fuse box the goting to the battery from there now i got it going directly to the battery then to the fuse box could this be the prob?and its raining right now or i would go out and check the power with my dmm right now

I remember I dimmed with just 500 watts once upon a time. I upgraded my battery. Then it was good. I also recommend checking your grounds too.

But I would not use the fuse box. If you ran the power wire straight from the fuse box to the amp, the big 3 is a waste because it's such a tiny wire going from your battery to your fuse box. But if that's not the case, upgrade your battery and check out the ground tutorial sticky in the....general section I believe.

 

[puppet_1211 10+ year member]

no i may have wrote it wrong the main power coming from the alt with the stock wiring was going to the fuse box then went to the batt from there but when i did the big 3 up grade i ran the main power from the alt straight to the batt and hooked up the fuse box to the batt too and my amp power wire is on the + batt

 

[akheathen Premium Member]

i would try both the one to the batter, and put the stock one with it back where it was to the fuse panel and, check your battery connection