I have a 750 watt amp with kicker cvx 12" in my car and i'm guessing my alternator is 85 amps (i did the ground upgrades but not the positive yet) yes my headlights dim .. and i'm getting low gas mileage.. Not sure if the low gas mileage is because of my alternator but i do know that my car's acceleration is lowered when i have my bass all the way up.. So does that mean i'm losing gas mileage?
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Can a low output alternator with car audio system = low gas mileage?
- Thread starter Michael
- Start date
yes the alternator is working to hard trying to compensate for the amp. draw you are pullin. this in turn is make the engine pull down lower because of the extra strain the alt. is causeing you see the alt. does not as a rule put out it full amperage all the time just as needed so now with the exta load it is working overtime. you need to upgrade to a bigger amp. alt. if you are going to run your amp.
The more power that 's needed, the more load the alternator puts on the engine. The lower accelleration may be from having a weaker spark with less electrical power available for it. That can affect gas mileage adversely.
Making electricity is work. One horsepower is 750 watts and the 85 amp alternator can produce about 1200 watts of power to share with every electrical need of the car and charge the battery. The amplifier is asking for more than half the output of the alternator, but don't forget what the battery has to contribute. What the battery gives up has to come back from the alternator. You can test your actual cost in gasoline by sacrificing using the stereo for a quarter tank of gas, then refill the tank and see how many miles you got, then do that test again using the stereo. Try and do the same kind of driving. This may be a couple of 100 mile tests, depending on your tank size. Maybe you won't get rid of the stereo, but use it more conservatively if your concern about gas consumption is serious. If you get a stronger alternator, it will still ask the same load- watts is watts, no matter where you get them.
Making electricity is work. One horsepower is 750 watts and the 85 amp alternator can produce about 1200 watts of power to share with every electrical need of the car and charge the battery. The amplifier is asking for more than half the output of the alternator, but don't forget what the battery has to contribute. What the battery gives up has to come back from the alternator. You can test your actual cost in gasoline by sacrificing using the stereo for a quarter tank of gas, then refill the tank and see how many miles you got, then do that test again using the stereo. Try and do the same kind of driving. This may be a couple of 100 mile tests, depending on your tank size. Maybe you won't get rid of the stereo, but use it more conservatively if your concern about gas consumption is serious. If you get a stronger alternator, it will still ask the same load- watts is watts, no matter where you get them.
sniperlif3
New member
Well it very well could because the alternator would be engaged far more often or even all the time due to the constant requirement from your stereo...
sniperlif3
New member
Well it very well could because the alternator would be engaged far more often or even all the time due to the constant requirement from your stereo...