A lot of people think that they can just buy whatever size amplifier and electronics they want to, and stuff in in the car, and it will all work out.
not true
well, for example, you just put a 1200 watt amplifier into your car, your car's charging system has to be able to power it.
To find out how much power(or current) is required, divide the RMS of the amplifier by the voltage of the electrical system(with efficiency factored in) which would be about 12v. 1200/12 would be an extra 100 amps of current that your alternator needs to accomodate for on top of the every day electrical needs of the car.
To find out if your alternator is adequate for your system, look at the hot rating on the alternator, if you can find it. if you cannot find it, contact the dealer and find out.
a common mistake in this area is buying a 50 farad or whatever cap, this will not help if you are underpowered.
If you find out that you only need about 10-12 extra amps of current and do not want to buy a new alternator, you could get a new, larger battery(optima yellow top) and a stiffening cap (1 or 2 farad) this should get the job done, but that will not solve everyones problems.
a proper charging system makes all the difference ;)
