I own a 1997 ford f-150 and a new kenwood amplifier keeps blowing the 175 fuse under the hood. The fuse is also somehow connected to the altenator and when the fuse blows the altenator can't charge the battery. I end up having to replace the fuse and get a jump. It only blows when I play it at high volumes for over an hour. I think it could be a ground connection problem but just wondering what else could be causing this?
Replies (25)
swez on 04/12/2007 20:02:36
Fuses blow for 2 main reasons:
1. They are seeing too much current draw over the fused value
2. There's a short to ground on that line and the fuse is there to protect things up stream from damage
How many amps are you using here and what are the fuse values in each amp casing?
Also, the main power line should be connected to the BAT + terminal and fuse, (12-18" away from BAT) according to the wire gage used and /or amplifier draw.
If there is a fuse between the ALT & BAT, it should be rated at the peak current draw the ALT can safely provide. This fuse is is strickly there to protect the ALT from excess current draw. If the amp main power feed is also tied to it, NG. The power line fuse is used off the + BAT terminal so that if that fuse does blow, the vehicle will not crap out.
FYI: Never run an ALT w/o a load like the battery and all electricals connected through the BAT. This can damage the ALT and leave one stuck in the middle of nowhere once the BAT voltage drops below 10.5 volts. (Most cars/trucks are designed to shut down if supply voltage goes below ~10.5 volts) A dash gage or an idiot light will come on if the system detects the ALT is offline or not providing the correct range of voltage/current to the BAT.
If that fuse blows, (one between ALT & BAT) the ALT is still able to produce voltage, but has no load. This is very hard on the ALT and sooner or later, it will fail.
Say more about your amps and wiring OK?
Swez
jamesp on 04/12/2007 20:34:10
Your truck has either a 95 or 130 amp alternator if it is the stock unit. All Lariat 4x4's have the 135.
If your amp power cable is fused properly you should not blow a fuse in the fuse box between the alternator and the junction at the solenoid where the charging wire conyinues to the battery. Ill try to post a pic of my 97 F150 tomorrow. I would like to see if your connections at the firewall are like mine. (I havent mentioned yet that I took my amp power wire off the battery terminal....)
HTG on 04/12/2007 20:54:10
The amp is a Kenwood KAC- X542. RMS power: 88 watts x 4 channel. I have four 6X9 alpine door speakers and two 8 inch kickers under the back seat and a Pioneer deck. The deck and amp are only a few month old. I'm not sure what the fuse values in each amp casing are, but let me know if you need that information.
The Battery and Altinator are also only around a year old so I know thats not the case. I think the problem is some how connected with the ground wire connection but I wanted to get all the possiblilties before I go to a shop to have it fixed.
The AMP has blown that fuse twice the second time was a couple days ago and I was over a 100 miles from home luckly I bought another fuse after the first time it was found and was able to replace it and get a jump and go home. But its kind of unsettleing driving around knowing that could happen whenever. Do you think I should have the whole ground wire replaced or maybe have all of the wireing to the amplifier replaced. Thanks for the help its greatly appreciated. Dave
HTG on 04/12/2007 21:07:17
I have a new altenator I think its either a 130 or 135 autolite. I try to post a picture of my connections.
jamesp on 04/12/2007 21:16:11
Is this 175 amp fuse in the amp power line or a fuse box under the hood?
HTG on 04/12/2007 21:57:14
Its in a seperate fuse box near the battery. I just took a couple of pictures of everything hope it will come up.
This is the fuse.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/gilles/100_0202.jpg?t=1176429338[/img]
This is everything else.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/gilles/100_0201.jpg?t=1176429406[/img]
HTG on 04/12/2007 21:58:35
I guess that won't show up but I can send a email picture if anyone wants to see it.
HTG on 04/12/2007 22:09:46
Or I just posted the pictures at www.caraudioforurm.com its in the technical support area.
jamesp on 04/12/2007 22:11:44
I copied and pasted the links into my browser and was able to view them and you have the same set up as I do. It looks like the power cable to your amp(s) isnt fused near the battery but I cant tell for sure. Is it fused at the battery, and tied in straight to the positive battery post and run to the amp with no other connections? What motor does your truck have?
HTG on 04/12/2007 22:27:49
You can't see the fuse but its behind the battery its definatly has a fuse. It has the 5.4 liter. I have it disconnected till I get it fixed.
swez on 04/13/2007 05:24:01
Looked at your pics too Dave and that amp mentioned is not strong enough to draw more than 60 amps of current at full power.
That 175A fuse is connected to a module I am not familiar with. There's a reason it's blowing, but am not sure how the amp has a lot to do with it, unless it's mis-wired or the power feed line is shorting out somewhere and popping that huge ANL fuse.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/gilles/100_0201.jpg?t=1176429406
In this picture, I see a #4 or #8 wire that looks like it attached to one of the cables off the ALT. Is that how this power line is wired, to the ALT output post and not the Battery post???
If yes, the amps power feed line should be tapped off the Pos terminal of the battery. This allows the battery to be the buffer between your amp and the rest of the electrical system. Like this:
Gnd-------[Battery Neg]
Alt---------[Bat Pos]-------(fuse)----------power line to amp B+ input
Note: B+ on amp is the +12 volt line that powers the amp. Then your amp has a ground line too. This should be very short, (Under 3 ft) to a solid body ground of bare metal.
Can you talk to a good mechanic and find out what that 175 amp ANL fuse is for in that module? Am not familiar with that module, but it looks like a main power distribution block for the whole truck and if that blows, your whole electrical system goes out with it???
The BAT and ALT look like new so hopefully all is well there. Does this truck have some powerful add on AUX lights, a power winch or HD trailering package in it? If yes, using them and this amp may be a factor, but with only the amp in operation, I cannot see how that amp would draw enough current to blink out a fuse of that rating.
Something is causing this hefty ANL fuse to trip out and that's what needs to be discovered. Better have a spare on hand at all times until this one gets figured out. Those are pretty heavy gage wires attached to one side of this fuse module.
I can imagine one line going to the starter and the other one to the BAT connection. But that additional red wire off the ALT line has got me puzzled. If connected to the amp, it does not belong there. (It could be an optical illusion from the picture as this Red power feed line looks like it has been removed and taped off for now???)
Say more please,
Swez
cplkittle on 04/13/2007 07:17:04
the 175amp fuse is to protect the electrical system incase the alternator's voltage regulator sticks wide open. Most alternators are capable of 18+ VDC and 2x rated output. If the regulator goes bad it can fry the entire electrical system.
I did not see a fuse between the battery and the amplifier. My guess would be that the amplifier power wire is grounding out and creating a surge from the alternator since this problem does not occur when the system is not connected.
Put a 80 amp fuse within 18" of the battery on the amplifier power wire, and this should let you know where your problem is. If the 175 blows and the 80 does not we have to keep digging, but if the 80 blows consistently, you have an amplifier power wire that is grounding out somewhere.
jamesp on 04/13/2007 07:59:56
You have the exact same setup that I have. Look at the smaller black wire which crosses under the junction of the 2 large red wires coming off the 175 amp fused block at the point where the red wires tie together on the solenoid. That should be a battery ground wire which is grounding to the firewall behind the 2 red wires. Make sure it is not chafed and touching the terminals on the red wires EVER. That would be a dead short to the main battery ground.
After installing my system, I started having a lot of crud builing up on my battery. I disconnected the amp power wire from the battery and installed it on the post where the 2 red wires tie together on the solenoid. There is no voltage drop from the battery to that point and I am only getting .1v drop in voltage from that point back to the amps. I have the fuse 4" from the connection post. I did this on the advice of a shop owner that uses this method on Fords only.So far, so good, but the only problem I had was the corrosion at the battery terminal. If you cant find an intermittant short and the fuse doesnt blow under the same conditions that it had failed before then Im at a loss.
A quick trip to an auto electric shop to check out the voltage regulator may be in order.
If your amp power wire is pulled thru the large loom that runs across the top front of the firewall and thru the firewall at the existing opening behind and above the brake pedal linkage, make sure it is not being pinched there.
swez on 04/13/2007 13:53:23
Great posts there Kittle and JamesP. Good insights and it should help nail down this intermittent fault.
As I looked at the firewall connections, it said the same thing that James mentioned. "Hey, this is connected to the BAT post and then down to the starter solinoid. Why not use this as a tap for the amps power line and fuse it tight as Jim mentioned". That made perfect sense to me as well and only need any eye type connector for a clean install. Why not!!!
I can only guess that the amps main feed line may have some intermittent contact with a grounding point. If that happens, it will blow its inline fuse immediately. It may only happen when you hit a good bump though. The only way to find it, is to remove the line and look things over very carefully. If you see a nick or gash in the wire insulation, (copper wire is showing) it will probably have a flash burn mark on it. That would be easy to spot and repair.
Yes, it's a pain to go to this length, but if that is the root cause, finding that little snigglet is a must.
Swez
HTG on 04/13/2007 16:07:25
After driving it around for a couple days with no problem the battery went dead again today and I didn't even have the power wire attached to the battery. With a new altenator and battery the only thing I can do is have it inspected. Thank again I appreciate all the help. I will let you know what I find. Thanks
jamesp on 04/13/2007 20:47:08
Htg, I didnt realize that the fuses in that block were that big. I have nener taken the cover off of either one of mine.The auto electric shop can check it. Was that a new or rebuilt alternator?
I actually have my amp power wire hooked to the terminal where the 2 red wires are together on the solenoid post. The post to the leftof that one(toward the fender) in ground so dont cross the two. It works well and the battery isnt cluttered. You may still have a warranty on that alternator..You think? Good luck
swez on 04/13/2007 22:10:04
Hum, sounds not so good here as the ALT may not be charging the BAT as it runs properly. A quick shop test will tell how well the ALT is doing as well as what shape the battery is now in. For the moment, we may be able to rule out the amp and wiring as it was not connected at this time.
FYI: Typical Lead-Acid batteries don't take well to deep discharge cycles. Even a brand new battery can degrade quickly and become useless after a few deep dischages as mentioned. If the battery is shot, consider replacing it with a Gel Cel type "Deep Cycle" one. Optima, (Yellow Top) makes a very good one and NAPA sells a house brand as well. They are more expensive then a stock battery, but the life cycle and current output are superior to lead-acid batteries. A good Deep Cycle battery can be drained to almost ZERO power and repeat that cycle over 300 times. If we're lucky, a lead-acid battery will take about 3-5 deep discharges before it is ready to replace.
Sure hope you come to a definitive conclusion on this one HTG. This must be a bit maddening to you. Good luck and keep us posted.
Swez
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/14/2007 10:20:22
I have been following this one, and thought I would chip in a little. I have been in the same trouble with vehicle reliablilty issues like this in the past, so I definitely feel your pain. Bset of luck to you in getting this one pegged.
The gel cell is a lot more expensive than a stock battery. Mine was 2-3X more expensive than the battery I had. Napa had me at $145 for their house gel cell, Checker at 159 for their's, but offering to beat Napa's price by 5%, and autozone tried to pimp me at 169 for the same Optima I scored for $100, by somebody who could barely understand what I meant by "gel Cell Battery"
Most parts stores around will check your alt and batt for free, and autozone will charge it free of charge if needed. Not sure about the stores in your neck of the woods.
P.S.-The Yellow top is not supposed to be used for under hood applications. That is the word of every salesman I have talked to about it. That is where the Red top comes in. They say it is designed for "discharge only" situatoins, such as spare battery for bumpin, hydrolics, work trucks, RV's ect.
swez on 04/14/2007 15:38:00
The Red Top is designed as a starter power source and are not deep cycle . Yellow Tops are deep cycle and are often used as buffer battery packs in very large car systems. Some use 2-4 of them to feed a bank of big amps. (Like you say... good for bumpin)
Am not sure why a salesman would not suggest a YT as a starter and buffer battery combined. It certainly has the starting capacity and the added benefit of it's ability to be drained down to dead and come back for more after a full recharge. The only thing I recall as a possible negative, D/C bats are not well suited to extreme cold weather and the battery derating curve is not as robust as a Red Top. Other than that, I cannot think of any reasons not to use a D/C battery under the hood.
Enlighten me.... I'm open to learn something.
Swez
cplkittle on 04/14/2007 17:37:59
I think the red top is suggested as a second battery for stereo because it discharges electricity faster.
A yellow top has the capability to hold more juice, but not squeeze it out as fast GRIN
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/14/2007 18:21:44
Actually, it is to my understanding that it will void the warranty on the yellow top if used under hood. When I was researching gel cells before my purchase, I came across that tidbit.
I actually for once trust the word of a salesman here, as the yellow top was significantly more expensive, and nobody was fighting tooth and nail to get me to buy one. Evry time I go to a stereo shop, they always annoy the hell out of me by trying to upsell me.
cplkittle on 04/14/2007 20:18:26
that is hard to believe..
reguardless of the warranty, my yellow top has lasted for over 4 years now with my 200a HO alt and 4200 watts of equiptment.
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/14/2007 23:55:33
Kit, knowing that, I would take your word over theirs. Your a freind, their still a salesman. Maybe somebody needs to drom Optima a line?
swez on 04/15/2007 10:17:26
Here's some application data on Optima Deep Cycle batteries. From reading other pages off this site, the YT is superior in all ways to normal OEM type batteries. They can be used as supplimental power for amps and other high current applications as well as a Primary starter apps as well.
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/deep_cycle_battery.asp
Swez
HTG on 04/16/2007 16:22:06
Hello,
Just got back from having things looked at. One of the battery cables was loose. I guess the 175 watt fuse didn't even blow this time. I hope thats the only problem but I will find out. I think I've got things fixed. Thanks for everyones comments it was a great help.
Replies (25)
swez on 04/12/2007 20:02:36
Fuses blow for 2 main reasons:
1. They are seeing too much current draw over the fused value
2. There's a short to ground on that line and the fuse is there to protect things up stream from damage
How many amps are you using here and what are the fuse values in each amp casing?
Also, the main power line should be connected to the BAT + terminal and fuse, (12-18" away from BAT) according to the wire gage used and /or amplifier draw.
If there is a fuse between the ALT & BAT, it should be rated at the peak current draw the ALT can safely provide. This fuse is is strickly there to protect the ALT from excess current draw. If the amp main power feed is also tied to it, NG. The power line fuse is used off the + BAT terminal so that if that fuse does blow, the vehicle will not crap out.
FYI: Never run an ALT w/o a load like the battery and all electricals connected through the BAT. This can damage the ALT and leave one stuck in the middle of nowhere once the BAT voltage drops below 10.5 volts. (Most cars/trucks are designed to shut down if supply voltage goes below ~10.5 volts) A dash gage or an idiot light will come on if the system detects the ALT is offline or not providing the correct range of voltage/current to the BAT.
If that fuse blows, (one between ALT & BAT) the ALT is still able to produce voltage, but has no load. This is very hard on the ALT and sooner or later, it will fail.
Say more about your amps and wiring OK?
Swez
jamesp on 04/12/2007 20:34:10
Your truck has either a 95 or 130 amp alternator if it is the stock unit. All Lariat 4x4's have the 135.
If your amp power cable is fused properly you should not blow a fuse in the fuse box between the alternator and the junction at the solenoid where the charging wire conyinues to the battery. Ill try to post a pic of my 97 F150 tomorrow. I would like to see if your connections at the firewall are like mine. (I havent mentioned yet that I took my amp power wire off the battery terminal....)
HTG on 04/12/2007 20:54:10
The amp is a Kenwood KAC- X542. RMS power: 88 watts x 4 channel. I have four 6X9 alpine door speakers and two 8 inch kickers under the back seat and a Pioneer deck. The deck and amp are only a few month old. I'm not sure what the fuse values in each amp casing are, but let me know if you need that information.
The Battery and Altinator are also only around a year old so I know thats not the case. I think the problem is some how connected with the ground wire connection but I wanted to get all the possiblilties before I go to a shop to have it fixed.
The AMP has blown that fuse twice the second time was a couple days ago and I was over a 100 miles from home luckly I bought another fuse after the first time it was found and was able to replace it and get a jump and go home. But its kind of unsettleing driving around knowing that could happen whenever. Do you think I should have the whole ground wire replaced or maybe have all of the wireing to the amplifier replaced. Thanks for the help its greatly appreciated. Dave
HTG on 04/12/2007 21:07:17
I have a new altenator I think its either a 130 or 135 autolite. I try to post a picture of my connections.
jamesp on 04/12/2007 21:16:11
Is this 175 amp fuse in the amp power line or a fuse box under the hood?
HTG on 04/12/2007 21:57:14
Its in a seperate fuse box near the battery. I just took a couple of pictures of everything hope it will come up.
This is the fuse.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/gilles/100_0202.jpg?t=1176429338[/img]
This is everything else.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/gilles/100_0201.jpg?t=1176429406[/img]
HTG on 04/12/2007 21:58:35
I guess that won't show up but I can send a email picture if anyone wants to see it.
HTG on 04/12/2007 22:09:46
Or I just posted the pictures at www.caraudioforurm.com its in the technical support area.
jamesp on 04/12/2007 22:11:44
I copied and pasted the links into my browser and was able to view them and you have the same set up as I do. It looks like the power cable to your amp(s) isnt fused near the battery but I cant tell for sure. Is it fused at the battery, and tied in straight to the positive battery post and run to the amp with no other connections? What motor does your truck have?
HTG on 04/12/2007 22:27:49
You can't see the fuse but its behind the battery its definatly has a fuse. It has the 5.4 liter. I have it disconnected till I get it fixed.
swez on 04/13/2007 05:24:01
Looked at your pics too Dave and that amp mentioned is not strong enough to draw more than 60 amps of current at full power.
That 175A fuse is connected to a module I am not familiar with. There's a reason it's blowing, but am not sure how the amp has a lot to do with it, unless it's mis-wired or the power feed line is shorting out somewhere and popping that huge ANL fuse.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/gilles/100_0201.jpg?t=1176429406
In this picture, I see a #4 or #8 wire that looks like it attached to one of the cables off the ALT. Is that how this power line is wired, to the ALT output post and not the Battery post???
If yes, the amps power feed line should be tapped off the Pos terminal of the battery. This allows the battery to be the buffer between your amp and the rest of the electrical system. Like this:
Gnd-------[Battery Neg]
Alt---------[Bat Pos]-------(fuse)----------power line to amp B+ input
Note: B+ on amp is the +12 volt line that powers the amp. Then your amp has a ground line too. This should be very short, (Under 3 ft) to a solid body ground of bare metal.
Can you talk to a good mechanic and find out what that 175 amp ANL fuse is for in that module? Am not familiar with that module, but it looks like a main power distribution block for the whole truck and if that blows, your whole electrical system goes out with it???
The BAT and ALT look like new so hopefully all is well there. Does this truck have some powerful add on AUX lights, a power winch or HD trailering package in it? If yes, using them and this amp may be a factor, but with only the amp in operation, I cannot see how that amp would draw enough current to blink out a fuse of that rating.
Something is causing this hefty ANL fuse to trip out and that's what needs to be discovered. Better have a spare on hand at all times until this one gets figured out. Those are pretty heavy gage wires attached to one side of this fuse module.
I can imagine one line going to the starter and the other one to the BAT connection. But that additional red wire off the ALT line has got me puzzled. If connected to the amp, it does not belong there. (It could be an optical illusion from the picture as this Red power feed line looks like it has been removed and taped off for now???)
Say more please,
Swez
cplkittle on 04/13/2007 07:17:04
the 175amp fuse is to protect the electrical system incase the alternator's voltage regulator sticks wide open. Most alternators are capable of 18+ VDC and 2x rated output. If the regulator goes bad it can fry the entire electrical system.
I did not see a fuse between the battery and the amplifier. My guess would be that the amplifier power wire is grounding out and creating a surge from the alternator since this problem does not occur when the system is not connected.
Put a 80 amp fuse within 18" of the battery on the amplifier power wire, and this should let you know where your problem is. If the 175 blows and the 80 does not we have to keep digging, but if the 80 blows consistently, you have an amplifier power wire that is grounding out somewhere.
jamesp on 04/13/2007 07:59:56
You have the exact same setup that I have. Look at the smaller black wire which crosses under the junction of the 2 large red wires coming off the 175 amp fused block at the point where the red wires tie together on the solenoid. That should be a battery ground wire which is grounding to the firewall behind the 2 red wires. Make sure it is not chafed and touching the terminals on the red wires EVER. That would be a dead short to the main battery ground.
After installing my system, I started having a lot of crud builing up on my battery. I disconnected the amp power wire from the battery and installed it on the post where the 2 red wires tie together on the solenoid. There is no voltage drop from the battery to that point and I am only getting .1v drop in voltage from that point back to the amps. I have the fuse 4" from the connection post. I did this on the advice of a shop owner that uses this method on Fords only.So far, so good, but the only problem I had was the corrosion at the battery terminal. If you cant find an intermittant short and the fuse doesnt blow under the same conditions that it had failed before then Im at a loss.
A quick trip to an auto electric shop to check out the voltage regulator may be in order.
If your amp power wire is pulled thru the large loom that runs across the top front of the firewall and thru the firewall at the existing opening behind and above the brake pedal linkage, make sure it is not being pinched there.
swez on 04/13/2007 13:53:23
Great posts there Kittle and JamesP. Good insights and it should help nail down this intermittent fault.
As I looked at the firewall connections, it said the same thing that James mentioned. "Hey, this is connected to the BAT post and then down to the starter solinoid. Why not use this as a tap for the amps power line and fuse it tight as Jim mentioned". That made perfect sense to me as well and only need any eye type connector for a clean install. Why not!!!
I can only guess that the amps main feed line may have some intermittent contact with a grounding point. If that happens, it will blow its inline fuse immediately. It may only happen when you hit a good bump though. The only way to find it, is to remove the line and look things over very carefully. If you see a nick or gash in the wire insulation, (copper wire is showing) it will probably have a flash burn mark on it. That would be easy to spot and repair.
Yes, it's a pain to go to this length, but if that is the root cause, finding that little snigglet is a must.
Swez
HTG on 04/13/2007 16:07:25
After driving it around for a couple days with no problem the battery went dead again today and I didn't even have the power wire attached to the battery. With a new altenator and battery the only thing I can do is have it inspected. Thank again I appreciate all the help. I will let you know what I find. Thanks
jamesp on 04/13/2007 20:47:08
Htg, I didnt realize that the fuses in that block were that big. I have nener taken the cover off of either one of mine.The auto electric shop can check it. Was that a new or rebuilt alternator?
I actually have my amp power wire hooked to the terminal where the 2 red wires are together on the solenoid post. The post to the leftof that one(toward the fender) in ground so dont cross the two. It works well and the battery isnt cluttered. You may still have a warranty on that alternator..You think? Good luck
swez on 04/13/2007 22:10:04
Hum, sounds not so good here as the ALT may not be charging the BAT as it runs properly. A quick shop test will tell how well the ALT is doing as well as what shape the battery is now in. For the moment, we may be able to rule out the amp and wiring as it was not connected at this time.
FYI: Typical Lead-Acid batteries don't take well to deep discharge cycles. Even a brand new battery can degrade quickly and become useless after a few deep dischages as mentioned. If the battery is shot, consider replacing it with a Gel Cel type "Deep Cycle" one. Optima, (Yellow Top) makes a very good one and NAPA sells a house brand as well. They are more expensive then a stock battery, but the life cycle and current output are superior to lead-acid batteries. A good Deep Cycle battery can be drained to almost ZERO power and repeat that cycle over 300 times. If we're lucky, a lead-acid battery will take about 3-5 deep discharges before it is ready to replace.
Sure hope you come to a definitive conclusion on this one HTG. This must be a bit maddening to you. Good luck and keep us posted.
Swez
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/14/2007 10:20:22
I have been following this one, and thought I would chip in a little. I have been in the same trouble with vehicle reliablilty issues like this in the past, so I definitely feel your pain. Bset of luck to you in getting this one pegged.
The gel cell is a lot more expensive than a stock battery. Mine was 2-3X more expensive than the battery I had. Napa had me at $145 for their house gel cell, Checker at 159 for their's, but offering to beat Napa's price by 5%, and autozone tried to pimp me at 169 for the same Optima I scored for $100, by somebody who could barely understand what I meant by "gel Cell Battery"
Most parts stores around will check your alt and batt for free, and autozone will charge it free of charge if needed. Not sure about the stores in your neck of the woods.
P.S.-The Yellow top is not supposed to be used for under hood applications. That is the word of every salesman I have talked to about it. That is where the Red top comes in. They say it is designed for "discharge only" situatoins, such as spare battery for bumpin, hydrolics, work trucks, RV's ect.
swez on 04/14/2007 15:38:00
The Red Top is designed as a starter power source and are not deep cycle . Yellow Tops are deep cycle and are often used as buffer battery packs in very large car systems. Some use 2-4 of them to feed a bank of big amps. (Like you say... good for bumpin)
Am not sure why a salesman would not suggest a YT as a starter and buffer battery combined. It certainly has the starting capacity and the added benefit of it's ability to be drained down to dead and come back for more after a full recharge. The only thing I recall as a possible negative, D/C bats are not well suited to extreme cold weather and the battery derating curve is not as robust as a Red Top. Other than that, I cannot think of any reasons not to use a D/C battery under the hood.
Enlighten me.... I'm open to learn something.
Swez
cplkittle on 04/14/2007 17:37:59
I think the red top is suggested as a second battery for stereo because it discharges electricity faster.
A yellow top has the capability to hold more juice, but not squeeze it out as fast GRIN
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/14/2007 18:21:44
Actually, it is to my understanding that it will void the warranty on the yellow top if used under hood. When I was researching gel cells before my purchase, I came across that tidbit.
I actually for once trust the word of a salesman here, as the yellow top was significantly more expensive, and nobody was fighting tooth and nail to get me to buy one. Evry time I go to a stereo shop, they always annoy the hell out of me by trying to upsell me.
cplkittle on 04/14/2007 20:18:26
that is hard to believe..
reguardless of the warranty, my yellow top has lasted for over 4 years now with my 200a HO alt and 4200 watts of equiptment.
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 04/14/2007 23:55:33
Kit, knowing that, I would take your word over theirs. Your a freind, their still a salesman. Maybe somebody needs to drom Optima a line?
swez on 04/15/2007 10:17:26
Here's some application data on Optima Deep Cycle batteries. From reading other pages off this site, the YT is superior in all ways to normal OEM type batteries. They can be used as supplimental power for amps and other high current applications as well as a Primary starter apps as well.
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/deep_cycle_battery.asp
Swez
HTG on 04/16/2007 16:22:06
Hello,
Just got back from having things looked at. One of the battery cables was loose. I guess the 175 watt fuse didn't even blow this time. I hope thats the only problem but I will find out. I think I've got things fixed. Thanks for everyones comments it was a great help.
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