Power problems

DISCIPLE

MEMBER
FORD ESCORT

Just bought an 89 ford escort wagon 5 speed. Way to many miles but I needed something and it came from a trustworthy friend. Have had it 2 months and no problems. UNTIL ( stupid me ) tries to put a half way decent sound system in it.
I have 550watt amp with 4 ouputs and a low and high pass filter. It is running a 1100 watt sub and 2- 240 watt 4-ways.
I go out to go to work 1 morning and its dead, jump it with my booster until I get to an auto parts store. They run a check on the battery, its dead and from 2003, and they check my alternator which is running 14.3 amps.
here's the thing. Will my alternator be able to put back what my amp is pulling or will it drain it til its dead? I believe it will. If so is there some type of affordable onboard battery charger that I can plug into my lighter that will put back more than it is pulling? Is there a dc/dc converter, thats affordable, that will pull less amps and transfer out enough amps to just hook it up between my battery and my asmplifier's power source?
poor man trying to stay rockin here fellas!

2 Replies

ROGER MILLER

MEMBER
12 POSTS

Question; when you wired in the sound system, did you install the systems' power lead to a battery circuit, or to an accessory ( power with key on, no power when key off) circuit? If you put it in the batt. Circuit it will keep drawing power when it's shut off and the alternator can't catch up. Also some Ford alts. Won't charge if the battery gets too low, a way of protecting themselves from burning out. Although you mentioned it checked out at 14.3 volts. If this is o.K. Have the alt. Checked for amperage output, it may be making volts but not enough amps. If still not enough amps. You may have to put on a larger capacity alternator.