[b:dfbba0c5f3]Long story short:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] [i:dfbba0c5f3]Dead battery charging system possibly caused by stereo amps[/i:dfbba0c5f3]
[b:dfbba0c5f3]If you think you can help:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] [i:dfbba0c5f3]a list of events telling what exactly happened follows[/i:dfbba0c5f3]
[b:dfbba0c5f3]Car:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] Chevy/Cavalier
[b:dfbba0c5f3]Year:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] 1996
[b:dfbba0c5f3]Miles:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] 93K
i have two amps for my stereo: a 220W four-channel and a 400W mono. not a lot of power. however, i was driving down the road in the middle of nowhere with my stereo really loud and the battery light came on.
i, being a curious individual, flipped through my instruction manual from my glove compartment. it said there was something wrong with my battery charging system.
i had driven for about 20 more minutes when i noticed that all the intereior lights had gotten considerably fainter. my cd player was also doing this funky scratchy sound. after about another 10-15 seconds, the cd player died, but everything else was working. by this time i have gotten back to a sligthly populated area so there were now street lights. thus i turned my head lights off and turned on my hazards.
by the time i reached the interstate, about a mile further, my car had died 2 times already from having to slow down at stop lights. luckily, i was able to clutch-start it before it lost too much momentum. i did try to turn over the ignition via the key, but it made a familiar clicking sound that happeneds when your battery is dead or close to it.
after i got on the interstate, i tried to turn on my head lights and they didnt turn on. right when i turned the switch, though, my car died again. i clutch-started it yet another time, and this time nothing came on. the engine was running but i could tell it was very weak. no lights worked, except for the "check engine" light. not even the battery light, turn signals, or the dome light.
i know my amps draw power from the alternator if the battery doesnt have enough power to run them, but i was running off the battery all the way home. also, these amps have been in my car for a good year now, and this has never happened before. is it possible that i just fried my alternator, and i just need a new one with more amperage to handle my stereo amps?
also, aside from wearing out the clutch faster, could any other damage have been caused during my clutch-starts?
[b:dfbba0c5f3]If you think you can help:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] [i:dfbba0c5f3]a list of events telling what exactly happened follows[/i:dfbba0c5f3]
[b:dfbba0c5f3]Car:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] Chevy/Cavalier
[b:dfbba0c5f3]Year:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] 1996
[b:dfbba0c5f3]Miles:[/b:dfbba0c5f3] 93K
i have two amps for my stereo: a 220W four-channel and a 400W mono. not a lot of power. however, i was driving down the road in the middle of nowhere with my stereo really loud and the battery light came on.
i, being a curious individual, flipped through my instruction manual from my glove compartment. it said there was something wrong with my battery charging system.
i had driven for about 20 more minutes when i noticed that all the intereior lights had gotten considerably fainter. my cd player was also doing this funky scratchy sound. after about another 10-15 seconds, the cd player died, but everything else was working. by this time i have gotten back to a sligthly populated area so there were now street lights. thus i turned my head lights off and turned on my hazards.
by the time i reached the interstate, about a mile further, my car had died 2 times already from having to slow down at stop lights. luckily, i was able to clutch-start it before it lost too much momentum. i did try to turn over the ignition via the key, but it made a familiar clicking sound that happeneds when your battery is dead or close to it.
after i got on the interstate, i tried to turn on my head lights and they didnt turn on. right when i turned the switch, though, my car died again. i clutch-started it yet another time, and this time nothing came on. the engine was running but i could tell it was very weak. no lights worked, except for the "check engine" light. not even the battery light, turn signals, or the dome light.
i know my amps draw power from the alternator if the battery doesnt have enough power to run them, but i was running off the battery all the way home. also, these amps have been in my car for a good year now, and this has never happened before. is it possible that i just fried my alternator, and i just need a new one with more amperage to handle my stereo amps?
also, aside from wearing out the clutch faster, could any other damage have been caused during my clutch-starts?
Jan 22, 2006 at 4:58 PM