electrical question
 

Ok guys, my next dilemma.
I have installed an Amp, sub and cap in my car. I have a slight blinking in my headlights. I am going to try and put everything I can think of: Some days it is worse than others. The more I crank the volume the worse it gets. I have 3 possible answers. First one is alternator. Second one is the ground and the third one is a bigger battery. The alternator doesnt squeal and the cap is running around 12.5-13 volts. The ground is a possibility because I notice it a little more after I wash the car. The third is will a battery with more cranking amps help. Also if I install a battery with more cranking amps will it do any harm(I personally don't think so but I am looking for input).

Caps are junk, run two batterys. Your alternator mine be getting weak.Take it and get it tested.And do the big 3 will help.

Automotive wiring, that supplied by the factory is installed with the minimum amount of copper than can be used to supply power to the car. Not for the possible installation of powerful amps or anything else frankly.
You are overloading the wiring in the car! Thus two area's that are important.
Where you are getting the power from the + side of the battery and where the ground return for your amp is physically located related to the chassis/body ground that the - side of the your battery is physically attached to the body of the car.
There are probably a bunch of crutches that can cost you to help supplement this installation to try to overcome the overloading. An increased capacity battery will not solve an overloaded wiring problem, neither will the installation of a second battery. Take a look at your wiring and relocate it possible to a source that is physically close to the + and - battery connection and if nescissary (spelling) use a relay to turn things on but that is probably not needed.

UnclJohn has the problem pinpointed --> the original wiring on the car is not large (heavy) enough to carry the current necessary to run your sound system without having that annoying 'blink'. Adding a second battery is not the answer, because it does not address the wires. That is where you need to start

I guess my next question is what gauge power wire are you running?.No matter how much wattage you are running i wouldn't go with less that a 4g kit. How big is your amp.

No matter how much wattage you are running i wouldn't go with less that a 4g kit. How big is your amp.
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For those of us who are old enough to not think in terms of kits or systems but in what it takes to get the job done, that refers to a 4 gauge wiring kit to give a big enough wire to carry the current needed to run your amp, which is probably in the trunk so some distance away from your battery. The wires are will run the power seperate from your car wiring which is probably what is causing the problems and should be physically tied to the battery terminals as close as possible as the car wiring system will allow. Many newer cars have pig tails or junction blocks mounted close to the battery terminals due to the need for this function due to on board electronics used now vs years back when the electronic options were ----- a jeweled covered dash light!
If your car does not have this as a choice something improvised to work close to the battery terminal will work too. I've done that with aftermarket terminal blocks and heater control relays (used when they were optional too). Use electrical connection grease to coat open connections to protect from corrosion and things will last for a long time. That is purchased from an auto-parts store. Used to coat light bulb sockets and plugs and such on newer cars for the same reasons. Damage from corrosion.

I am running a 4 gauge kit and I am running directly from the battery. I haven't tried relocating my ground yet but that is next.

If you already are running off the Battery with the plus side, that is half the battle. The minus side is just as important to do when you are running heavy optional electrical loads on a car. Just more miss understood. Logic says if you are runinng heavy enough gauge wire to the power source on both plus and minus, loading problems caused by wiring being too small are eliminated.
As mentioned, using your volumn control makes things worse. Base draws a lot of current and the louder it is turned up, the more current it draws.
Either, the battery does not have the capacity (Battery = Power Source) to supply it with out a voltage drop, a real potential problem or the electronics for the regulator is seeing sharp rises and fall with voltage caused by this and it is not designed to cope with it. Thus a need for a different alternator. And considering the age of your car, a realistic probability anyway.
Dunno. Can't help past this. Good luck, have fun.
Merry Christmas.

If you have used 4 gauge wire straight from your battery, Absolutely a second battery will help. In fact it will protect your charging system from the "hits" it is now taking from your amp.

If you have used 4 gauge wire straight from your battery, Absolutely a second battery will help. In fact it will protect your charging system from the "hits" it is now taking from your amp.
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It won't hurt IF installed correctly. Installing a second battery means a remote location which also means it works in conjunction with the first battery. Those big leads off of the terminals are BIG because they need to be.
1.I am assuming the 4G kit only deals with the positive lead. The negative or ground lead is just as important, if you have not installed a wire of at least 4 gauge from your amp ground to your - terminal of the existing battery, do so.
2. If this does not solve your problem then a 2nd battery won't hurt and is probably used as a crutch for this type of problem. Installing a second battery wrong can cause it's own problems. Install as close to AMP as possible because it is probably in the trunk.
Use a marine or remote location battery box to guard against fume problems. Dunno what AMP standard technology is so can't comment. If they are ignoring the problem their BAD. Hot Rod shops deal with trunk mounted battery problems all the time. A battery box is important and hook up to main battery with the biggest wires you can physically deal with because now the remote battery is also helping the car start which is the highest usage of a battery making your amp look puny unless there is some form of a remote battery package for something like this. And run the wires from both terminals of battery and then hook your amp up directly to second battery to eliminate voltage loss to the amp via long wires.