today my alternator went out. lately when starting it up it sounded like the battery was going dead so i had made an appointment w/ the local dealership to take a look at it. then today it just wouldnt start. a friend says that my system takes up too much power and it wasnt able to handle all that power. about how much will it cost for a new alternator and what the hell happened!!?

 

I'd take it off and run it to Auto Zone and have em test it for free. If you don't do your own work I have no idea how much a shop would charge. I'm sure someone here has had theres fixed though. How many miles are on your car? It could have just worn out...

 

only 88,000 and its a 96...so u dont think it could of been the system??

 

how many watts is your system? what class are your amps? because if your system is drawing large amounts of power and its a class a/b amp it isnt as efficient and could have led to your alternater dieing.

 

my system consists of:

350w kenwood amp pushing a 10in JL audio Sub. i didnt think that was too much but apprently it is...i am taking in my car tomorrow to get a new alternater, how would i prevent this from happenning again?

 

Well, it might have been your battery too. If your battery was the original, then it may have not been able to hold a good charge. This meant that your alternator was working all the time to power your engine, and your components. I have a '98 3.2 and I just replaced my battery a couple months ago.

Also, for your system you should get a set of Bass Capacitors. Basically, these store energy to hit the heavy bass in your system without overworking your battery.

 

you can also boost your electrical system by buying rechargable car batteries like optima batteries

 

350watts is nothing...tl should have handled it fine...like basison said it could also be your battery. also check up on your wiring for the amp and headunit and all that. i remember the first time i installed my system and the remote wire accidently touched the power wire and lets just say my car wouldnt start the next day...

 

soo turns out it was the battery not the alternator. i was told to get a capacitor(sp) and it will help it from running all the power to my battery. thanks for all your help...ALSO PUT SOME 18'S ON TODAY!! PICS SOON TO COME!