Rep Power: 354

So past few day, the car takes a bit to start up, not like usual, today finally the battery died, i called in CAA and they jump started it, took it to parts source to test the system. Nothing wrong with my battery. But apparently my alternator is bad, it does reacharge in time, as soon as i put the AC on the voltage went down to around 11, and didnt go up.

i have a system, and all summer i have been driving with AC on blast and system loud, its only like 300-400watts, but its probebly what killed it.

now i cant find any after market alternators for my car, its still under waranty so honda will replace it. but thats useless for me cause the same thing will happen again, i want something more powerfull.

what r my options, what should i do

 
Rep Power: 453

Well IMO, if it is under warranty and honda will replace it for free, just do that. That way you dont have to spend any money. You never know, maybe that isnt the cause of the problem. Then if the alternator fails again soon, then you will know the that the system is probably causing it.

 
Rep Power: 302

Have it replaced this time under warranty. Then research a heavy duty unit. I think they are available now, otherwise an alternator shop can re-wind it for 80 amps or so.
There may be a 100 amp available, but I'm not sure if it's for the 7th gens.

 
Rep Power: 305

the dealer wont fix your alternator most likely. they're gonna see that you have a system and when they do, they're gonna blame the cause of the failure of the alternator on you. otherwise, they'll probably fix it, assuming you hide the power wires and lock your trunk...

 
Rep Power: 0

Just for advice; even though you have only 400 watts, get a capacitor. It boosts spl's and saves on serious wear on your battery and alternator. It's usually 75-100 dollars for it and its easy to install. That will help.

 
Rep Power: 0

Before buying a cap read up on them. Some actualy think they hurt the charging system. There are two philosophies about caps one says they are a drain on your electrical system, the other says it helps the electrical system. You should read as much as you can about them so you can decide for your self.

 
Rep Power: 302

Caps smooth out the power. They are like dampers. Caps draw a small amount of power to keep charged. They can, in some cases screw with a car's electrical system. I have seen this first hand. My friend installed a cap for his amp, and all his gauges went whacko. (ford) The fix was to simply isolate the cap and amps from the rest of the car using a 100 Amp Diode. Problem solved. Caps are used in electronics EVERYWHERE. A big cap, properly used, should NOT harm the car, but actually dampen the voltage fluctuations in the electrical system. However, an optima battery by it's inherent design will have the same effect. If you use a cap, put it as close to the amp as possible. With an optima, it won't do much. With a regular wet-cell it makes a noticable difference. Caps work best for subwoofer amps, and won't do anything at all for mids and highs. Sometimes it is better to use several small caps instead of one huge one. The reason for that is that a single large cap takes longer to re-charge than several smaller ones. The inrush current on huge caps can in some cases damage the charging system. Proper use and sizing is important.

On a side note, I doubt your system killed the alternator. This new charging system is pretty weird. It could be the load sensing module as well. Remember that it is normal for the ECU to turn the alternator OFF when it "thinks" there is enough voltage.
Also, an alternator can simply die. I have had them last 600 miles, and 151,000 miles.