Voltage drops/grounds?
 

I have tried several things and I am stumped! [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG] The output voltage that I read on my cap reads 14.4 volts when the car is idleing in the drive way, when I start to drive and get to a red light and look back at the digital read-out it goes down to 12.4 or 12.5 volts?? When I pull back in my driveway it usually goes back up to 14.4 volts. How can I keep my volts constant?
Anyway this is what I am running with (pics coming soon): JBL bp1200.1, MTX 4244 4-channel amp, and a 1 farad RF digital cap. I am using 4 gauge monster wiring from the battery to a stinger dist. block. From that block I have 4 gauge wire running to both amps. I have all things grounded within an inch of each other on the metal bump just behind the back seat. Is this a good place to make my grounds?? Where does every gound their amps and caps? I am scared to ground anywhere else because i don't want to drill into anything important. Thanks!!

if you bump the stereo and are sitting in your driveway, does the voltage drop?
oh, and i grounded there too, just make sure you sanded down whatever area you grounded on...

is you're car a man. or auto? why I ask is if its an auto and you are in gear at a stop light you're rpms drop along with the voltage.[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG]

It is a manual

Only a lil', not enough to cause concern. It drops maybe .1 or .2 volts. That is what is so weird, it only drops a percentage of a volt when I play it in my driveway, but it is constantly at 12 volts sometimes when I am on the road or at a light and look back regardless of how high I have the music. I bet it is something stupid like because my signal and brakelights are all on at the same time.

The thing that bothers me the most is that when the voltage drops the music seems lower, so in turn i have to crank the music even louder.
Would it be a good idea for me to think about getting a better battery? Or upgrade my wiring in the front (ground, battery, alternator)?

if you have money to do the alternator thing, do it... mralternator.com has offered 245 for a 130 amp OEM rebuild, as opposed to our 70 amp stock tiny alternator...

you will find that it drops to 12 and up to 14 often, regardless whether or not the system is on or off. My guess is that there is a regulator that turns on the alternator to charge teh battery when teh voltage drops to a certain point, then shuts it off when the voltage is high enough. best gues, but take any civic here, including yorus or mine, stereo or no stereo, and put in a real voltameter, whether autometer like mine, or a digital readout on a capacitor lik eyours. you will find the same thing. randomy drops from 14 to 12, then goes back up to 14.

i dont have a clue. winging and answer, id say the computer is sutting your alt on and off (or rather charging yoru battery with it vs letting it spin freely) that would perefctly explain why it does what it does. (may not be the only explanation tho, nor neccesarily the correct one [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG] )

Thanks fo the advice! [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]