headlights dimming

[The Architect]

im having a hard time understanding why 700 watts or even a thousand would be noticeably dimming your lights...peculiar.

[supmet]

Well my first guess was the alternator was just going, I didn't think the battery was the main problem, because as was pointed out, its only for starting, but if the battery is on its way out, won't it draw more on the alternator to recharge it constantly?

A deep cycle battery costs about half as much as my whole system did, and I've been wanting to do the grounding kit for a while, and it seems like the cheapest upgrade I can do at this point. I have this thread bookmarked, I just need to find somewhere with good cheap wires.

Originally Posted by The Architect

im having a hard time understanding why 700 watts or even a thousand would be noticeably dimming your lights...peculiar.

Ya, and the fact that it didn't do it new makes me really think its the alternator going.

I guess its off to autozone. I checked their website and it says they do free battery and alternator testing. I've checked salvage sites and there are local alternators for 35 to 60 bucks.. Are there any aftermarket alternators that aren't ridiculously expensive?

Originally Posted by Sidicas

My thoughts exactly.. These batteries aren't meant to be discharged, if you're running a high power stereo system, don't ever run it with the engine off.. Even discharging lead acid batteries to 70% on a regular basis is not good for them.

I usually don't, and if I do, I'm not bumping it.