Hey, I just installed a pretty draining system in my 2002 mercury cougar, that has no electrical upgrades at all. Im runnin a 1000/1 and a 300/4. My stock alternator is 130A, but the alts are known to be shit in these cars, and I already have terrible light dimming issues.... when i put my windows down it drains the gauge lights.. Anyways, my question is, If I were to add a Kinetic HC600 in my trunk, and run a 0g big 3, what kind on results would I get? The 1000/1 is powerin a 10w7 and hits pretty hard already, but I want to know how these upgrades could help? Thanks for any input.

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2002 Mercury Cougar
////Alpine JL Audio

Big 3 will help a lot!!! The major one of three is adding another cable on the battery negative to the car chassis(bare metal). You add just this one, and your dimming problems will most likely deminish. Extra battery in the trunk is overkill, and will not solve dimming issues, if anything it will contribute to the problem. One of the main reasons why you would put an extra battery is to try to keep the voltage up when you're pushing the system hard. With your kind of power and alternator it is probably a not a big issue. 130A alternator is big enough for your system, however, you may want to get it checked for optimal performace. They do it free at some places. Big three and alternator upgrade is better than adding another battery, unless you go over 2000 watts or so, and start raping your system, you need not bother with an extra battery.

Thanks for the advice.. I mention the kinetic battery because when I had it installed, that was the one electrical upgrade I was recommended.. He said my alternator was quite good, but did drop voltage a bit when he was pounding the sub.. The lights are not a big deal, I just want to make sure Im gettin the full potential out of my set up.. Big 3 sounds like a must.

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2002 Mercury Cougar
////Alpine JL Audio

if your lights are dimming, you aren't getting the full potential. you are robbing from your car, and your stereo. I'd suggest the big 3, and run a dedicated ground wire to your system in the trunk

Do the big 3 and see how that goes... Your biggest culprit that I can see is that you didn't upgrade the battery ground. Common mistake - people attach a 00g to the positive post, and leave the factory negative. You need to complete the circuit, as it is only as good as the unupgraded factory battery ground.

upgrading the body ground is necessary, but tests have shown that the body of the car is only equivalent of approx 4ga wire... and much less in a canadian winter when body parts shrink and there is less contact area, plus with all the epoxies and thinner and thinner metals being used, the body is becoming less and less reliable as a current path for an upgraded stereo system.

im going to seriously look into running a big 3 and running some 0g to my 1000/1.. I used to have a 500w and 160w amp so i only have 2 runs of 4g.

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2002 Mercury Cougar
////Alpine JL Audio

I am a bit confused on this issue you speak of. Are you saying its better to ground everything to the battery. If so, where is the battery grounded. I was under impression, everything is still grounded to the vehicle, unless the current magically disintipates into thin air, and the vehicle has nothing to do with it, cause it has "equivalent of approx 4ga wire..." Can you explain for a dummy like me?

the body is the ground, but the body, between the trunk and the battery has the current carrying capacity of approximately 4ga wire... so if you're running more power than a 4ga could handle for the positive, it is always a good idea to also run a seperate ground wire to your gear in the trunk so that you aren't choking off the elecrical flow.

for instance... I run 2ga ground and power into my trunk from the battery.

Or buy a truck.