When one upgrades the audio of a truck, it is vital to consider the power requirements that come along with the sound system of the vehicle. The factory alternator that comes with the vehicle might not be enough for the outcome the vehicle owner desires. The question remains how much stronger or bigger should high performance truck alternators be considered apt.
How much alternator is excessive?
The good news is replacing a factory alternator with a high-performance output one will not damage the other electronic products in the car. This applies even when the new alternator considered is bigger in size and output than the old one. The vehicle owner must ensure that before installing the high amp alternator, some modifications are required. This is necessary to prevent the ground and power cables from burning and also protect other delicate electronic parts that aid in proper automobile functioning.
Supply and demand of high amp alternators
There is no need to worry about a high amp alternator rendering excessive power to the vehicle ECU or other electronic parts. The amp rating mentioned on an alternator is the amount of the current the unit can put out, and not the amount that it always puts out. For instance, if a truck’s electronic system can draw 60A, a 300A alternator can only produce 60A. The method the current operates in a given electrical part will only draw the amp that is required to operate. Hence, one doesn’t have to worry about installing the high performance truck alternators that will impact the electronic parts of the car. To calculate the amount of amp an electronic component will draw, one can divide the wattage by the system’s voltage.
Is a high amp alternator a necessity for automobiles?
Each of the electronic parts in a truck demands to draw an amount of amp to operate. If someone doesn’t incorporate any additional electronics, the vehicle works perfectly with the stock alternator. The problem is that the factory alternators function right against the worn-out edges. Thus, installing a high-end alternator leads to a lack of enough power to function properly. This leads to flickering or dim headlights and often the engine might also get exhausted. Moreover, overloading can also lead to a failure of the engine.
How much alternator does a vehicle need?
The majority of the audio components of the vehicles don’t draw many amp for functioning. For example, a standard head unit with an in-built amp will draw less than 10A. Furthermore, typical headlights will also draw around 10A amp and an air conditioner will draw typically more than 20A. In the majority of the cases, upgrading a high-performing alternator will not affect the other electronic components. On rare occasions, the new alternator is so high that the factory alternator fails to handle it.
Conclusion
The truck owner must understand that factory electrical systems have varying tolerance levels. When one is planning to upgrade the requirement by more than 10% or 15%, considering the high performance truck alternators seem a good idea.
