Write-Up: Stage I Voltage Booster

Rock on Boy's

humm i notice my inside lights are kinda dim and i am having a problem with one of my HIDs starting all the time i hope this mod will help!

Measure you're voltage. If it's above 14v when running, the charging system is fine.

yea dont have a VOM so i have to wait till the roomate gets home... guess i will pick one up next pay check. was gonna check voltage at the battery with the car off and at the alt when its running see what they are.

UPDATE:

Voltage @ batt. 12.45 car off

14.9 car on

Voltage @ Alt 15.1

Those values are ideal. No need to boost voltage unless you have a specific reason.

2000ws6transam wrote:

humm i notice my inside lights are kinda dim and i am having a problem with one of my HIDs starting all the time i hope this mod will help!

Try cleaning the grounds at the battery and in the engine compartment

AA wrote:

Ryan is correct about the amperes. This voltage booster mod does not increase amperes, only voltage.

However, I don't think our Rivieras are as bad as some other cars, because our batteries are in back, you have the advantage of a "storage tank" very close to the power amps. With most cars, if you run an 8 gauge cable from the trunk up to the battery, you can have problems with big systems because of the loss from the long cable run, but with our battery under the seat, the cable run is only 3-4 ft to the power amps. and I still use 4 gauge to be safe.

True, the alternator will not charge the battery as quickly with 8 gauge as it would with 4, but the reserve battery power is there. It's not as bad as choking power to the amps with a long, narrow cable run.

Ohm's Law!


I = \frac{V}{R},

where I is the current through the conductor in units of amperes, V is the potential difference measured across the conductor in units of volts, and R is the resistance of the conductor in units of ohms. More specifically, Ohm's law states that the R in this relation is constant, independent of the current

So it does help Amperes too!

Ohm's law:

I = R/V

(Amps = Ohms/Voltage)

Amps vs. Voltage is a reciprocal relationship. When impedance is constant, amps actually decrease when voltage is boosted. Example, using a 1 ohm load:

I = 1 ohm/13 volts
I = .077 amps

I = 1 ohm/15 volts
I = .067 amps

Boosting voltage actually lowers delivered amps at a given impedance.

This can also be demonstrated through the power equation:

W = V • A

(Power = Voltage x Current)

W = 13 volts • .077 amps
W = 1 watts

W = 15 volts • .067 amps
W = 1 watts

So, I disagree. Boosting volts does not help with amps. Two ways for increasig amperage are lowering impedance and increasing current supply (if maxed out) by upgrading battery and/or alternator.

I don't know very much about electronics but would it be possible to use a potentiometer or something with diodes to create dynamic resistance?

So then you could have the dial in your cabin and turn it to increase amperes?

You could have a gauge too and at the turn of a dial watch your amperes increase!

The PCM regulates Amps and such from the Alternator. There's absolutely no sense in trying to override it considering all the constant fluctuations in the systems power. As AA has stated above, buy a bigger Alternator/Battery combo for your needs.