high output alternator?

I need a bigger altenator or i need to find a way to get more amps out of mine . I installed my amp and sub and it tends to suck the life out of the car oh yes it does im running the new l7 12'' solabaric with a 1200.1 mono block on a 2 ohm phase and 2 guage wire . I wasnt sure what i could swap it out for maybe a 350 amp? or has any one or know any one where i could maybe get a diffrent pulley to overdrive the alternator?

What year is your Riv? If Series I, did they come with the 140 amp alternator?

yes they did ^

steel2040 wrote:

I need a bigger altenator or i need to find a way to get more amps out of mine . I installed my amp and sub and it tends to suck the life out of the car oh yes it does im running the new l7 12'' solabaric with a 1200.1 mono block on a 2 ohm phase and 2 guage wire . I wasnt sure what i could swap it out for maybe a 350 amp? or has any one or know any one where i could maybe get a diffrent pulley to overdrive the alternator?

Have you tried a cap? I have 2 L7's with a 1500 watt amp and a 4 farad cap and its fine. I don't know what the difference between my alternator and yours is where I have a 98 though...

if your running just one solobaric, it should not effect the car. a cap only helps a very little bit, they are ok, but almost pointless, because once that cap uses the energy for that huge bass note, the alternator has to put that charge back in it anyway. but you can try one if you want. a 160 amp alternator is plenty enough for 1200 watts.

AA wrote:

What year is your Riv? If Series I, did they come with the 140 amp alternator?

My year is a 95 and im tellin ya when that thing hits and i mean i tuned it perfectly to that 1419 watt amp the lights the dash and the headlights tend to dim at a steady pace.

ya i tried a cap it didnt make much diffrence fugg maybe ill just snatch the alt bring it to autozone and see if its dieing?

Could work.

YOUR GOING TO HAVE TO GET A NEW ALTERNATOR... BUT 350 AMPS IS TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH...LOL... WHAT I DID IS I PUT A OPTIMA BATTERY FOR NOW... AND IT HELPS ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOT... LOL... BUT NO DOUBT UR GOING TO HAVE TO GET A HIGH OUTPUT ALTERNATOR SOONER OR LATER... damn.. sorry for the caps.. lol

Stop Shouting!

i installed 3 amps to my rivi and i wanna change my alternator... something that puts out like 250 amps... anyone recommends a pace to buy it from..???

napa has some upgradded units that will fit the riv

I know that the stock Riv alternator puts out 140amps. I was looking at some 225amp units online. Has anyone used a higher power alternator in their Riv?
Any issues in the use or installation of these alternators?

The Riviera has a relatively high output already at 140 amps because the cars system's require it.
As in any electrical system the load determines how much of the source is required.
In other words, you can increase the alt. output by any number of amps (source), the car will only use what it needs (load).
My only skepticism would be the claims of this alternators actual output of 225 amps and do you need all that amperage, even with add on stereo amps you don't need that much, and will the alternator fit your car.
Napa has a replacement reman. alternator for our car's that puts out more than stock if you feel you need more output.

Who claims 225 amps? I don't believe it.

Why would you want it anyway? Stock output is 140, higher than most. Are you adding the heated windshield like Lincoln did for a few years? Now THAT had an ALTERNATOR......

Higher amperage alternators run hotter, and are known to fail earlier than stock units. Also, a "good" high-amp alternator costs $$$$. Lower cost units, beware!

Our 140 amp units are very robust, so they will usually last a long time, and they have enough juice to power large audio systems. If you are having issues, make sure your battery is in good condition, and then add a power cap if your headlamps are still dimming.

The Reman unit from NAPA with a warranty is 150 amps and I think you can get up to a 3 year warranty for about $150.00 IIRC.
Don't hold me to the $$, it's been a while since i asked about one.
That is the stock replacement size that they carry for the Riv. They may sell higher output ones, I don't know for sure you'll have to ask.

I would contact Nate @ excessive Amperage.

Likewise you can contact a dealer and my contact- Mike: cargodzracing@yahoo.com, (419)-866-1413 or on his forum:
http://www.caraudiocentral.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=57

He can get you hooked up.

What amps did you install and/or what problems are you experiencing? What does you system consist of? What are you trying to achieve?

http://motorcityreman.com/high-amp-alternators-buick-riviera.html

I asked about one for a 1995 he told me that yes it doesnt show that year but they can do it for the same price!

$191 is less than a stock replacement...

There is no real need to upgrade the 140 amp in a rivi. (my oppinion) If your having issues it is probably a wiring problem. I run two amps with four gauge wire no problem. I did replace the ground to my battery and the positve connection.
I had a local shop rebuild my alternator he replaced everything for $90 bucks.
I maintain 14.1 volts all the time perfect for amplifiers.

Has anyone here upgraded their alternator to a high output alternator? I am getting ready to do this myself, in the next month or so, but its not the alternator install I'm worried about, it's the rewiring. I am just trying to figure out what is involved in upgrading the alternator wiring to a lower gauge. I would appreciate any information about where the wiring runs through the car, what wires are necessary to replace, and what hookups I need to make.

O by the way this is for a '98 Riviera.

What are you looking to run? Factory output is 140amps.

200 to 240 amps