[montyguru]

Originally Posted by navin

A weakened battery will not have cranking amps to start the car after 3 days.

believe me, if a couple of cells are working at 50% specific gravity, it becomes erratic. there's no cranking problem. it's not to say that battery has conked off. it shows full charge too. only that it's not performing to its optimum with may be a couple of cells weak. in due course though an erratic cranking problem is the next thing that may start.

also i don't think it's a radiator surge issue, the frequency of dips per minute is too high, a radiator doesn't come on n off so many times in a minute as much as his music dips.

[Bass&Trouble]

Originally Posted by montyguru

also i don't think it's a radiator surge issue, the frequency of dips per minute is too high, a radiator doesn't come on n off so many times in a minute as much as his music dips.

Radiator surge? What is that supposed to mean?

[valhallen.282]

@B&T The radiator fan is a large DC fan and pulls a lot of power on startup so these guys think that for that instant that it pulls power is when the ICE is cutting off. Is it possible for you to check if the amps are shutting off somehow?

[CrackedHead]

What if we temporarily hook up another fully charged battery in Parallel using jumper cables? Wouldn't that compensate for a sudden increase in load (like the AC switching on)?

[m4ugr8]

Change the amplifiers as Navin sir is suggesting to some more efficient ones that will play at low voltages also, like I explained in my previous post on this thread, this problem existed with my Genesis Profile sub ultra, but once I shifted to iD amplifiers it was gone.

@GTO : I hope this explains the reason for now shifting back to stock audio, you can't enjoy ICE in this car period. I choose to remove my setup and rather install it in my other car where at least I can enjoy it.

[navin]

no you can enjoy ICE in this car.

Changing amps to Steg has helped remove this dipping issue. The only problem is that Steg is a ...hmm...how do you say it...."pricey"?

I talked to both GTO and B&T last night and B&T belives we should have an economical solution in a day or 2. Failing this we have plan B in place. Plan B will be disclosed if Plan A fails.

[valhallen.282]

Originally Posted by navin

no you can enjoy ICE in this car.

Changing amps to Steg has helped remove this dipping issue. The only problem is that Steg is a ...hmm...how do you say it...."pricey"?

I talked to both GTO and B&T last night and B&T belives we should have an economical solution in a day or 2. Failing this we have plan B in place. Plan B will be disclosed if Plan A fails.

Ahhhh so this is why we haven't heard about the problem in the last two days. I thought the vitamin 'M' issue might rear its ugly head. Coz the 'M' needs to go under the hood for hot stuff rather than the 'cool' ICE :P

[navin]

With all due respect to GTO, I think Steg amps are a triffle overkill for the processed music he listens to.

B&T is looking at alternatives that are similarly regulated but will fit the budget. It would be unfair for me to speculate as to what these alternates could be.

[valhallen.282]

Navin sir dare I ask what the budget is? and the prices of the stegs are? And also what music GTO sir listens to?

[GTO]

*Update* And its GOOD NEWS, after 9 pages of discussion. The 2 DLS speaker amps were replaced with a single steg (with of course, both subwoofers + their amp running). From last evening to this morning, I've driven 50 kms, primarily in bumper to bumper traffic. NO DIP, not a single missed heartbeat . Tried all combinations (air-con, wiper, headlamps, highbeam) and even lifting the car really slow from a standstill, to the point where she would have stalled. No sound dip.

As Navin said, the Stegs an expensive amp and I'm not sure if I want to spend more $$$ on the ICE (this is already the most expensive car audio I've bought till date). Lets see what options he & Ajay bring up, but I'm glad we've zero'ed in on the problem (i.e. the DLS speaker amps being unable to perform at low voltage). Apparently, the steg can deliver the goods even at 10V.

@ Navin : Please disclose plan B as there might just be a guest viewing this thread with the same problem. Could help him.

[sanjayc]

Was a capacitor tried at any stage as suggested by a few in this thread couple of times. AFAIK, was'nt it supposed to be the most economical solution..or is it too low tech a solution to even bother trying?

Car Audio Capacitors - Why You Can't Do Without Them - by Roger Charles

I've heard the question asked many times before, 'Do I really need a capacitor?' Before answering that question I ask, 'Do you have a high powered system?' 'Does it require sudden power bursts?' 'Is your amplifier being robbed of power?' If the answers to my questions are yes, make every effort to connect a capacitor to your car audio system.
A capacitor is a bit similar to your car battery; it stores electrical energy. But unlike a battery it doesn't produce its own power, it simply stores it. A car audio capacitor will help you get the most from your amplifier. It will store power for release on demand, delivering it to your amplifier just when it's needed.
..
..
..
When you want to reduce headlight dimming, improve bass response, and increase the power of your amp, a stiffening capacitor is a must. Equipped with capacitor and an adequate power supply, your system will get every bit of current it needs. Voltage drops will be a thing of the past.

Roger Charles is a successful author and publisher of Car Stereos Guide

[nitrous]

Hi Rush,
Can you post the model number of the italian Steg amplifier?
Would be interesting to compare the specs.

[CrackedHead]

@ GTO - I would suggest getting a couple of Clarion GH series amps to replace the Steg/DLS.

Look at Clarion DPX2251 - good VFM + SQ for 14K shipped to your door.

[GTO]

Can you post the model number of the italian Steg amplifier?

Steg K Competition Series K2 01. It's a pretty wild amp, I must say:

Steg K-Series amps use oversized regulated power supplies, swappable crossover modules, fan cooling, and a host of other features.

Navin & Ajay state that the Steg is much tightly regulated and way beefier in the power supply department. It's microprocessor based.

Now, here's a twist to the equation. I went down and played with the fader. Turns out the rear speakers are very much active. Ajay spoke to his installer and he replied "Nope, I haven't disconnected the rear amp at all". Translated = replacing 1 DLS with a Steg (while retaining the other DLS as well as the VSL sub-woofer amp) eliminated the dipping entirely. To recap:

Original situation : 2 DLS speaker amps + VSL sub woofer amp = Dipping

Trial : 2 DLS speaker amps (VSL disconnected) = Still dipping

Current : 1 DLS speaker amp + VSL sub amp + 1 Steg speaker amp = NO Dipping

So, is the Steg that much more efficient that merely replacing one DLS has eliminated the dipping? Conversely, are the DLS that much of a resource hog? I mean, it's the first time in 2 months that I've driven the car without sound loss in traffic.

Plus, the Stegs have improved my disco sound even further. The tweeters are alive. We're now going to replace the other DLS with a Steg (thus, 2 Stegs for speakers and 1 VSL for the sub woofer) and if it works......I'm going to stick with it. Going to be more $$$ and take me way over budget for sure, but what the heck. Atleast I have a system that works as intended. The better sound is an unexpected bonus.

[valhallen.282]

Originally Posted by GTO

Plus, the Stegs have improved my disco sound even further. The tweeters are alive. We're now going to replace the other DLS with a Steg (thus, 2 Stegs for speakers and 1 VSL for the sub woofer) and if it works......I'm going to stick with it. Going to be more $$$ and take me way over budget for sure, but what the heck. Atleast I have a system that works as intended. The better sound is an unexpected bonus.

Yep seems like you've been bitten by the bug that these forums spread. Reminds me of a certain 'dr' we kept talking to in plenty!
Didn't you say that the steg was a 4 channel or navin sir said it was a 4 channel. Then why one more amp?