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Stereo Upgrade

29K views 76 replies 25 participants last post by  Icanthelplt90 
#1 ·
Pioneer Avic-Z130BT - This thing is awesome. Great response time, incredible iPod/iPhone interface, Navigation is on point and has many view options, BT, Pandora, Aha (great if you have an iPhone), 7 equalizer options (including 2 custom settings), back up cam, voice recognition is a little slow but pretty user friendly.
Polk Audio MM6501 6 1/2s
Focal Access 690ca1 6x9s
- very happy with my speaker selections, very clear and extremely loud
12" Alpine SWR-1223D TypeR - custom box really makes this thing pound
RF Punch P400-4, P500-1BD
- the power behind it all

I plan on upgrading my battery and adding a capacitor as well. I'm getting some dimming in my head lights when the sub is going full boar. Does anyone have other suggestions other than changing out the alternator (didn't want to spend that kind of cash) and what I listed above?
 

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#2 ·
get more than one battery, thats really it I think. I have yet to find any HO alts for the malibu. Im surprised your car works with two amps. My headlights dim ridiculously, but I have a 15" sub ran by a 1200w amp, but stock head unit and electrical. no cap but im thinking of getting one too
 
#3 ·
I had the same issue when I had subs in my car, the dimming. To be honest it was kind of embarrassing driving down the road and having my car look like it had a bad alternator. I never found a cure but the next time I get subs, I will be getting a new battery and alternator and maybe even a capacitor.

Sweet headunit, been wanting to get an in-dash for awhile.
 
#4 ·
It sounds like the alternator is really my best option if the upgraded battery and cap don't help. I've talked to a few installers and none have recommended the second battery, they've all said that was a last resort. I may just have to deal for a while. I know what you mean about the embarrassment though, I can't stand it!
 
#6 ·
Have you used them for an alternator before? I went to the site and it doesn't have an option for a 2.4L, only 3.5 and 3.6.

And by 'big 3' what exactly do you mean?
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
#9 ·
Thanks for the info guys! I'm going to do some more research about the big 3 as this seems to be the solution I was looking for. For those that have done the upgrade, do you also upgrade the battery at the same time? If so, do you have any recommendations on brand? My installer tried to sell me one, but I didn't want to jump the gun and possibly overpay for a sub par battery that he gets paid to carry.
 
#10 ·
Ive been wanting to do the big 3 upgrade but I dont know where the positive post is on the alt. anyone know??

also whoever found the 2.4L alt can you post the link?

You dont need to upgrade the battery while upgrading the wire to something thicker, but its never a bad idea. I look into car audio alot and the most used batteries seem to be shuriken (little bit), XS power, Optima Yellow top, and Kinetik batteries. I have no idea which one I need in terms of performance, but I know that yellow tops are fairly common and do their job well.
 
#11 ·
#13 ·
Any difference for the 2.4 from year to year?
 
#14 ·
i have a similar setup, my specs are in my signature. but i dont get any dimming at all. maybe its because i have HIDs? I only notice dimming to my dome and map lights (which i put LEDs in) when i first turn on my car. After a couple mins i get no dimming at all. I have 0 gauge wiring from my battery to a distro block that runs 4 gauge to my amps. maybe this also helps? other than that i have a regular battery, stock amp.
 
#15 ·
thats interesting actually, maybe getting HIDs is cheaper than a cap + the lights will be brighter

also just by looking at the pictures, there seems to be no difference between alts of the same power but different year. So yeah I guess its safe to say that the 2008 or 9 would work on a 2010 2.4L. Those things are just so damn expensive though. Getting a battery may be cheaper, but I dont what your first choice should be (new alt over battery, or new battery over alt)
 
#16 ·
Nice job!! I saw another user mount amps the same way and I had never thought of that. I pulled my system from bonneville I had and the custom amp rack wouldn't fit in the bu. It was going to cost me $300+ to mount amps in the trunk on some new mounts. I saw how the other bu owner and now you mounted them and i think that would cut the cost down to half, maybe $150. I'll will have to inquire with the installer.

I am not tech savvy enough to do the install myself. LOL.. I can build a PC, but come to cars, I am clueless!

Anyway, nice job on the install, mine will look similar when complete.
 
#18 ·
Thank you! I had seen the other Bu owner on here with the amps installed on the backseat, and thought it was a great idea! The installer said it was super easy too!

I'm there with you on the install stuff though, I would rather have a professional do it right the first time than have me do it and mess something up, only to have to take it to an installer to correct my mistakes. And knowing me, I would def mess something up lol
 
#17 ·
I think I'm going to go with upgrading the big 3 first and see how that works. I am definitely upgrading to HIDs in the near future, so I guess we will see if that works as well. For those that have upgraded the big 3, and had someone else do it for you (I am not very savvy when it comes to these things), did you take it to a local shop or a car stereo installer?
 
#20 ·
I have found the best info on alternator/battery upgrades is to go to an independent starter alternator repair shop. These guys normally only do automotive electrical stuff. Most can give you info about whatevr setup you're doing. They can be found in most cities even small ones. They dont get much thought because of the big name parts stores with the supposed low prices.
 
#21 ·
Just have a quick question about the headunit. Thinking about going with an in dash Nav unit. I usually go with Kenwood, but been hearing really good stuff about Pioneer. Just curious though, if you don't have an iPhone (which a lot of features are exclusive to) do you still see the iPhone/Pandora/etc buttons on the screen? And why can't they do all this with Android? :(
 
#22 ·
I'm assuming they don't work with Android because they have a deal with Apple, but I don't know for sure. When I first got the head unit, I had an Android phone but was available for upgrade and went with the iPhone. I did have my iPod hooked up to it and that's what I downloaded Pandora and Aha from initially. Only problem with this is that neither Pandora or Aha will work without the iPod being connected to a wi-fi network. So it would work when I was sitting in my driveway, picking up my network, but would not work while I was driving. I could have paid the extra $20/month to make my Android a hot spot, but it didn't seem worth it, especially with my upgrade available.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Ok, but before you had the Iphone or when neither iphone or ipod is hooked up, is there an ipod button on the screen? I'd rather not have screen space used up on feature I can't use.

I have considered switching to an iphone just for the connectivity to everything, but hate the thought of itunes and all their restrictions...
 
#25 ·
No, if the iPhone or iPod is not hooked up, it will not show the option on the side. I haven't had any issues with iTunes, but I know not everyone likes to pay for music.
 
#26 ·
Anyone have a recommendation on a brand for caps? I'm seeing Stinger is really popular.
 
#28 ·
Yes, I have the stock battery still. I have looked into getting the big 3 done, but I was going to have both installed/upgraded at the same time. I've heard from a lot of people that the cap may help w/ the headlight dimming I'm experiencing.
 
#30 ·
Well I have a 500w and 400w amp. It only dims a little when the I have the subs cranked up, but it's enough that it's noticeable and I upgrading your electrical is always a good idea from what I've heard. I'll just do the big 3 first and see if that takes care of it. Thanks!
 
#33 ·
Im not sure if someone suggested this before me as I didnt want to read through the all the posts(not big on reading). A VOLTAGE STABILIZER!!!! It will make a world of difference. Very simple two wire installation, and cheap. You can find this on ebay for about 20 bucks. My boss recently installed one in his Trail Blazer SS and it even felt more responsive than last time I drove it. Everything works a lot better b/c everything has good voltage to it and when you're rpm's drop like at a stop light your lights will not dim or fluctuate as your bass hits.
 
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