Alpine Head Unit keep shutting down intermittently! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

edge · #1 03-01-2014, 05:06 PM

Now lately my Alpine iDA-X200 Head Unit with my 8" Bazooka sudwoofer has been shutting down intermittently lately. I would be driving and it would shut down then power up again. I check the connections and there does not seem to be anything loose. Is this an indication that my battery is weak and cannot power my stereo? Or that my alternator is weak and can't adequately charge my battery? When I am driving along, is my alternator or battery powering my stereo? Thanks.

LandYaghtLover · #2 03-01-2014, 05:10 PM

I have an Alpine that did the same thing. For me it turned out to be a weak regulator or alternator. I simply replaced the alternator for an amperage upgrade.

TheAlmightySam · #3 03-04-2014, 06:09 PM

When you're driving, the electrical load is on the alt, though if the alt is kicking less voltage than the battery has stored, the battery will feed the system as well. This is why a gas-powered car can actually run for a (brief) period of time with a non-functional alt: everybody's running off the battery, at least until the battery hits low enough voltage that the coil can't do its job anymore. After that, bad things happen that usually involve tow trucks.

I would be very tempted to hook up a voltage gauge somewhere (maybe hook a cigarette lighter adapter to a cheap parts store volt gauge?) and watch where your voltage is at when the head unit shuts down.

I know on my W124, if it's cold out, the car is freshly-started with glow plugs having just run, the lights, fan, defroster, amplifiers, and air ride compressor are all running, sometimes my HU will shut down for a minute, which I'm 99% sure is a low-voltage condition. Time to invest in a bigger alternator for me.

EDIT: Stop! Grammar time!

LandYaghtLover · #4 03-04-2014, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAlmightySam

This is why a gas-powered car can actually run for a (brief) period of time with a non-functional alt.....

Side story. All my dash lights came on at once. I had to power the car out of snow, in doing so the alt belt came off. I managed a half hour drive in a gasser at night on country backroads for 30 minutes, then through town. Lights slowly dimmed, but she made it.

TheAlmightySam · #5 03-05-2014, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LandYaghtLover

Side story. All my dash lights came on at once. I had to power the car out of snow, in doing so the alt belt came off. I managed a half hour drive in a gasser at night on country backroads for 30 minutes, then through town. Lights slowly dimmed, but she made it.

Side story #2: On the early Cummins turbo diesels, the only electrical goodie needed to keep the truck running is a single fuel shutoff valve. It's a pretty common mod to simply remove that valve (or jam it open), which will let the truck run indefinitely without a battery or alternator so long as it has fuel. Kinda neat.

edge · #6 03-22-2014, 03:33 PM

Recharged the battery and it holds the charge well. After fully charging overnight, the volts read 12.72, a bit high but after an overnight. With the engine running the volts are reading 13.2-3 so it's charging properly. Is the Alpine head unit + the Bazooka 8" sub requiring too much juice for the oem alternator? It a Walmart battery less than 2 years old made by Johnson controls. What to do?