Electrical usage and FE

[jhardy]

I am looking to install power windows and door locks in my car along with a single sub. Before installing these items i was wondering if anyone could tell me how electricity is provided to accessories in a car. Will the sub and power windows and door locks be using any power when they are off, or will they only be drawing power when they are in use? Has anyone tested the load on the alternator while running a sub if so do you have any numbers for FE with the sub on and off. Thanks in advance.

[theholycow]

Don't worry about it. While it's true that reducing electrical usage helps FE, you're talking about a very tiny amount (unless that sub is pretty large), so small that it will probably be undetectable.

I've never heard of power windows or locks that draw power when not being operated, however if you're going to use keyless entry then that pulls a very small amount...again, nothing I'd suggest worrying about.

[trautotuning]

Go for the convinience instead

It will make you less stressed and thus less of an agressive driver

[Erdrick]

If by sub you mean a subwoofer, then you should scrap the whole idea. You will rattle your car to pieces, kill your hearing, risk getting noise violations, destroy any of the mids/highs that you would normally be able to appreciate, destroy your alternator, run your battery low, and lower your sperm count, assuming you are a male. Haha.. that last one was a lie.. maybe. The others were ALL things that I personally experienced after installing a couple subs though.

Oh, and a lot of the more hardcore guys that used to hang out here got insane FE from disconnecting all speakers and their radio. Some even went so far as to remove their alternator, and just have fully charged batteries waiting for them at their regular destinations. That and never drove at night.

So, if you want to get real hardcore, then you could stick to roll windows and an IPOD. Then again, who needs music when you have the beautiful revving of your ride to enjoy as you coast along? Err, if you were REALLY doing it right you wouldn't even have that, as you would be EOCing everywhere you went.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by Erdrick

So, if you want to get real hardcore, then you could stick to roll windows and an IPOD.

Wearing headphones/earphones while driving is illegal in many (most?) places...not to mention, extended use damages hearing more than the same amount of time worth of regular speakers at equivalent volume...

[civic94]

it really wont mess anything up. look at my 94 civic, its a dx and i put EX doors on it with the power windows and 2 10' subs when i was younger. i was running a 700 watt amp and the headlights never dimmed. nowadays, i enjoy my bass less music since im older and not into too much rap anymore


also my power windows are connected straight to the battery, with a 20 amp fuse. 4 years of it and no battery problems

[Ratman667]

i have one 10" sub powered by a 250w amp. i dont have power locks or windows. but a low power sub/amp combo wont hurt any. look at my numbers in the garage. i normally keep my music up loud enough so keep from hearing all the road noise and rattling that comes with a cavalier.

[Jay2TheRescue]

LOL, maybe this is why Rusty gets poor mileage... 150 amp alternator, power everything, and an Alpine stereo with a 340 watt amp...

Or maybe its just because he's 22 years old, has nearly 190,000 miles, and has never had the carb rebuilt.

-Jay