So I finally got my amp hooked up in my new truck. I posted before asking if I'll need a new alternator or cap. I ended up just using one amp (the MTX Thunder 304) to power a pair of Pioneer 6.75's and an MTX 12" 8000 series sub.

Well, tonight I turn it on and my headlights are dimming quite a bit, so it looks like a new alternator.

But my question is, the battery terminals are covered in that white corrosion crap and tonight when I shut my truck off, I hit the remote to lock it but it didn't lock. So I open my door and nothing comes on. Well, I pop the hood and wiggle the terminals and everything starts working again. Is that corrosion on the terminals causing this? Also, right before I shut the truck off, the stereo was up a little bit and when I started to roll the windows down, the stereo (head unit stayed on) shut off. When I let off the window button, the stereo came back on. And after I start it up and when the truck starts moving, the whole stereo (head unit and all) goes off but then comes right back on. I'm not even gonna turn it on until I know what's causing this. I have a feeling it's that corrosion not letting it get a good connection, so I'm gonna clean them off tommorrow. What do you guys think? Could it be something else?

BTW, my alternator puts out approx. 80-85 amps and my amp has 3 25 amp fuses in it.

Thanks,
Josh

 

You definitely need to clean that crap off with some sort of weak metal brush. Also look for any corrosion on the wires and connection points near the battery. You shouldn't have any severe problems running just that amp.

 

If you used one of those side post adapters on your battery I can almost guarantee that you've cracked your battery's casing. I did it to 2 different batteries before I realized what was causing it to happen. Our batteries are sealed and they shouldn't corrode like they used to a long time ago. If this is the case you need to remove your battery and use a mixture of baking soda and water to neutralize any acid that has leaked onto your battery tray and the surrounding area.

The side post adapter bolt is too long. When you torque it down it bottoms out in the battery. Use caution when you disconnect the adapter. The battery terminal may fall out of the battery when you go to loosen the adapter post.

I ended up using a bench grinder to shorten my adapter post.

 

IF YOU WANT YOUR LIGHTS TO STOP DIMMING YOU COULD
GET A 1 FARAD(SP) CAP. AND YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO!!!!

 

Actually I installed this into my Frontier. It's got an AC Delco battery that uses terminals that "wrap" around the top post. So I'm not sure if it's sealed or not.

I'm about to head out to clean it all off. Hopefully that corrosion is the problem.

Thanks all,

Josh

 

Just to be on the safe side I would still pull the battery and check the tray (and areas around it) for any signs of corrosion. If it is you've got a cracked battery.

Something else I tried was some of those treated felt washers that you place around the battery terminals that are supposed to prevent corrosion. I used that and some spray on corrosion inhibitor and neither of them helped any. Thats when I started thinking that the battery was leaking. When I went to remove the post the terminal fell right out of the battery.