Whats making my little engine sputter?

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

1994 S-10 pickup, V6, 105A alternator, (don't laugh, it's paid for)
When my Boomer 400 Deluxe High Drive,
(don't laugh, it's paid for too, and I am planning to replace it) gets up to 250+ watts, at idle and low rpm, the engine sputters. I am not sure whether the alternator is stalling or if RF (dirty RF)? is freaking out the computer.

One tiny CB shop mentioned problems with 1993 - 1996 S-10 computers disliking amps.

Can I count on cleaner RF from a larger but higher quality amp, running behind the RCI 2950 DX, or the soon to arrive "Superwackpacked" General Lee, to allow my engine to run, even though more amps are flowing?

I want to get the biggest amp possible but my wallet is scared to death of buying a 500+ watt amp that kills my engine, and it's un-American to go small just in case.

I have 9ft of coax on both the in and the out of the amp. Everything is grounded with 1"+ flat braided cable. Wilson 2000 Trucker antenna. 100A cables to the battery.

Does anyone have advice on whether this is RF or Alternator related?

Will any of the high quality amp dealers allow me to try a big unit, and swap for smaller if it doesn't work?

[Guest]

I have a 105 amp on my car and run a Texas Star 500V and it works perfect!Its bound to drag the motor down a little bit at idle!

[Phaze91460]

It sounds like your are drawing too much current. Early GM CCC ( Command Control Computer or C3 ) systems were funny about power fluctuations. When diagnosing then one of the checks is constant steady power flow. First thing to check would be your battery, how old is it, will it hold a proper load, ( Go to your local parts store, they sould be able to test ) if the battery is good, is your alternator putting out the proper cuttent and voltage. As parts age they cant meet the original specs.

Side note: I was at a cust house yesterday working on an estimate. I almost drained my battery in 1 hour. When I bought that battery 3 years ago it would last for 9-10 hours running my equipment before draining BUT still starts the engine fine ........ there is just not enough reserve left.

Time for me to get a new battery !

[Guest]

SOUNDS LIKE A ELECTRIC PROBLEM
YOUR 105 AMP ALT SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLES WITH A BOOMER 400
YOU BE WASTING YOU MONEY ON A 200 AMP ALT UNLESS YOU WANT TO RUN SOME THING OVER 1K

I HAVE HEARED OF GUYS PUTTING A SHEET OF COPPER AROUND THERE COMPUTER TO HELP BLOCK OUT RF

[Guest]

:Peace!:

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

I agree with the battery load test. That will let me know whether the problem is current load or RF interference.

The battery and alternator are both relatively new. I have a battery charger that checks battery capacity, battery memory, and alternator output. They are in pretty good shape.

Also, this particular V6 4.3 Vortec engine is nearly identical to GM's V8 engines. I am thinking that I might be able to get a larger alternator from a V8 model to bolt right in.

My trucks computer is in a metal box, I can check that it is well grounded, and possibly add grounded sheet metal for additional shielding.

I've just learned about the possibility of ferrite chokes? and running as much coax externally as possible.

I think I will wait for the SuperwackPacked General Lee to be installed before doing much more with larger amps, except trying to justify the cost / gain.

It will be fun to do it in steps so I can experience the differences.

Maybe the SuperwackPacked General Lee will burn up the Boomer, so it won't be so hard to justify another amp!

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

:Peace!:

engine sputter, like as sputtering engine, like running with the choke on, like voltage dropping down to 8VDC, like putt, chug, putt, instead of vrrooom vrrooom.

The two worst were kinda funny:
I was going up a hill on a cobblestone road that was kinda freaking out the knock sensor, and I keyed up...the engine stalled so badly that I had to cut transmission short to avoid stopping completely. It felt like I turned on the Nitros by releasing the Astatic button!

Another time it caused a backfire that blew off a vacuum hose. I drove up to the guard shack at work sounding like my truck was jet powered!

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

Is it correct to have a 9 ft length of mini-8 between the radio and amp, and again between the amp and antenna?

mini 8 = 1000watts?

[Guest]

WELL,I didn't say that for sure.But you definatly need a bigger alt.That BOOMER shouldn't draw any more than my 500V and i got a 105 amp alt! :Peace!:

[Phaze91460]

Well, I ended up replacing my battery, would start the truck fine but had no reserve to keep my equipment running.

As to the 4.3 vs V8 options on alternator, GM used the same cases for most of those alternators with the exception of the posistion of the back of the case porportional to the front. But if you go to your local parts store ( Or call ) you can ask what the highest amp alternator that is available for your model and might find 150 or so is available.

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

Thanks for the info on the alternator.

Any advice on the 9ft 9ft lengths of coax, before and after the amp?

[Guest]

Need to run the shortest jumpers you can.I dont like going over six foot jumpers myself!But i would say your alright there! :Peace!:

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

Am I right in thinking that they should be in 3 ft increments, 3, 6, 9...18 " etc.

Someone recently told me to go with odd lengths to avoid coax "resonance"

[Big Hit]

You can run any length coax that you want, as long as your antenna is tuned for it.

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

Thanks Big Hit

[HI-TECH]

o yeah your rf is freaking out your ecm... i hade this same problem in my fiero witch i think runs the same kind of 160 braud ecu, when i would key up the hole thing whould start going wacky..so i tryed grounding the ecu to my firewall better (its a fiero got a rear fierwall) and bascly just ended up gitting some brass mesh and wraping it up.. but now i gotta drop the motor agin cuz i think my oil pump went bad :'( and i dotn want a spum main agin

[SmallTruckBigRadio]

Thanks Hi-Tech