Just ordered a DB alternator good or bad

[ilovesvt]

Just ordered a DB alternator 200 amp......i hope i made the right choice lol
My alternator on now is charging to much it jumps from 13 to almost 16 at times its scaring me its not steady it jumps a lot,so i just went ahead and ordered a DB alternator they had a new stock 130 amp for less than 100 shipped but i decided to get a 200 amp it was 219 shipped no core since i run fans full time and might get into audio soon nothing heavy just something clean and crisp lol

But just curious if anyone has ran a DB alternator what is the life expectancy on these,i read everywhere they are very good alternators just curious if they last 5 years at least

 

[BrApple]

personally I have never heard of them. I do know that some in the past have spoken about 200 smp alternators.

As far as I know no one has needed more then a stock alternator, even with a big sound system.

 

[solo92s10]

Im running one of thier 130amp alternators with not problems as of yet. Have had it of over a year now and 5k miles maybe. Have a volt gauge in the car and always reads correct voltage.

 

[ilovesvt]

Im running one of thier 130amp alternators with not problems as of yet. Have had it of over a year now and 5k miles maybe. Have a volt gauge in the car and always reads correct voltage.

Cool,i kinda wish i got the db 130 amp now but the 200 amp is already on its way,oh well,I might just order a 130 amp from db just for a spare lying around its only like 95 shipped its cool to have things as spares when they do go out you dont have a lot of down time waiting for the part to come in....i just hate to get a orilleys or autozone electrical had very bad experiences with them and will never shop at autozone again for anything lol.....

 

[steelblueSE]

The stock 130a alt is enough to sustain 1500-1700rms of power for a sound system (for a short amount of time). However once you get above 1k, you will incur heavy voltage drop playing full tilt for more than 5mins. I compete with my stereo and the electrical system is my main bottleneck right now. I don't want to put any more $ into it because I don't think I will have the car much longer. A 200a alt and single good car audio battery (~100ah) will easily sustain around a 3-3.5kw audio system, maintaining voltage in the 13s all day.

 

[ilovesvt]

The stock 130a alt is enough to sustain 1500-1700rms of power for a sound system (for a short amount of time). However once you get above 1k, you will incur heavy voltage drop playing full tilt for more than 5mins. I compete with my stereo and the electrical system is my main bottleneck right now. I don't want to put any more $ into it because I don't think I will have the car much longer. A 200a alt and single good car audio battery (~100ah) will easily sustain around a 3-3.5kw audio system, maintaining voltage in the 13s all day.

Cool,yea i remember back in jan 2006 i had a JL 10 W7 in that eye looking box with the red carpet inside it was like only 500 watts rms with a 800 watt rms amp and it dimmed my lights and my deck everytime the bass hit when i was at a light,i guess 200amp alternator is overkill but since i run my fans full time and plan to get a decent stereo ill have plenty of juice lol....and also with my alternator now my headlights and gauge cluster lights pulsate regularly while im driving actually every light in my car will pulsate and i dont even have a deck connected either lol

 

[steelblueSE]

Cool,yea i remember back in jan 2006 i had a JL 10 W7 in that eye looking box with the red carpet inside it was like only 500 watts rms with a 800 watt rms amp and it dimmed my lights and my deck everytime the bass hit when i was at a light,i guess 200amp alternator is overkill but since i run my fans full time and plan to get a decent stereo ill have plenty of juice lol....and also with my alternator now my headlights and gauge cluster lights pulsate regularly while im driving actually every light in my car will pulsate and i dont even have a deck connected either lol

800 rms shouldn't make the lights dim and drop voltage too hard unless the amp is a class a/b which are very current hungry and inefficient. Sounds like the voltage regulator is failing on your current alt if your lights pulse with nothing else hooked up.

 

[ilovesvt]

800 rms shouldn't make the lights dim and drop voltage too hard unless the amp is a class a/b which are very current hungry and inefficient. Sounds like the voltage regulator is failing on your current alt if your lights pulse with nothing else hooked up.

Yea i heard about people saying the pulsating headlight can be fixed with some alternator wire adjustments,but i figured mine was the alternator since its reading at almost 16 at times and a very high 14 to 15 and never stays consistent jumps big numbers and only pulsates when i push the gas pedal,at idle it doesn't pulsate,it did when i first got the car but not anymore,and also on cold start up the battery light will go on and off like every few seconds until its warmed up,so i figure get a new alternator asap no rebuilt ones lol.....and a lot of people say db is very good and its 100% new so im sure it will last longer than a duralast or auto part store reman i hate remanufactured stuff ......But i really hope this takes care of the pulsating light problem,also it seems to loose a tiny amount of power but very noticable when all the lights pulsate and when i got the fans on and the headlights on the car seems kind of weak and engine moves a little because i have a very busted up roll resistor mount lol....if this doesnt fix it i guess ill have to do the alternator rewire thing

 

[steelblueSE]

Yea thats def a voltage regulator problem if its spiking up to 16. Most 12v electronics won't handle above 15v and you risk blowing them, so be careful and get that new alt in asap or you will be facing far worse problems. When you get the new alt it, you will want to upgrade the big 3 wires because the stock ones are only about 6ga and aren't designed to handle the additional current. Big 3 consists of batt to alt +, alt to chassis - and batt to chassis -

 

[ilovesvt]

Yea thats def a voltage regulator problem if its spiking up to 16. Most 12v electronics won't handle above 15v and you risk blowing them, so be careful and get that new alt in asap or you will be facing far worse problems. When you get the new alt it, you will want to upgrade the big 3 wires because the stock ones are only about 6ga and aren't designed to handle the additional current. Big 3 consists of batt to alt +, alt to chassis - and batt to chassis -

cool thanks,i really hope it fixes the pulsating lights too

 

[ilovesvt]

The 200 amp DB Alternator is installed what a huge huge difference,

*****things it fixed are

No more pulsating lights at all,i never thought id see the day that would be gone LOL

When i shift its a lot smother when i hit the gas engine doesnt clunk hard (cant even tell i have a busted roll resistor now)

The jerking is gone when im like 3rd gear going real slow it use to have a rocking back and fourth feeling kinda matching the pulsating headlights

Feels like i got a lot of smooth power back

This DB alternator stays at a constant 13.80 to 14.05 i feel at ease now i guess that is normal range
its like i just got a different CSVT lol....i never got to feel it this smooth and since ive already replaced the engine wire harness last year and put this DB alternator in i can actually enjoy driving it now what a huge difference and i didnt have to do that TSB alternator re-wire up,previous owner just put a cheap reman crappy crappy alternator in.
I will never ever buy a re-manufactured alternator AGAIN only 100% new from now on and ill probably stick with DB


The only problem with this alternator is there use to be a high pitched pulley whine now its kind of a low and slow whine more like a actual supercharger sound lol.....i need to email them and see if they can get me a new alternator pulley






7/15/12****After doing deeper research i found out that DB electronics has changed their supplier to a china manufacturer in the mid 2000s and are very unreliable a few ford truck guys say the china made ones crapped out on them after 13 months and the starters end up DOA or only last a few days so i dont recomend them.......i should have stuck to ford oem and thats what im saving up for now


So as of now im saving up for a ford oem alternator from the dealer and im going to get a digital volt gauge and when it starts getting weak ill put the ford one on asap lol.....but i do kinda want to see if the DB alternator will last at least 2 years lol i doubt it though