1980 stingray

[raver_boi_88]

hey guys, I have a question, I have a 1980 corvette stingray with a 350 5.7 liter engine and I was wondering about a couple of things. I recently installed a bunch of new car audio stuff in the vette and now my battery wont hold a charge for more than an hour...I know I wired the amps right because i do it on a day to day basis. When the car goes off the amps go off, is there some way that they could still be pullin power even though they are off?? Anyone with any suggestions or tips please tell, i need some major help...I miss driven my ray...

[Joe_Black]

Did you upgrade your alternator when you installed the audio? The older 'vettes didn't have much electrical requirements so the alternators aren't up to snuff for powering big audio, so likely you've killed the battery. Upgrade the alternator with a higher output exchange HD unit from your local AutoZone (lifetime warranty too!) and spend some money wisely on an Optima Red or Yellow top battery.

[VehiGAZ]

Not sure what you mean by "now my battery wont hold a charge for more than an hour"... does that mean the car runs for an hour before dying? Does it mean that the car will go dead after an hour of being off?

In any case, check your engine fuse(s) - you may have blown one out, causing the car to run on the battery instead of the alternator. Or, it may be another component that is drawing power from the battery when everything is off.

I can't help suggest anything more helpful without more specific info on what exactly is goign wrong.

[WormGod]

Yep, anytime you upgrade a system in an older car, you best get a larger alternator as well. Older cars didn't have much use for all the electronics we have now, so they had pretty basic alternators. Also, I would upgrade to a larger battery and maybe even some power cells for the stereo itself.

[raver_boi_88]

the car has the red optima battery already in it and It runs once I jump start it so I know the battery is still good, but the car doesnt have an alternator, it has a generator, i dont know what the difference is between the two but i will try to replace it. thanks for the 411

[Joe_Black]

If it runs once jumped you're probably getting ignition juice from the alternator. Disconnect the battery while running to verify (if it dies you have a bad alternator) as even Optimas can be killed or fail. My yellow-top finally died after 6 years in 3 different vehicles. Hard to believe a 1980 has a generator, but you can pull up to an AutoZone etc. and they'll tell you for sure. Generators typically have a longer, narrower profile than an alternator since they produce DC whereas alternators make AC. My '75 'vette had an alternator and I haven't seen a generator on anything much later than the 60's models. Of course there's no telling what some braniac may have done to the car in previous ownership!