How many amps (draw) can the stock electrical system handle?

[TahoeJim]

My Tahoe has a new GM sealed battery and the factory alternator is a 160 amp model. Without getting into caps, dual batteries or upgrading the alternator, how big of an amplifier draw can this system handle?

I'm looking at 2 different power amps. The 4 channel model has 2x20 amp fuses. The 5 channel model has 2x35amp fuses.

 

[SunlitComet]

Technically you can draw several hundred amps off the battery if you wires are big enough. You should be running dedicated power to the amp line terminal anyways. the fuses in those amps should not blow even if you run it at rated power continuosly. The five channel should be fine with 60A fused line from the battery. 40Afor the four channel.

As far as the alt keeping up: With engine at idle and all other accesories off should get you a lot of amp output out of the five channel without draining the battery too meaning the alt can keep up fairly well. At higher engine speed it is definitely not an issue. In order to play those amps at maximum power draw you would probably want to wear some ear plugs. If your speakers don't blow first from overload maybe. you should get about at least 80-90 amps from that alt idle.

 

[blueflamed03]

You should be more than fine, for now I have a 5 channel amp that is about that size off factory alt, and Kinetik HC1800 and its more than enough.

 

[TahoeJim]

I do realize all about proper cabling from the battery, grounds, etc.....I used to be heavily into car audio back in the mid/late 80's, even competing in IASCA and NACA every so often. Since then, nothing at all and I don't have a reference point to know how how much juice the Tahoe actually uses vs. the 160 amp alternators output. The "surplus" is what I was after.

I remember with the 5.0 Mustang LX's I used to build up, the stock alternator and battery were barely able to keep up with my typical "street setup" which involved 3 Orion amps, various sound processors and crossovers. Ford would end up replacing a battery every 5 months under warranty and an alternator once a year. My dealer was very understanding and pushed a lot through the system for me.

 

[SunlitComet]

You can use inductive ammeters to determine how much each system uses and where it goes.