Increase alternator voltage without needing a tune?

You don't need no steenkin' re-map, just go this route:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcZe8_RZO8c

 

Whadya think were modifying with vF? Hover mode is coming on the next update.

 

Really?! Screw the warranty, I'm in!

 

See, in my case I am solely using AGM for car audio. I don't have plans on fully discharging the battery and most of the time the system will be backed by the alternator. However, there will be times where I might drain the battery %20-30 by sitting in acc mode for some time. That coupled with the higher draw of the amp (120 amps) I like the faster recharge and larger capacity of AGM, as well as never having to worry about the corrosion build up I had on my original 4Runner battery before going AGM.

So, if the intent is to use the system for my intended purpose, but not really be in the camping/rv crowd where I am running accessories for 24 hours a day and run the risk of REALLY needing a cyclic charge, then could an AGM battery that was originally topped off on a charger using an AGM profile then plugged into a system that only ever gave it float voltage BUT was never drained fully then operate fine at that point? (Hell of a run on sentence thinking out loud at this point)

 

Who needs a flux capacitor, let's go straight for the lightning bolt. (looks for closest clock tower)

 

Sweet! The lack of stainless steel flashing through time has not been a issue, yet. Hahaha!

AGM certainly has its advantages. I'm curious to see how long my 18mo old standard battery lasts with a fridge hooked up from time to time. I suppose that I could disulfate it on a tender from time to time.

I'd be SOL here in WA. Thunderstorms are quite rare.

 

The profiles are based on coolant temp, not ambient temp.

you can set it all the way to 14.7 if you really wanted to. I set it at 14.2 as I think it’s a good middle ground to get some more input but not have to worry about stressing the system too much. I switched to a hood mounted solar panel a while back and don’t even worry about power any more

 

So you run at 14.2 AND have a solar trickle?

 

Dammit! Thanks for the correction.

 

Yeah that’s what I had been doing. Now I just have the stock charging settings and let the panel do it’s thing. It’s got more than enough input

 

Yeah that’s part of why the settings are so damn confusing and doesn’t really matter if you have a curve or not.

truck gets to operating temp and stays there.. so the voltage doesn’t change

 

Makes sense.

 

Thanks all! I think for the time being I'm going to top it off from time to time with a pigtail, see how far that gets me.

 

I'm sort of glad you are. All of this tech talk was making my brain explode. You're dealing with a guy here for whom doing a Meso total tail stage 1 mod himself (and actually having it work correctly) was a major accomplishment

 

Didn't quite get to brain explode, maybe just a touch of brain melt. It's good info nonetheless, even for others who are in the same boat (man I wish we still had the ALT-S circuit under the hood). The info between @tonered and @Shellshock was new stuff that I hadn't come across yet in the forums, especially with the temp tracking.

Those Meso tail light mods look great too btw. Did you notice a big difference in brightness switches bulbs out for the LED's?

 

Oh absolutely. And it's not just the brightness, it's the functionality change the kit provides as well. Having both the top and bottom half of the tail lights work as brake lights now, as well as a bright yellow turn signal, I think enhances the safety of the truck. I was hesitant to try the install because, frankly, I am mechanically impaired lol, but it actually ended up being pretty simple, even for me.

 

Have you considered a capacitor for your audio needs rather than going the higher alternator output? A big-ass, 3 Farad Capacitor should be more than enough buffer to serve your sound system when you are playing Rebecca Black's "Friday" with the windows down and the system up. IIRC, I had a 2 or 3 farad cap in my diesel build and never had issues. Before effing with your Taco's output I would invest in a cap. Worth your consideration IMO.

 

ROFL, Friday......

Thanks for the suggestion. Not really in need of a cap at the time being, historically I found caps more useful for setups that maybe had insufficient gauge power/ground wiring, and/or systems that had more erratic higher current draws like multiple sub woofers and someone is burping bass lines. Then the cap helps just to buffer those moments as caps are quick discharge quick charge, not so much sustained.

My goal is more a sustained upgrade, but at the same time getting all the benefits of AGM, like no more corroded terminals, higher CCA, larger aH rating, and of course quicker recharge. Good idea, just don't think it's what I am looking for.... at the moment at least

 

I heard back from vF Tuner. Surprisingly, sharing a Tactrix for flashing is technically allowed. The big caution was to not do it though as there are no protections with likely thousands of dollars tied to an adapter serial number / License. This reflects my case as I have a slew of Credits on my account. Putting that amount in security will likely not make sense?

 

Oh, for sure that makes sense. I guess I really didn't think about credits already attached to a serial number, yeah that would be a liability for sure. Thanks for checking though, it's good info to know that it's allowed.