how many amps is my alt?

[Twink]

how do i find out how many amps my alternator can put out? i drive a 96 buick regal.

[PONY EXPRESS]

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MAYBE 105 AMPS based on these listing

(The above link was removed per request of webmaster at Parts Geek)

[Twink]

105A? wow... i thought it was like 50 or 60... if i'd have known that, i''d have got a bigger amp! my amp has a max draw of 52, that should leave plenty for the rest of the car right?

[PONY EXPRESS]

105A? wow... i thought it was like 50 or 60... if i'd have known that, i''d have got a bigger amp! my amp has a max draw of 52, that should leave plenty for the rest of the car right?

Your car needs that extra amperage to run HEAD LIGHTS ,RADIOS ,TURN SIGNALS, BREAK LIGHTS ,TAIL LIGHTS ,THE FAN THAT BLOWS ETC ETC ...
If you run your amp properly and dont overdrive it you should be ok. I have a 450 watt amp in my little 4 cyl 95 AMP ALTERNATOR but we do not run it as hard as it could be run. Just because it says 500 watts means you have to putout 500 watts when 400 watts would do the same thing.
I have 4 power setting and well we never use the HIGH setting and drive it with only 2 watts AM Dead Key swinging upward and SSB 12 Watts . I want the amp and the cars alternator to think they are just being babied.

[MECHMAN]

105A? wow... i thought it was like 50 or 60... if i'd have known that, i''d have got a bigger amp! my amp has a max draw of 52, that should leave plenty for the rest of the car right?

That vehicle will require roughly 60 amps by itself just with the AC, headlights and stereo running. The 105 amp CS series alternator only makes about 70 of it's 105 peak amps at idle, so you will still crash it at idle speeds. Going down the highway, with no AC running, you will probably be OK with a 52 amp radio draw.

[Twink]

i never run the stereo while on the radio because of bleedover issues, my ac consists of rolling down the window. hopefully i'll be ok, i'm ripping out the ac to put in another alt next tax season, so i can run an 8pill!

[MECHMAN]

I have bolt-in large case conversion kits for your vehicle that would not require running two alternators. They produce 250 amps with over 150 amps at idle.

Coversely, if you don't mind fabricating, I have 140 amp one-wire GM alternators on closeout right now for $100 shipped. (regularly $199) That would be a good inexpensive way to go to use as a seccond alternator.