DC Power Engineering Frequently Asked Questions
DC Power Engineering Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Q: What are the lead times?
A: The lead times depend on the application. If the application uses a billet front cover you're looking at 1 week or less at the moment, there are some items that we are keeping stock on. If you want the housing anodized you're looking at 3-4 weeks. Cast housing applications take a few days to get built and shipped. Easiest way to find out if something is in stock is to contact us!
Q: Is everything built to order?
A: Yes, everything we do here is built to order. Every alternator starts off as an aluminum slug and is made specifically for your application. Everything is hand made and tailored specifically for your vehicle.
Q: I want to check on my order what's the best way?
A: The best way to check on your order is to use our e-mail contact form located on our contact us page. Or by sending an email to sales@dcpowerinc.com
Q: You don't have my application listed on your website, do you make something for my vehicle?
A: Just send us an email to sales@dcpowerinc.com and we can double check for you, some of the applications we have aren't listed but we're working on updating our website as we go!
Q: Do you build custom units?
A: To a certain extent, we can customize an alternator to work with most vehicles but there are limitations. If you're looking for a brand new custom unit that has to be built from scratch then there will be design, and R&D costs to go along with the alternator.
Q: What makes DC Power better than the rest?
A: Quality. Put simply, we were pioneers in the high output alternator industry implementing the latest technologies with the highest quality of materials. We do not compromise anything during the entire process from design and engineering to manufacturing and distribution. All of this results in superior products that no other company out there has been able to replicate, despite their best attempts.
Q: Why are your competitors cheaper?
A: A lot of our competitors use either outdated technology or low quality components. Alternator technology has come a long way over the past several years. Here at DC Power we continue to invent and implement the latest technology and manufacturing techniques to ensure our products are never outdated. All of our components are made to the precise specifications using only the highest grade materials. Many of our competitors have tried to mimic our products while compromising or cutting corners. The reality is that you pay for what you get and we are the best.
Technical FAQ
Q: Do I need a different belt with my new alternator?
A: Short answer is no. All of our alternators and pulleys are designed with the intention of you still using your factory belt size. It is a good idea to get a new belt when installing a new alternator to maximize the grip between the pulley and your drive system. We normally do not go down past a 2" pulley for our applications but in special cases we can go smaller but that is normally discussed with you over the phone and you will be notified if the belt size has to change before the alternator is even purchased.
Q: I have an underdrive or overdrive crank pulley/harmonic balancer, how do I make sure I'm spinning the alternator at proper speeds?
A: Our technicians will go over these pulley ratios with you to ensure the proper pulley size is installed on the alternator. Call us with your crank pulley diameter, idle rpm, and redline or email that information to us and we can get your setup dialed in to ensure your high output alternator works right out of the box perfectly with your vehicles setup.
Q: Your test sheet shows that your alternator starts producing output at 1600 RPM, do you have anything that starts putting out amps at a lower RPM?
A: Our test sheet displays "Alternator RPM" which is 3x faster than engine RPM. The 2250 RPM that is highlighted on the test sheet is the industry standard for your vehicles idle RPM. So lets say your pulley ratio between your crank and alternator is 3 to 1. So you take the 3 and multiply that by your idle RPM which let's say it's 750. 3x750 = 2,250 which is 200 amps at idle with our 270 amp alternator. If you have any questions please feel free to contact our technicians and they'll be happy to go more in depth with you on this subject.
Q: Where does the blue wire with the ring terminal on the harness go, is it a ground?
A: It is not a ground. Please hook this up to the B+ positive post on your alternator. It's for voltage sense.
Q: The plug on my original alternator doesn't match the new DC Power Alternator?
A: There is a smaller white box in the packaging that has an adapter that will plug into the DC Power alternator and then into your harness.
Q: My harness uses 3 wires and yours only uses 2. Did I get the wrong harness?
A: If your connector plugs into your harness then you've received the correct connector. We will remove a third or fourth wire because our alternators only use 2 wires to fully operate.