MPG losses from car stereo ?
 

I searched previous threads, but did a quick, sloppy job, so I may have missed it ........ so, here is the question :

If I replace my car stereo with a NORMAL stereo and speakers ( no huge mega subwoofers )
What kind of mileage drop should I expect while using the stereo ?

O.K. Just for comparison, WHAT IF I did go all out and install a fancy subwoofer and all ?
What kind of mileage drop should I expect then ?

Normal stereos don't pull much juice thankfully. I can't speak for a mega setup.

Even in a mega stereo configuration, your mpg loses will likely be drawn from the weight of the equipment. That then would depend on the weight of the components, like box, amps, speakers, sound deadening.

A "normal" stereo, as in an aftermarket head unit pushing aftermarket speakers in factory locations will draw between 2 and 6 amps of current at normal listening volumes, peaking as high as 12 or so amps under the heaviest of loads, momentarily.

This isn't much at all, nor is the weight significant - I would consider its impact on fuel consumption trivial at best.

Throw a modest subwoofer and modest amplifier in the mix (not the kind of thing you hear 6 blocks away... just adequate augmentation to a normal stereo) and you're still under 10 amps typical current consumption at less than full volume listening.

The guys who are really serious about car audio might have systems drawing over 250 amps of current and subwoofer enclosures weighing over 400 lbs.... but that's probably not what you were asking about ;)

if youre crazy like me, you can rip out all your speakers but the one by the driver door. minimize that power draw

I have only one speaker too. All mine were blown, so I removed all but the least blown ones.
It really sucks when listening to songs recorded in stereo. :)
Still looking for someone who's replaced their factory 6.5 inch round speakers to replace my fronts.

I find the losses from the radio are not from the power draw, but from the distraction. I can't focus as well and so I don't hypermile as well.

If both of the stereos are outputting the same volume, the difference is probably nil -- not worth worrying about.

If you're concerned about weight, have you looked at your own bodily weight? Reducing that will bring benefits to any vehicle you ride in, and consuming less will mean fewer trips to the grocery and overall less impact to the environment.

1 HP = 746 watts. I see typical stereos advertising 200 watts/channel, so if you crank the volume to the max (goodbye, eardrums!) you could theoretically lose about half a horsepower.

Of course in the real world, you'll be using less than that even at full volume, because the sound level will vary...

Hi James,

There is probably very little connection between what an amplifier is rated at, and what it actually is able put out into a dynamic load (the loudspeaker and it's crossover). Also, there will be losses since no amp Class A/B amp can be very efficient, by definition.