Capacitor or alternator???
02-02-2006, 08:05 PM
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Capacitor or alternator??? I have a JL 500/1 with a monster capacitor running to my 2 Infinity perfect 12's and I also have a rockford fosgate 600/4 amp without a capacitor running to my highs and mids. When the subs are hitting hard, the battery gauge goes down, and my lights start dimming badly. The question is, should I be running a capacitor to the fosgate amp, or is my alternator bad? Thanks
02-02-2006, 09:35 PM
#3
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Try running the capcitor. When I was installing my system, although milder than yours ( 1 10'' ) people told me to use the 1/2 a farad capcitor. Could help you with your draining problem. Also i ended up having to buy a new alt, upgrading to 150Amps.
02-02-2006, 10:11 PM
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Originally Posted by 2001FireBird
Try running the capcitor. When I was installing my system, although milder than yours ( 1 10'' ) people told me to use the 1/2 a farad capcitor. Could help you with your draining problem. Also i ended up having to buy a new alt, upgrading to 150Amps.
don't get the cap. get an HO alt.
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02-03-2006, 05:15 AM
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If the needle is keeping time with the sub's thunping, and you already have a 1.0F to 2.0F cap on there, then an alternator upgrade is a good suggestion. The Fosgate shouldn't be causing that much of a current surge to require a cap as the high/mids play more homogenously. As compared to the bass, which continually stops and starts (from an electrical point of view).
02-03-2006, 06:39 PM
#10
I would check the "BIG 3" wire's first and upgrade them to a 1 or 0 gauge first.
If I remember correctly, the "big 3" wires are from the battery to ground, the alternator to the the battery, and I forget what the third is. Essentially, you need to make sure that the flow of current from the alternator to the battery to the amp is big enough to flow adequitly when needed.
If I remember correctly, the "big 3" wires are from the battery to ground, the alternator to the the battery, and I forget what the third is. Essentially, you need to make sure that the flow of current from the alternator to the battery to the amp is big enough to flow adequitly when needed.
02-04-2006, 08:28 AM
#12
Thanks for the clarification... sometimes the senility kicks in.
Anyways, I would look into those three first since they are pretty easy and cheap to take care of.
It's like your motor. Would you put a supercharger on the car if you still had a restrictive intake filter and clogged cats? If you can't get the air in or out, the supercharger isn't going to be effective. Swapping then to a bigger supercharger isn't going to reap any benefits since you are restricted by how much air you can pull in or push out.
Same thing with your alternator and electrical system. If you put a larger alternator or battery in it, it's not going to help much if your electrical cables aren't up to the task of keeping the system current flowing.
http://www.edesignaudio.com/wire_pro...?productid=245
There you go, it's only $50 and an hour or so of work compared to two to three times that much $$$ for a cap or alternator.
Anyways, I would look into those three first since they are pretty easy and cheap to take care of.
It's like your motor. Would you put a supercharger on the car if you still had a restrictive intake filter and clogged cats? If you can't get the air in or out, the supercharger isn't going to be effective. Swapping then to a bigger supercharger isn't going to reap any benefits since you are restricted by how much air you can pull in or push out.
Same thing with your alternator and electrical system. If you put a larger alternator or battery in it, it's not going to help much if your electrical cables aren't up to the task of keeping the system current flowing.
http://www.edesignaudio.com/wire_pro...?productid=245
There you go, it's only $50 and an hour or so of work compared to two to three times that much $$$ for a cap or alternator.
02-04-2006, 04:22 PM
#14
I would definitly look into the Big 3 1st. It usually helps better than a capacitor and is cheaper to do. It will take a bit more time to install, but helps out not only with the stereo, but with all the electronics in your car.
The OEM manufacturesonly use the cheapest and least costly option that will get the job done during testing. When you have a couple of years of use in a vehicle, the wiring oxidizes and the resistance goes up.
Just remember to make the connections nice and weatherproofed. Use soldier to "tin" the ends of the exposed wire, and then cirmp the end on. Then use Heat Shrink tubing to make it weatherproof. That type of work should last a good 10 year +.
The OEM manufacturesonly use the cheapest and least costly option that will get the job done during testing. When you have a couple of years of use in a vehicle, the wiring oxidizes and the resistance goes up.
Just remember to make the connections nice and weatherproofed. Use soldier to "tin" the ends of the exposed wire, and then cirmp the end on. Then use Heat Shrink tubing to make it weatherproof. That type of work should last a good 10 year +.
