I have a decent system in my trunk and I am looking to buy a cap tomorrow...I have (2) 12" subs that peak at 800, 500 rms...Pushing them is a 1000 watt 2 channel amp and a 350 watt amp for my speakers...

Anyways, how big of a cap will I need? Will 1 farad be enough, maybe 2? What do you think?

And also can one cap be used for both amps? Both amps are being run off one power wire from the battery and then through a splitter in the trunk.

 

mehh I dont like caps.. My buddy has one I rather get a 2nd battery instead but thats just me

be careful remember the 2nd gen TL guy that had one and his caught on fire for some reason...

 

I wouldnt blame it on the cap as much as i would the install (unless it was a no name cheap ebay cap)

 

^I think it was a non brand name one

 

Or....the best thing to do in my opinion is upgrade your electrical...search for big 3....high output alternator(i picked one up out of a 2000 honda odyssey(130 amps compared to our stock 105))....upgrade battery to deep cycle....

Youre adding power to your vehicle. With big systems you pushing the alternator past rated output for extended periods. A cap does NOT add power, it only helps with large bursts of power(simliar to a camera flash which is charged by a cap)...

 

Upgrades your grounds and cable from alt to battery, I'd recommend an XS Power Battery they beat the shit out of Kinetik and one will suffice for your starting battery and easily power your system. A cap isn't bad to have. Overkill isn't bad either as they don't store that much power. I have a 5 farad cap (overkill) on a 1150 wrms system with stock alternator. Been running it for a year and a half with no issues.

 

Dont waste Money on a Capacitor at First, I would easily make the Big 3 instead... You should really see how much AMPs (The Important Thing) your whole system Takes in Normal Use and Pounding, If you are outperforming your stock alternator, you are Killing it!!! and Installing a Cap wont do Crap to Aid your Electrical System.

OEM Alternator:
TL-P = 110A
TL-S = 120A

Easy Replacement Bolt On:
Oddy Alt: 130A



You should Read Here INFO ABOUT CAPACITOR MYTH:
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...itor-myth.html

Some Info:
"The larger capacitors, +40 farads or more, have been alleged to help in some situations. Unfortunately, at that pricing point, one would be better off purchasing a second "new technology" fast discharge battery."

"A capacitor is NOT a substitute for an inadequate electrical system. It takes power (current) to make power (watts) and most of the smaller capacitors will drain faster than one can blink their eyes."

"Capacitors are NOT for letting you put in a "bigger system". Capacitors do not give you more energy. Capacitors will not give you more "watts".

A capacitor is great for allowing a 4 channel amp to have instant access to all the power it needs, and for cleaning up the power generated by your alternator. Capacitors are also nice for helping to negate light dimming from using your windows, etc. while listening to your music. A big capacitor can be a good thing, and when used as a SUPPLEMENT, its a valuable piece of equipment.

If your amp pulls 200A and your car only has a 110A alternator, a cap will not help you. In fact, it might make your problem worse. If your car has an ailing alternator, and you have recently started to get light dimming from it, a capacitor will not help you and will help kill your alternator faster."


The info comes from various Electrical Engineers and Electricians so No B.S. ...

 

So I picked up a 3.5 farad cap, and I got 2awg wire and a 85 amp in line fuse for the big 3...Will this suffice? I had the fuse laying around and I just snagged the wire from work today...2gauge is the thickest that we had

I am gonna try to throw it all in sometime this week when I find some time...

However, I have a spare battery sitting in the garage...Its only 3 months old, but not the biggest...Only 450 CCA. Would it be worth it to put a battery in the trunk specifically for the system?
-How does that battery maintain its charge?


And lastly, a few questions about the cap....
-How do I ensure that the cap is going to turn off when the car is off? As of right now the amps turn off via the remote line, but will the cap do the same?
-How do I charge the cap? From what I understand just connect the 12v line to the caps input, but dont connect the output until it is completely charged up to 12v on the digital display....Is this correct?


Thanks guys!

 

You need to do a little more research before you begin your work.

Ive seen too many times where ppl wanna go loud without doing it right and end up on the side of the road with a dead alt or even worse burning up their equipment cause they just wanted to go loud.

As weve said a cap isnt going to help much if you dont upgrade the stock wiring and upgrade the alt + batt at least.

Some good places to go for info are: 12volt.com, diyma.com, and there are more I cant remember right now.

I have the feeling you just wanna beat hard but I want you to do it right. It will save you time and money in the long run and you will enjoy it alot more.

Caps are supposed to be charged slowly. Never hook 12v+ directly upon initial charge. Some come with a resistor to be put in line on the + side.

The fuse on the 12v+ line for the amps is rated to protect the amps themselves. And to prevent risk of a fire! Read first, find out what you are doing and then you can safely proceed with confidence because you know what youre doing.

Look around in the audio section. There are some really good guys in there that know their shit.

 

The cap doesnt work from a remote. It senses current flow. When current flows and its being charged its "on". It doesnt turn on and off.

 

Let me start by saying that I am all ears...I want to learn as much as possible, and I am definitely open to everyones suggestions...I will definitely check those sites out.
Anyways, I have already learned that a cap will not help much, however I alrady bought it before I learned all that, so I am just moving forward with it.


By upgrading the stock wiring, do you mean by starting with the BIG 3? Orr?? Which brings me to my next question...My battery is a top post only, will the big 3 still work? I saw in the DIY link that it is a top post and side post battery being used.

Also, what are some good batteries that you could recommend on the rather cheap side, keeping in mind that I am a student that pays his own way...With that being said, that is why my audio project is coming together so slowly...It started with a headunit, which later turned into me getting subs and a borrowed amp...A few amps later I finally bought some speakers...Once I could finally afford my own amps I got those and amped my speakers as well as cleaned up all of the wiring. This project has been going on for a few months, but I am dedicated, so stick with me.

 

top post battery doesnt mean anything - different manufacturers make theirs different for different applications.

yeah the big 3 is replacing the stock factory wiring. it was designed for the car itself and not for adding big systems.

as a good battery the guys in the audio section know more about that stuff. i got a yellow top and called it a day. i love it.

what kind of equipment are you running?

 

Thats good news about the yellow top....I work at Advance Auto so I might be able to get one with my discount.

Everything is kind of mismatched for now...

Pioneer Headunit
Kicker speakers
Sony Xplods
Rockford Fosgate speaker amp
Berlin 2 channel amp for the subs

 

as others have said -forget the cap and upgrade your factory wires. you have to remember is your running this huge wire to your amp which is great but you have crappy wires that complete the circuit. once you see these wires youll understand the importance. its barely 8awg with multiple solid strands and most likely corroded. your set up is only as good as its weakest point.

preform a current draw test before and after and you'll see the results. if your really going crazy then look into a higher output alternator but id upgrade the factory wiring before doing this. your battery plays little part once your engine is running. the battery at this point is really just filtering out any left over ac ripple from the alternator.