I'm installing my sound system tomorrow. and the shop said that they would charge $150 for the cap...

i think it's too $$$, so i'm gonna buy them from ebay..

what would you recommand?

and..what's the price range? and.. should i get two? or just one?

(jl 12w7, 1000/1, and 300/4)

 

i suggest that you not waste your money on a cap at all. Take that money that you allotted towards a cap and put it towards getting your alternator rewound.

 

I agree...your stock alternator is only 80amps max...http://www.carsdirect.com/research/a...98/23/features

There is no way it will run both of your amps, it wont even run the 1000/1. You need to get your alternator rewound to put out more power first thing. Or you will have some big time light and power issues.

A cap can be helpfull, but only if you have enough juice from the alternator in the first place - the cap can just smooth out the volts and help to keep them high for bass peaks. But the JL amps you are using produce the same output from 11.5-14.4 volts - so a cap is really pointless for your setup, unless you just want one.

 

how do i rewound my alternator then?

and.. i'm also putting optima yellow..

 

you will just have to look up companies near your area. I know...Ohio Generators has done a few for the TL guys

http://www.ohiogen.com/

But you will have to take it off and send it in (so no ride for a week or so). But you HAVE to do that if you want to run that kind of power in your system. The yellow top is a great battery and also a near must for a high power system, but it really only helps if you want to listen to your system with the car off - only use the battery for power.

 

How much more power can you get from a rewound alternator?

 

^^ I agree with everyone here. Don't get a cap...the JL slash series is a fully regulated amp, so a cap will do it no good. Modify the alternator or buy a new high performance one.

 

i just came back from a shop, and he said that like.. "who said that shit? it doesn't matter at all.." something like this.. oh well.. he's professional.. so i'll just let him to do.. if there are problems, he will warranty it..
btw how much would a new high performnace one be? and i have 1st gen cl.. and what kinds of them should i get? price range?? hmmm

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if your installer said that; in reference to upgrading your alternator, then you need a new installer before you have an iota of work done. How do I know this? I am a professional installer. I have been one for quite some time now. If this still doesn't convince you then I impose upon you the request that you ask your installer about the average load the amplifiers stated above will draw from your battery, and if he can tell you exactly how many amperes a capacitor would compensate for.


For those that know the answer to that question hold on and let's see if the installer in question can answer it.

 

professional my ass, he obviously has no idea how much power your stock alternator can put out and how much those amps are going to require. Obviously they will play with the stock setup - but you might as well get the 500/1 and some cheep ass 50/2 amp because thats all you are going to be able to push.

With an 80 amp alternator - it will put out a max of about 950 watts at 12 volts or about 1100 at 14.4 volts. Now that is all fine and good, but your car needs most of that to run and all your other accessories, plus that is only 80 amps MAX. So at idle you are probably getting 50 or 60 at the most.

I gave you that website to answer your questions - not to ask us again...

 

 

Many installers aren't real good with the electricity thing...

 

okay.. what if i get a high performance alternator that has like 135 amps or 150 amps, is that okay then?

1. changing alternator
2. optima yellow
3. cap

will be fine then??

thanks for the help guys

 

^^ You don't need a cap.

 

oh okay.. the main part is alternator...right? the stock one won't hold for 1000/1 and 300/4... so if i change the alternator, will it be straight?

 

This is what you do, In this exact order:

1) Remove Capacitor from your vocabulary

2) Hook up your system

3) Big 3 wiring Upgrade:
a) Battery negative to chassis
b) Alternator to battery positive
c) Chassis to engine
http://forum.sounddomain.com/forum/u...=5;t=007801;p=

4) After you are done with the upgrade test your voltage drops with your system on.

5) If your voltage drops aren't significant, you are finished, continue to bump away. If you are getting significant drops and dimming, proceed to step 6

6) Uprgade your alternator: either have your Alt rewound/rebuilt by a reputable company like OG. Like Ou Sig said you will have to send them yours so your car will sit for a week or so or find a local company to do the job.

OR buy a new High Output Alternator from a reputable company. OG is one of the best in the business but you will end up paying $500 and up for a new one. Other suggestions that are around $200-$300 for a 150-200 amp Alt: Excessive Amperage, Mechman, Mean Green, Motorcityreman. What ever you do stay away from Alterstart, heard a few horror stories about their product. Very low amps at Idle and lots of Alternator whine.

6) Repeat step 4. You should have no voltage drops as long as you chose the correct Alternator size

7) You could upgrade your battery to a deep cycle battery to either play your system with the car off or help the voltage while your car is idle.

 

perfectly said

 

you dont need a high amp alternator if your running jl amps. jl amps have a 12 volt cut off system crap so that it doesnt pull alot of current everytime your bass hits. but i would recommend a yellow top battery and a cap....

 

Please refer to Step #1

 

he only has an 80 amp alternator - no matter if the JL amps can push the power from 11-14 volts, that alternator cant even support that.

and there is nothing wrong with a capacitor - it is just not a fix everything like some people seem to think. No matter what, you have to have the power to begin with before you worry about a capacitor, Yellow top battery or the big 3 wire upgrade (overrated also IMO)

 

also...I would say the order of importance if you want a high power system

1) Alternator output - remember your car wasnt made to power itself and a high power system at the same time.
2) Quality deep cycle battery
3) Capacitor
4) "big 3" ground wire upgrade

3 and 4 could be switched

 

Big 3 should always be done 1st because it improves your current and voltage drops with spending very minimal money and time. Big 3 alone has been known to fix voltage problems by itself, that's why I always recommend it first, whether you have a 500 watt system or a 3000 watt system. It just makes sense to do the upgrade.

 

Thanks for all the good info guys. I really appreciated that.

 

Yes it is a worthwhile upgrade if you are talking about money - but like I HAVE SAID BEFORE - it doesnt matter if you dont have enough power from your alternator to begin with! With the ground wire upgrade, a new deep cycle battery and 15 capacitors, it wont matter if your alternator cant create enough power in the first place.

 

ou sig,

Your correct in saying this:

Because your Alternator has to be able to charge these extra components you add to your electrical system. It's basically adding more resistance.

But the Big 3 actually helps your charging system i.e Alternator perform better, almost recycling the energy that it creates.

Lets say you have an 85a Alt and you really should have a 105a or so. Big 3 can accomplish this and maybe even more. If I had to bet I would say an 85a Alt w/ Big 3 will out perform a 105a w/out it.

Big 3 should always be the first step when you are upgrading your electrical system. No matter how big your system is.