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Adam 47 | I have a question...I bought the Lightning Audio Fast and Furious 12" sub package and had it hooked up to my car, i never got a capacitor...my car died, got a new altanator and battery...question is, i know a half farad is enoughf or my system, but if i get a capacitor, will that gurantee that my altanator wont die again soon because of my car system? my dad said his freind son went through 3 altanators before getting rid of it and he did get a capacitor after i believe the first time it died,b ut ti still went dead with a cap...so i was just wondering if anyone could help me by answering if i get a cap. will that gurantee to not kill my car battery and altanator again? thanx |
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| Capacitors have one only one property that makes them desirable for power usage in car audio: quick discharge. Capacitors don't provide power, they are not like a battery or alternator. What Capacitors do is slowly charge up to a large peak capacity (all the while consuming power just like anything else) and hold that charge ready for a quick burst of power when needed. It's just like holding a cup under the faucet and letting it fill up...then pouring it all out at once. They help feed a hungry amp in bursts, not steady demand. "will that gurantee to not kill my car battery and altanator again?" No. Addding a capacitor will help your charging system problems about as much as new tires. You either have more charging problems than you realize or your listening habits are all off. How old is the car? What kind? What condition? |
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adam 47 | 1995 chevy lumina, good condition, about 63000 miles on it, new battery and new altanator both from napa and came out to 204 dollars total for both of those total |
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motoman22 | Looks like even the cheap NAPA reman alternator is 100amps which should be more than adequate IF the reman was successful. I would assume that you will have no more dead battery problems unless you listen to the radio with the engine off and drain the batt that way. I am assuming of course that all the wiring for the stereo was done properly. If you do have another problem, check to make sure that the alternator is actually charging the battery with the engine running. Cables may look great but not work right, the internal regulator may malfunction, there could be some corrosion on the bracket where the alternator is expecting a clean and solid ground... the possibilities are endless. |
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adam 47 | the alt. was like 104$ and the battery was the napa gold one, the best one available, and about the wirings of the alt. im assuming it is done right because my dad is real good with handy work on cars and anyhting else and he fixes just about anything possible for him with his life and so on...and the sterio should all be hooked up right because Best Buy did it but ya never know if ya can trust those kids installing them...but thanx for all your help, it look like i will be getting the cap. most likely...and do u think if i got a cap. it is easy to install without getting it professionaly done...thank you very much for everything!! |
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motoman22 | Installing a cap for your amp is really easy. It just goes inline on the power cable just before the amp. Use good connectors, follow the instructions on charging it and be careful...they can explode (but it gets you in trouble at the physics lab *laffs*) |
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kelly parker | i recently blew my brand new alternator for my truck a few weeks ago, one week after installing a brand new boomin stereo, which sucked. I got a new stock alt (about 50amp out or so), but my system required much more than this. If an alternator is asked to put out anywhere close to it's peak amps for an extended period of time, it will dye. Next I installed an hi-amp alternator (110amp) and my system has been booming since then. That should be enough, _assuming_ you have a good battery too. I highly reccomend a capicator *especially* if you have mega-bass, to compensate for those big bass hits. That's next on my to-do list. To all those out there, don't learn the hard way and have to buy multiple alternators/batteries. Do it right the first time. |
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| i just got a capacitor an i installed it all fine and my subs work but my capacitor doesnt turn on. how do i charge it? it didnt come with instructions i got it off this guy i worked with i know it works i just dont know how to work it? i know your supposed to charge them but how?? thx |
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texas_hogging | yes i just bought a hifonics brutus 1500 D class amp and i am running 4 audiobahn 15's and i wanted 2 know what size cap do i need and what kind of battery will be best 4 my system |
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motoman22 | TexasHogging, you're going to need more than a cap and/or a battery. With four subs I'm assuming that you are running your amp at 2ohms. Check out the amp's current demand at 2ohms (in it's documentation) and then check out how much power your stock alternator makes...scary 'eh? Read the post about capacitors, alternators, and myths in this section. Your questions are answered. |
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| I have 1995 corscia with 138thousand miles on it and i have factory alternator and i was woundering what if i was going get 2/12's 800 watts a piece coustic subs what type of amp would you think i would need to push them? i'm getting a capacitor but i'm not to sure what to get i don't what to buy one that to expensive but to know that it will protact my battery and alternator from going down But i'm kinda worried because i don't want to put it all in and have my alternator go out. I have a durlast battery i was wounder if i would be ok to put a system in thanks |
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| babygirl, your car should be fine with a couple of 12" subs and a modest amp. Just remember that an amplifier will drain the battery very quickly if you like to listen to the radio without the engine running so try not to do this for more than a few minutes at a time. Just look at the specifications on the amp you want to buy and make sure it doesn't pull more than about 35-40 amps RMS and your battery & alternator should be fine. Drop me an email if you have more questions...I don't get in here much to answer anymore. |
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llotzinio | Motoman 22 your rule of thumb is to make sure the alternater provides at least 30-50amps more than half of the total ampers of the system requires? And that car batterys don't provide the power(amps) to the amplifiers, the Alternaters do? Just make sure I understood what you wrote in other post. and if so how can I solve my problem. Money is not an issue. and any solutiong you have is helpful. alt. on car provides 60 amps. bass amp 50amps and amp for highs and mids 120amps. Also how needful or how dumb is me get 5 fard aluma pro cap.? |
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motoman22 | llotzinio, the audio system is just one piece of the electrical system in your car. You need to power everything. The extra 30-50 amps is to power your headlights, computer, A/C, cooling fans, defroster, etc... the stuff that got a full 60-amps before you added audio equipment. I hope you're not confusing the amplifier's power rating with it's power demand. I bring this up because you mentioned a 120-amp draw for your mids and highs (that's a whole freaking LOT of power....my Linear Power 5002 doesn't pull that much at full load and this is a monster of an inefficient amp.) Either way, if your stock alternator is only 60 amps and you plan on thumping around town you do need more. Call local parts shops (Auto Zone, Parts Plus, NAPA, etc..) and ask them about the alternators available for your car. If you can't get one with around 100amps you'll have to go another route... look for electric motor repair shops near you in the phone book and call them. Ask if they can rewind your alternator to produce 150 amps. If that's too expensive or impossible, ask for 125amps and see what they can do. I'm not a big fan of capacitors, I think they are used to hide power problems and they are overpriced. I have a biased opinion on this, I'll readily admit that :c) |
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llotzinio | Motoman22, thanks for responding. I really know that I really messed up getting that 120amps kicker amp, but I can't return it or get rid of it. I think you answered some of my question and I am really intrested in knowing these. amplifiers get all there "juice" from the car battery or strait from the alternator? and I could get a 5 farad cap. for tha price of a 1.5farad cap. Should I just try my luck if that will help? The kicker amp is rated for 120amps. but I figure that when it mentions that the amp can out but 400X2 @14.4 volts, I think that is when it pulling 120amps. Not when its load is 100X4, I figure it's using only around 60-80 amps at this load, right? |
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motoman22 | llotzino, what's the make and model # of your amps? I'll figure this out for you. Read this, it will help understand caps: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/car-audio/4640.html You're not going to 'hurt' anything by putting in a capacitor. What it will do is even out the current draw from the system, it won't reduce it. If your amplifiers need 200amps to jam, they will need the same 200amps with a capacitor. Caps remove the spikes in demand and they keep a substancial amount of energy on tap for instant use...then they draw that energy back out of the electrical system. Get me those model #'s and I'll give you more specific advice. Cheers |
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llotzinio | 500/1 slash series, JL Audio MONO Amplifier, with internal 50amp fuse. still water design 2001 800.4 kicker amplifier, with three set of fuses 40amps each. Nothing else. No X-over, no equilizer, nothing else besides the stock components that the car draws from. Do you also know of a good website for higher performence alt. The best deal I could get in town is a 110amp for 400$ plus install. too expensive. And I did read your link, thanks for the help. |
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Guido Carrara | I need some advice. I have a 96 Honda Accord EX V6. I have a 1200 watt Punch 15 DVC that I am pushing with an Orion 800.8 (I have both channels bridged and running to both voice coils). For my highs, I am using two channels of a Punch 400.4. These amps are both about 6-7 yrs old. I just ran a 4 gauge power wire from my battery through two 24 V capacitors, which both feed to the Orion. I have the Punch amp feeding straight off the battery since it is only being used for my highs. When I turn my stereo above -30 (the volume goes up to 0), my headlights dim each time a bass note hits. I bought the largest battery I could for my Honda. Would purchasing a 2nd battery be the cheapest way to go to solve my problem or should I just go with a stronger alternator? If a stronger alternator is the solution, how many amps do I need? I'm also thinking about eventually adding a bass tube to get more high bass notes. I would use the other two channels from the Punch to power it. If I do this, would I need another alternator as well or just add a second battery. Thanks |
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motoman22 | llotzino, you've got some nice stuff there :c) It's hungry stuff for sure, it will certainly need more alternator than you stock 60-amp...but still nice stuff. $400...are you calling stereo shops? They sell gold plated stuff *laffs* If you can't find a decent deal locally, call some electric motor repair shops. They can rewind your current alternator to produce lots of power...usually for around $150. |
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motoman22 | Guido, your stock alternator *could* produce upwards of 150amps. Honda offers some stout alts in higher end cars but the Accord could go either way. Find out what alternator you have, if yours produces 100amps or more, you should be just fine. Considering that you have two capacitors and a big battery but it's STILL dimming the headlights...something's amiss. Are the capacitors you have designed for this use? That 4-ga cable has GOT to be upgraded. Try some 2-ga at least (two big amps need it.) Also, if you already have the big alternator, upgrade the wire connecting the alternator to the battery. This is typically 8-ga at best, use 4-ga to be safe (since you'll have some extra after upgrading your power wire.) p.s. Thanks for putting all the important info in the question! |
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Guido Carrara | Motoman, thanks for the information. I bought the capacitors off of Ebay. They are both 1 farad and the design of a newd (it won't let me spell it correctly on this site) woman's shadow makes me think they are for stereos. I can't go with a wire larger than 4 gauge because it won't be able to pass through my fuse block. Also, my punch amp's power input is only large enough for an 8 gauge wire and my Orion for a 4 gauge. If I were to upgrade to a larger wire, I would just be pulling more power from the main battery, putting an even bigger strain on my alternator. I went ahead and bought one of those yellow top batteries and hope that will solve the problem. |
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Anonymous | How could i go about wiring my batcap into my system. I've had it setup where my power wire is fused directly a foot from the battery and the cap is pos-pos neg-neg with a fuse between the pos-pos to the amp, and grounded from the batcap to the chassis. the amp ground is to the batcap...is that any good? I just got 2 mono amps, a fuse block(fuses), wires.etc...the question is...what if i were to wire directly to the batcap without a fuse from the battery...and out of the batcap comes the fuseblock split to the amps...would that bother anything, or even produce more power to the sys?thanks! |
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| I am looking for some help finding a good alternator shop who carries a hi amp alt. the places i have called say that its not avalible for the new 2003 infinity fx35. also any great shops for instalation of a battery, alt, and check out the work this bonner did, or shoud i say did not do. Iam having alot of problems with the computor syst shutting down due to the power being pulled from the 2 amps. also is phinox gold a verry good brand? I live in the corona cal area but Iam in orange co. every day for work. I really need a shop that knows their sh*t. thanks for any help given. SCUBA Q |
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| mralternator.com alternatorparts.com there are two custom shops. Ohio Alternator, or Stinger, or Wrangler Alternators all do custom alternators as well. |
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| I have a 620 watt amp and a 400 watt amp. there are fuses of 30 amps each in the the two amps. I am guessing that is the amperage of these amplifiers and there are no internal fuses. i also have a pioneer 5200 deck with probably 10 amps. I just want to know if my stock alternator (i think it is 70 amps) should be ok in powering this system. I am powering 2 AW1200 audiobahns (which I know could use a whole lot more power than the one 620 watt amp i am powering them with.) I think I am going to stick with my 8 gauge wire to keep the system from sucking up too much power. The reason I ask is because my last car had a stock 105 amp alternator and I never really had a problem with this setup. Thanks. |
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| by the way, the above mentioned car is a 1996 toyota corolla. |
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| add up the total RMS wattage of all amplifiers in the car, and divide that figure by 12. that's how many amperes are being drawn by your stereo system. your system as you describe it, is drawing around 85-90A of current alone. If your stock alternator is 70A, you need to upgrade that to about a 150A alternator. lose the 8AWG power line, too. you NEED at least 4AWG for that system, since 4AWG is rated for up to 150A of current max. 8AWG isn't going to prevent the amplifiers from drawing their full amount of current, or at least not from trying to.. all you'll do is succeed in clipping the amplifiers, causing damage to the amps, the speakers, making the system sound like a$$, and most likely, start a fire when the 8AWG line overheats, melts, and causes a short. |
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Jordan Hall Unregistered guest | I just installed a 200 watt pioneer amp on my 93 Grand Am. It was working fine until my car kept dying while driving it and eventually after many jumps, it would stop running altogether. I think it is my alternator, but im new to this and I need your help. Thanks |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 1447 Registered: 12-2003 | sounds like it could be the alternator. take it to a garage or a dealer. |
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New member Username: CharliegonePost Number: 1 Registered: Mar-04 | Hi, I need some advice too! I just installed my kenwood kac-729s (600watts max which means nothing) to 2 10" mtx woofers. I'm running the amp at about 1/4 of the power. My lights dim slightly and only when I use some other electrical component like the windows or a/c or when I crank it up high. I know that the toyota corolla altenator runs at about 80 amps. Shouldn't that be enough? If not then I should get a capacitor shouldn't I? It would solve the problem, I mean the dimming isnt very bad, but I know it can damage my altenator. Any help would be useful! |
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j. will Unregistered guest | hey i need some advice? I have a 275 g-4 orion pushing 15" h-2 dual 2 at 1 ohm, and also I have a 225 g-4 orion pushing my highs. I dont have any farads or batteries and I have bad dimming of lights and my voltage gauge is sucked dry. What should I do? Ive been looking for a high output alternator for a 93 grand am gt 3.3l any suggestions? Thanks for the help! |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 1618 Registered: Dec-03 | www.mralternator.com |
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New member Username: Afi1118Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-04 | i've got 2 amps. 2 300 watts. and 2 12's, my battery just took a crap and i had to get a new one. my wire says it's limit is 300. my lights dim all the time. what should i do to keep this from happening again? get bigger gage wire? capacitor? or just get a higher wattage amp, and just run one amp? |
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C-more Unregistered guest | I plan buying 4 JL Audio W7's and 4 JL Audio 500/1 amplifiers and i have never dealt with a capacitor before and i would like to know a few things. First, should i have a capacitor. If so, how many? I have looked at a capitor and i would like to know if this would work for my system and how many. The capacitor is a Aluma Pro CAP-15. |
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New member Username: CharliegonePost Number: 9 Registered: Mar-04 | Well what kind of W7's are you planning on getting? 10", 12" or other? Here is web link to help you out. http://www.jlaudio.com/subwoofers/RP_Chart.html also you plan on using 1 amp for each woofer? If I'm not mistaken, if its about 500watts rms, divide it by 12 you get about 40amps. If you plan on buying 4 amps with this power, a cap will not help at all! (You'll have about a total of 160 amps for your amps plus all the the other electrical components in your car) You might have to upgrade in alternator and other electrical components. |
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Unregistered guest | hey i have a 2001 corolla s and im having trouble finding ground on my car i tried everywhere on my trunk but it just doesnt work if u know where to find it could u please email me at greenhorn2125@yahoo.com i would be very thankfull its my first time doing this soo i would apriciate it alot ... thank you |
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Bronze Member Username: CharliegonePost Number: 14 Registered: Mar-04 | Ha! thats an ez one I can tell you exactly where theres a good ground spot. Remove the back seat cover. To remove it just pull it up and it will release. There are 3 "clips", one in the middle and 2 on each side from the front of the seat. Once you've got that done, look for the seatbelt bolts. They should have a bolt holding them down. Choosing one is up to you, just make SURE that you take off all the paint and clean it thoroughly. Once you got the nut and bolt off just put the ground loop in it. Well hope that helps. Oh yeah make sure the loop is on the chassis not on the seatbelt washer. |
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Unregistered guest | I have a 92 camaro rs 3.1L and i purchased a 950cca 1100amp lightning audio battery and i just wanted to know if this battery to to big for my car, also i have a 105amp alternator will that be enough juice for two 1000 watts(each)audiobahn subs and an audiobahn amp? |
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Unregistered guest | The subs each have 500rms and the amp is a 600 watt 300rms |
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Darren Unregistered guest | I'v just bought a 10w7 in a prowedge box. I also bought a 500/1 jl amp, do i need a capacitor??? |
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Eliot Unregistered guest | How much current can a capacitor reasonably provide in a 1995 Toyota Corolla? Are there any dangers to the car or the system from having a capacitor? I will be running a 22w RMSx4 head and a 600w RMS amp ~= 60A. Can I do this with a capacitor, do I need an alternator, or should I be fine as long as I don't blast the amp? |
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Eliot Unregistered guest | Also, I bought a Pioneer Premier TS-W1500SPL subwoofer, 600w RMS @ 2ohm, dual voice coils. How should I power this - two channel amp, mono amp series/parallel? (I'm unfamiliar with the whole dual voice coil thing.) I was thinking of using the Pioneer GM-D510M Class D mono amp, 600w RMS @ 2 ohm, 1000w max, for $160. Anyone? |
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New member Username: AlpinepowerCanada Post Number: 3 Registered: Jun-04 | A capacitor will not provide more power to an amp, but it will provide a steadier amperage and voltage, a stock civic runs a 500a 12v battery off a 60a 13.2v alternator. A cap will save your battery and alternator by charging when there is no bass and discharging when the amps need more power gain than the alternator can provide. This is how is saves your eletrical system. CAP POWER EQUATION 1 Farad per 1000 watts peak power. BUY A BIG CAP INSTEAD OF WIRING SMALL ONES IN SERIES, safer and less power loss at bad connections. It is also necessary to place the cap within a foot of wire from the amps for best results. MIKECALEDON@HOTMAIL.Com for install questions or need to know about Alpine |
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New member Username: AlpinepowerCanada Post Number: 4 Registered: Jun-04 | Impedence Questions: A 2 ohm dual voice coil sub requires 2 ohms per coil, a 2 channel amp is 2 ohms per channel, so Elliot needs a 2 channel amp for his sub with a channel per voice coil |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3328 Registered: Dec-03 | see previous capacitor thread to avoid above dysinformation. if someone has a single DVC 2+2 ohm sub, he'll want a two-channel amp, bridged mono for peak output. wiring the coils in series will produce a 4 ohm load, which is the minimal load for most stereo amps when bridged. |
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Bronze Member Username: AlpinepowerCanada Post Number: 17 Registered: Jun-04 | Why not run a channel per coil so the coils charge at the same time? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3353 Registered: Dec-03 | because that causes issues in balancing outputs between the channels, and you want a mono signal. it's easier, and better to just wire the DVC coils in series, and bridge the amp. you get the same power output either way, but my way is more stable. |
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H-bomb Unregistered guest | I own a 1990 honda civic si and I am running 2/12" rockford punch 900 watts each with a 900 watts rockford punch amp. I also have a bass booster in my vehicle. My car battery died once already. I was wondering if I keep the system in, will my alternator hold or do I need to upgrade to higher wattage alternator? Do you think I need a cap? |
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Anonymous | that system is pulling about 90 amps so if you don't have a 150-200 amp alternator then you need to upgrade and another tip don't run the system for 2 or 3 hours with the car off. that could be why the battery went dead or your alternator isn't charging the battery. So either way get a bigger alternator and don't run the system for long periods with the car not running. |
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Anonymous | hi i have two 1200 watt amps and two 1 farad capacitors and i am running two 12's and two 10 inch subwoofers. i have a 100amp altenator i have it hooked up right but when it hit hard my subs turn off then they come back on. can any one give me a suggestion on what to do to make my subs turn off. HELP ME PLEASE?????? |
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Anonymous | hey whats up can i just put a battery in my trunk and run two capacitors off of it to run two 1200 watt amplifiers. And is there a way to connect two batteries together. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3705 Registered: Dec-03 | "when it hit hard my subs turn off then they come back on." you need a larger alternator. 2400 watts of amps at full output will draw about 230A of current. That won't happen from a 100A alternator. as for batteries in the trunk, sure. you first need a high output alternator, then you go to a battery isolator, with one line going to the starter battery and the other back to the trunk then you connect the two trunk deepcycle batteries together in parallel, and connect them to the isolator line and ground for charging purposes. then wire up the audio gear to those batteries with a capacitor in parallel with each amp. |
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Anonymous | 1.hey glasswolf if i put the batteries parallel wont it be 24 volts or still just 12 volts. 2. how do u connect an isolator. 3. What gauge wire sould i use to run the batteries in the trunck. 4. thanks for your help so far i will probably ask u more. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3753 Registered: Dec-03 | 1: 2 batteries in parallel is still 12 volts. in series you'd get 24 volts. 2: the isolator goes between the alternator and the batteries. the isolator will have two outputs. one to the starter battery, one to the batteries for the audio system (or whatever) 3: wire gauge depends on the length, and current draw. 4: no problem. isolator manual for an Orion MBR70: http://www.gexaudio.com.pl/sklep/Instrukcje/orion-acc-MBR70-manual.pdf wire gauge chart: http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3754 Registered: Dec-03 | 1: 2 batteries in parallel is still 12 volts. in series you'd get 24 volts. 2: the isolator goes between the alternator and the batteries. the isolator will have two outputs. one to the starter battery, one to the batteries for the audio system (or whatever) 3: wire gauge depends on the length, and current draw. 4: no problem. isolator manual for an Orion MBR70: http://www.gexaudio.com.pl/sklep/Instrukcje/orion-acc-MBR70-manual.pdf wire gauge chart: http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp |
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Unregistered guest | 1.Hey glass wolf when u connect two batteries its like putting positive to positive and neg to neg. 2. the wire lenght is going to be about 15 feet. should i use 4 or 2 gague wire. 3.thank u once again. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3759 Registered: Dec-03 | yes that's parallel. see the URL above for cable gauge |
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Unregistered guest | is it bad to have two amps pulling from ONE cap? My Setup: PPI-PCX440 (160w total)(UNDER RATED) - JL XR 6.5" coaxials - JL VR 6" coaxials Kenwood KAC923. (bridged to 4 ohm - 270w) - JL 10w3v2 (4 ohm load) Mathmatically, I know I only need a .5 Farad cap, but I spent the extra $10 and got a 1 farad PHOENIX GOLD QXC10K. I have PG 4awg wire running from my optimal Yellow top to both amps now. My alternator is 100amp. would it be "bad" to have BOTH amps drawing from the one cap? |
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Anonymous | I have a simple question. I have a cap running in my car right now, but im selling the car. When i take the cap out and put it into my new car, do i have to charge it again? or does it only have to have the intial charge for it to work? |
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Unregistered guest | I have a '91 Pontiac Sunbird with the V6 and stock alternator. I am running 2 Pioneer 800 Watt (400 Watt RMS) amps to 2 800 Watt (max)Pioneer TS-W305C 12" subs and a 1 farad cap. When I pull up to a stop sign or let the car idle, my system stop outputting audio. the amps don't turn off and the voltage meter on the dash doesn't drop to put the amps below operational range. Any ideas? Also, a few side notes: This sytem was just professionally installed a week ago. Before this system was installed professionally, I had installed it myself with a third 450 watt max pioneer sub and the system ran perfect. I only had it reinstalled because it wouldn't fit in my trunk. Do you think it could be the alternator, or maybe they messed something upduring install? Also, when they installed my cap, I noticed they didn't charge it before plugging in the power line, so I fear they may have perhaps dammaged the cap???? |
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Unregistered guest | i have two 12" sony explode subs with a 800watt amp. is that enough power for my speakers? do i need a cap. also is there a such thing as putting a car battery in your trunk so it wont take power from my car battery and alt? thanx. |
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Silver Member Username: FishyTamarac, FL USA Post Number: 268 Registered: Sep-04 | You can put a battery in your trunk and run your system off of it, but unless you add another alternator or a bigger one with an isolator you're gonna have to recharge that battery while your parked. So basically you'll have tunes till you run that battery down then its time to head home for that battery charger. The simplest solution to such a power problem is to just get a bigger alternator and don't run your system hard with the engine off. -Fishy |
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Anonymous | Hello, I have a honda accord 94 and I am running one infinity amp (97 x 2 RMS@4 ohms, 380 amp) for 2- 6x9 infinity kappas and I have a stock alternator (65 or 70 amp - not sure), so I am pulling a max of 34 amps from the battery. I would like to upgrade with another amp (300 x 1 amp bridged mono) for infinity perfect sub, which would pull 25 additional amps from battery, total < 60 amps. Do you think this would cause problems? One thing I was thinking is using the current 380 amp for my new installation (12" infinity perfect) [-34amps], and then use a 4 x 40 amp both bridged to 100 x 2 (~320) for the 6x9 kappas [-27amps] or something like that to get the total drawn output down. I dont want to upgrade my alternator. I probably have to upgrade my alternator - right? Does anyone have advice who has a similar setup? thanks, B |
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Unregistered guest | I am trying to install another amp in my car which is 900rms and i am going to be using it for ont 12"sub, plus i already have a second amp installed which is running my highs which is 350W max. Everything is hopefully connected correctely but as soon as i hook up the negative cable the battery fuse blows. I dont know if I have to charge the Cap (3Farads) or find a different ground for the Cap which is currently connected the the 900W amp's ground. I dont even know how to charge the Cap. |
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Silver Member Username: FishyTamarac, FL USA Post Number: 545 Registered: Sep-04 | Yeah basically your charging your cap up at a rate(as in current) thats higher than your fuse rating. Your cap should have come with a either a little 12v lightbulb or a resistor to limit this current. With the positive lead of your cap hooked to power connect one end of the resistor/bulb to your cap ground wire and touch the other end to the neg terminal of the cap. Your cap will then begin to charge at a slow enough rate to prevent that fuse from blowing. To discharge a cap before removal disconnect it from power and place the bulb between the positive and negative cap terminals. Light bulbs are nice because you can tell when your cap is fully charged/discharged(it quits glowing). If you don't have one of these jokers a 12 volt bulb/socket would be handy to keep in your car to use in these situations. The bulb that came with my cap is about 5 ohms so say a 4-16 ohm power resistor should work as well. Just hold it on there for a minute or two, but be careful, both a resistor or bulb is going to get hot when a substantial amount of current is flowing through it. You could use a higher value resistor but it may take a whole lot longer to charge that thing up. Here's a good article that may explain things better than I have. He recommends using your basic "test light" or a 20 ohm 10 watt power resistor. http://www.bcae1.com/capacitr.htm -Fishy |
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Anonymous | I have A 96 grand am GT 4 cyl. I need to put a extra alternator in it and I was wondering if anyone knows if you can get custom brackes that will bolt right in the car or if the car has to be brought somewhere to get the brackets specialy measured and maid? Just upgrading the stock 105amp alt. to a high output is not enough amps, or to expensive. I need 300+ amps |
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Unregistered guest | I've got 2 MMats D300HC amps. They put out 1,500 to 1,700 watts each. I've heard in an article they draw 180 amps each. (180 X 2 + my 400 watt amp for highs = 400+ amperes? Yikes). Does anyone know of a place that will sell one for a 2004 Chevy Impala? Thanks for your input. |
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Unregistered guest | "One" meaning an alternator. Oh yeah, so about 400 amps for just the stereo. Not to mention what needs to run the rest of my car. Plz help. |
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Help2 Unregistered guest | dominick@tds.net Iraggi is the company. they dont have a website, but theyre the best. You may need to get 2 alts I dont think they can wind a reman that big. good luck. You could also check www.motorcityreman.com or www.mralternator.com but Im not sure theyll be of any help. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 5674 Registered: Dec-03 | at 400A you're looking at multiple alternators in one car. now keep in mind, that's 400A at peak output. you may never come anywhere close to using that much power from those amps though so you may be fine with as little as a 200A alternator, and a couple deep cycle batteries in parallel for the audio system, isolated. |
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Unregistered guest | so basically i have 1 760W max pioneer and 1 12" kenwood 800w max sub. my light recently begin 2 slightly dim (i only notice it @ night) wut size cap do i need? 1 Farad per 1000w? thx n advance |