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I have a decent Sony System in my car with 500w of Amplifier power moving through. Not much Amp Power, but it's good enough for me. I seen alot of people talking about a Farad Cap, but I don't know what it is or how it works. Could I benefit from owning one?
Thanx,
-Marc.
A capacitor (cap) is basically a storage for electicity from your battery. It is placed on the power wire in between the battery and the amp. Its kind of like a resevoir that holds electricity and sends it out when your amp needs it. Theres been a lot of controversy about caps and if they actually help or hurt your cars' electical system. You really only need one if when at idle your cars voltage meter drops with a hard bass note. This happens because your amp draws a lot of juice from the battery which then puts strain on your alternator. Also your headlights might dim with a bass note as well. I have a slight dimming problem on certain songs with my system but havent got a cap yet. As far as a farad cap goes, a farad is an electrical term. I guess its how electricity is measured?? Anyway, the rule of thumb is usually one farad per 1000 watts of power. So if you are actually pushing 500 watts out then you might only need a 1/2 farad capacitor. They are pretty cheap, get a used one on eBay if you need it. Its a lot cheaper than buying a new alternator. Hope this wasnt too confusing.
<b>1998 Cayenne Red Camaro 3.8 A4</b><br />-Whisper Lid, K&N, manual fan switch, DEI 508D<br /><br /><b>FOR SALE:</b><br />-Whisper Lid<br />-PAC OEM-1 adapter<br />-GM Delco 12 disc CD Changer<br />-MTX 4250D amp<br />-Kicker Free Air subs<br />-DEI 508D Proximity Sensor
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by SunsetOrange98Camaro: As far as a farad cap goes, a farad is an electrical term. I guess its how electricity is measured?? Its a lot cheaper than buying a new alternator.<hr></blockquote>
Oh, so close. A "farad" is a term used for capacitance. Good break down though. A cap CAN hurt an electrical system. If your alternator is already struggling and you add a cap, you're just adding another load on the alt. furthering the damage. REMEMBER, the alternator is the source of all your electrical juice, I know it's expensive, but beef it up first. If you are not having any problems with lights dimming or meter dipping then I wouldn't worry about it.
Hey guys, Thanx! I don't have a problem with the lights dimming...yet! *knock on wood* I don't use all 500 watts most of the time, I just kick it up every now and then when it's been ONE OF THOSE DAYS! So far, no voltage drops, but you know what happens whenever you say something like that.
Anyway, thanx for the help, I appreciate it!
-Marc
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Oh, so close. A "farad" is a term used for capacitance. <hr></blockquote>
Thanks for helping me out with that one. [img]smile.gif[/img]
I read on ls1.com, i think, that a lot of guys are upgrading their electrical wiring instead of worrying about bigger alternators or caps. I think they were changing the wire from the battery to the terminal on the drivers side and then from there to the alternator (i think thats the route) with 4 ga. power wire. And also the ground wire to 4 ga. as well. Would this solve a slight dimming problem, like in my case?? Anyone done this??
<b>1998 Cayenne Red Camaro 3.8 A4</b><br />-Whisper Lid, K&N, manual fan switch, DEI 508D<br /><br /><b>FOR SALE:</b><br />-Whisper Lid<br />-PAC OEM-1 adapter<br />-GM Delco 12 disc CD Changer<br />-MTX 4250D amp<br />-Kicker Free Air subs<br />-DEI 508D Proximity Sensor
Yes, that's what they're talking about. Upgrading the wire from the alt. to the battery, then to ground. Ehhh.. in theory it would allow more current to flow, but the alt. can only put out so much. I've never seen or done this so I can't say for sure. But think about it. The factory would most likely use a wire large enough to withstand the stock alternator's full output. Err, at least I would think so. I could be wrong, I don't know for sure.
OK, how do I go about this so I don't start a big huge post war?... I'll try and keep it basic. A cap. keeps the voltage constant. When a bass line hits, your voltage meter dips right? Well, a cap will discharge and try to keep that voltage up. As far as current goes... the alt. will output more as the load increases. Then we have the battery. The battery has a low resistence so it can flow current like a mofo'. In short, the alt. is the best way to upgrade your electrical system..... now let the post war begin!! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
[ May 11, 2002: Message edited by: 96firebird311 ]</p>
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