gkolleng

Hey guys,

I have 2 Rockford Fosgate 12" subs in a box and a Fosgate 500W amp that I am going to get installed in my 5th gen Accord. Someone was telling me that this is going to put a lot of stress on my alternator, and since my car is 1995 and on the older side, it is going to wear out my alternator. My friend suggested that I get a capacitor installed as well.

What do you guys think about that? Is it a good idea?

Thanks,
Gopal

vtecaccord01

yea get it. You may want to upgrade you battery to an optima also since you have a system.

Surfacing171

psshhhh.....with that equipment def. not. Unless you seen signs of your alternator crapping out your fine.

iknack

like you say you're powering only one amp, then it shouldn't be a problem!!!
maybe your 2 12s might require more than 500 watts......lol

mizturyous

A cap or battery is not going to do much for that anyway. If anything you would need a higher amp output alternator. if the alternator isn't strong enough to keep the battery or capacitor charged properly neither will really help. If you see signs of voltage dropping in your car while playing your system then you would need to check into a new one. Check to see what the amplifiers amperage draw rating is also. Thi will help in determining what you are going to need.

VRGNCD5

I'd get a high output alternator before getting a cap.

SmutWanter

Does your headlights dim to the sound of the music? If so, then yes you will need a capacitor (probably a full farad). I had the same problem too, and the capacitor did the trick, and is much cheaper than a higher powered alternator. It's not like you are running that much power to your subs since your amp is only 500 watts, unless you have the subs bridged on your amp.

gkolleng

Thanks guys, I agree with the general theme. I don't think a 500 watt amp should be taht much, so I'm hoping I can get away without the capacitor. I guess I'll add it later if I see signs of my alternator going downhill.

mizturyous

A capacitor will not stop your alternator from going out in the case of too much amp draw. Just hook it up and see how your cars electrical system does overall with it playing and your lights,AC, or whatever on to see what kind of strain it is going to put on your car. Try using a multimeter on your battery while doing so and see what your voltage drops to. If it goes below 11.5 or so you may want to look further into other options. It will be better on your car and your system in the long run.

VRGNCD5

I look at it like this, a good cap will run you $100-$150, a high output alternator will run prolly $200-$250, the cap MIGHT take care of the problem, the HO Alternator WILL take care of the problem. Seems like a no brainer to me.