A_D

Just thought that I had to post this.

It seems on every message board I go on, except car audio ones, people have misconceptions about a capacitor's function in the car's electrical/audio system. I'll attempt to clear this up.

First you have to understand how a battery works and how your alternator works to understand how a capacitor can be to your advantage.
When your car is on and running, basically your battery is in i guess you could say "standby" mode or charge mode. The alternator gets spun from the belt, etc etc, it creates current and recharges your battery. When you have your system pounding alot, there is alot of current draw from your battery. Your batteries chemicals mix and create current for your system to take to the amp where it can output it through your speakers. So right when the bass hits, your amp is drawing current from your battery and if you draw too much, your battery won't recharge fully or efficiently, and your alternator will have a strain on it.
This is where people think "oh a capacitor will solve all my problems".

This is incorrect.
The function of a capacitor is to store energy inside itself for those huge bass current draws so the strain is not instantaneously put on the battery right when the bass hits. But nonetheless, the cap will draw current from your battery ahead of time, and your alternator will STILL need to recharge it. It helps a little, but an analogy you can think of in this situation is pretty much like putting a band-aid on an open flesh wound.

But there is a solution!
Your alternator can only put out so many amps. It's basically designed to regenerate enough battery power to power your stock electrical system components. So when you have this huge strain from a big system, it can't really handle it.
Most stock alternators on hondas are around 80 amps or so, give or take. So when you have those 80 amps to run your electrical system in your car, thats fine it'll work great. But when you have an amp that has say, a 65 max amp current draw from your battery, you only have about half power going to your other electrical system components on average. This would explain your lights dimming when the bass hits.
But if you can get ahold of a high output alternator which puts out lets say 165 amps or so, you're set! Your amp can have MAX current draw which probably won't happen unless you're competing in an SPL competition and doing burps, so you're still left with 100 amps to power the rest of your electrical system; which (hypothetically) takes 80 amps. So you even have 20 extra amps left over. Everything has all the power it could ever want to run and then some. You could be driving around at night, with your lights on, your AC going and your system full blast, with absolutely no battery/eletrical system strain. No dimming, nothing.

So if you want to help out your battery or your eletrical system, think about an alternator FIRST, before a capacitor. You need the right tool for the job.

Hope this helps some people out. And if I have said anything wrong, just correct me. I'm still learning too :thumbup:

b00gers

im not doubting your words. but i had my lights dimming when my car's electrical system was at full load. putting in a 1 farad cap cured it.

before cap: stereo on full blast, headlights on. headlight and dash lights blink on every bass hit.

after cap: stereo on full blast, headlights on. very little or no blinking.

but* i know my alternator is getting old. even without the system on, with my headlights on and me powering the window up or down, the engine has to rev a bit to get some juice.

so i think a cap is a temp fix in some cases. if you can afford an upgraded or rewound alternator, that would definitly be my choice.

Mikeveli

so if u do upgrade the alternator to say a 165 amp one..a cap is not needed at all anymore?? and how about the battery...say like a battery from a 2001 accord v6...should that be upgraded or will the new alternator be good enough

Baco95

In addition to a temporary fix on a strained electrical system, I thought the cap also upgraded sound quality. Instead of the amp drawing current all the way from the battery, which may not be prepared for such a drain, the cap is a signifigant source of power relatively close to, and designed for, the amp itself.

Baco95

A battery does nothing besides store charge, so I think an upgrade wouldn't be necessary.

trepid

ok, I thought that a larger alternator created a lot more heat.... In my car the alternator is located behind the motor, not a lot of airflow there to keep it cool so wouldn't it blow quicker if there were no cooling system?

clickwir

1farad cap is apx $100...... 165amp alternator is like $700

I'd rather buy 3 caps and hope for the best.

Unless you have a good suggestion on how/where to get a 165amp alternator for less than $250.... I won't be getting one.

rcurley55

Where are you shopping!?!?!?

Maybe a ProMax or an Ohio Generator, but you can get a rewind in a small GM casing (that will fit a honda) for around 300 from Dominik Iraggi over at termpro.com.

You can also get one from 4alterstart.com for a Honda for around 250.

trepid

Not that expensive

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2421595554

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2422930862

Just gotta shop around

clickwir

Nice, either of those bolt into a 96 Prelude S F22?