What size capacitor do i need??

[GSteg]

it should... i was talking to an audio expert that came to my work one day... and he said the best way to stop dimming of lights was to upgrade your alternator to a higher output one... but thats what he told me i am by no means an expert in audio

He's right. A capacitor may even strain your system more.

[gloryaccordy]

Also before you get a cap, make sure all your terminals are good. My negative battery cable was basically rotten and keeping my car from starting...I replaced that and my positive terminal and my car runs like a champ, even with a system. I never believed in caps...it's the same load spread out differently. Just learn how to change an alternator and get a lifetime warrantee'd one and you'll be good...

[91accord4door]

oh i know how to change an alternator i under 20 mins. thats not the problem. i suck a audio. and no i have a coupe not a hatch. i was looking a aftermarket ground wire kits on ebay there like $20-$30 shipped.....are those any good? i mean a wires a wire the only differance is the thickness and matarial. i think ricky has a good idea too with selling my used alt to make up some of the $$$ for the new h/o alt. yea fuck a cap then ifs its not gonna help i dont wanna waste money. ill be upgrading my ground wires this weekend. then will come the alt i do time. again i only have a 920 watt kenwood and a 1800 fubar....i plan on getting another one of those amps and another one of thiose subs for double the power. basically ill have both of the exact same setups. so i def need a better alt. thanks guys.

[accordztech]

i think 1 farad and 4 guage is fine for you. maybe since your doubling amps a 2 guage into a 4 guage distribution block may be better.

but anyways a bigger alternator will help but you will loose power from your engine cuase a bigger alternator takes more to run it. as for a cap not helping, i think it helps a bit to keep the voltage stable...i seen people without a cap fluxuate from 13.9 to 12.1 and then we put a cap in it and it only varies very little...of course you still have your lights dim slightly but the alternator isnt constantly trying to get it back up to 14.4

you can get your alternator re-wound thats the best bet, or buy the fancy MSD ones or something...

...i just havent heard kenwood forever haha...

[GSteg]

The power you lose through the HO alternator if minimal. It's only about 1-2hp on the top end. If dimming is a problem, the real problem lies in not having enough current to start with. If there are not enough currents to start with, adding a capacitor will only present an extra load the alternator has to carry. Law of conservation of energy. Energy can neither be made or destroyed out of nowhere.

Carrying an extra load will be straining the alternator. The problem is still there unless a bigger alternator is put in. With a cap, the voltage varies less, but the battery will still be drained. In the long run, count on the battery and/or the alternator to fail. Caps are known and bandaids in the audio world. You get shot in the arms, a bandaid will only help for a bit until you bleed to death. mUHAHA.

[91accord4door]

im thinking about getting this one. its not very expensive and looks like itll do the trick. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HONDA...spagenameZWDVW

[mondojackal]

i think its 1 farard for every 1000 watts... someone correct me if i'm wrong

nailed it...

[mondojackal]

although N9netwoAccord nailed the right power per farad...you still need to go with an upgraded charging system in your car i.e. a new high-output alternator.
high output alternators cost more but they can recharge more stuff faster, and can keep your power rails up where they need to be, rather than sagging and possibly damaging your electrical system including those expensive amps...

although a capacitor will help a system that has an adequate charging system, you need to upgrade your alternator first when you go above 600w RMS, anything above that and most stock alternators cant handle it..
also, invest in some good wiring, as some of the guys have already mentioned, also, get an optima yellow-top or two, they not only are deep-cycle batteries, and put out great power, but they recharge faster than other batteries, and are perfect for heavy-use stereo applications...great for our use

[91accord4door]

thanks guys im currently looking into all these things. ill keep this thread updated as i get new parts and ill inform on how they perform.

[hybrid90accord]

I would upgrade all the engine bay ground and alt to batt wires with 2 guage wires first also know as doing the "BIG 3' first, before purchacing the cap

[DjSpeedy]

Everyone keeps talking about putting in the HO altenator, and it is not wrong, But I have a power acoustik 1000 watt amp pushing 2 audiobahn 12 subs running off of the rockford 1 farad digital cap. I have no problems with dimming or anything of that nature. I also upgraded all the other audio in the car and have neons hidden throughout the car. The only time I get anything on the dash is when I use my turn signal you can see the sports light go from dim to bright in unison with the turn signal blinker. I dont beleive that An HO altenator is all that important unless you are pushing some serious sound. Also dont turn up your bass till the windows blow out. It sounds like shit unless you have full dynamat, and you bought the subs for yourself not for the neighborhood. Cleaner bass is better bass thats why Iam upgrading to a power acoustik cap. It has a built in power stablizer that the other caps I have seen dont have. also the cap is connected to the battery and once the cap is up to power which it is immediatly (almost) than the altenator wont be working harder to charge it up since it doesnt get drained everytime the bass hits. Watch the cap voltage meter and it goes between 12 and a bit and 11 and a bit unless you really crank it. That 1 volt isnt going to kill your altenator. try getting some electronic cleaning spray and di-electric grease. clean off your alternator and other electrics under the hood. The dirt and grease that builds up on the electrics can really mess up the current, and cleaner electronics just look better as well. Then grease where needed(battery) make sure all the wires are covered if any wire is showing you will lose power, so get some liquid tape and insulate it. Also spend the money on an optima battery. They work and they will help you out a lot as far as keeping the altenator alive.

[GSteg]

Everyone keeps talking about putting in the HO altenator, and it is not wrong, But I have a power acoustik 1000 watt amp pushing 2 audiobahn 12 subs running off of the rockford 1 farad digital cap. I have no problems with dimming or anything of that nature.

That's because the Power acoustik amp doesn't put out 1000w And since your volume is not at max, the amp is never putting out power near it's maximum capacity. This is why your headlights doesn't dim.


Just to clarify something, capacitors are power stabilizers so it doesn't have to say "built-in" or whatever to have it

[DjSpeedy]

True enough. I also think that the power acoustik look cooler as well. sue me. But I can see if you are pounding on the subs and crank everything up to the max then yes you will strain your system, but how the hell some people can drive around will everything cranked up as loud as they have it is beyond me. I guess some people just think that ear drums are pointless. I guess in my old age I have become an audiophile. "If its too loud than you are too old" I guess I am to old. Crap.
Oh yeah I forgot. I always thought that capacitors held onto the power so that it doesn't put such a massive pull on your electrical system. Like monster power has power bars, and power conditioners. I beleive that the power acoustik will just give a "cleaner" power to the amp than one that doesn't have the conditioners. Just a thought.

[mondojackal]

That's because the Power acoustik amp doesn't put out 1000w And since your volume is not at max, the amp is never putting out power near it's maximum capacity. This is why your headlights doesn't dim.


Just to clarify something, capacitors are power stabilizers so it doesn't have to say "built-in" or whatever to have it

beat me to it...i keep getting beat in this thread...maybe its just me...