Here's my setup for my 97SE:

New Optima yellow top battery-->4awg power wire-->Lightning Audio 1.0 farad Bolt Series capacitor - also connected to the (+)terminal of the cap are two 8awg power wires running to a RF400a4(50x4) & a RF500a2(500x1)

The 8awg ground wires from the amps are connected back to the (-)terminal of the cap & from there, a single 4awg ground is connected to the car's chassis.

Whenever I BUMP music with high bass content, my headlights dim. I thought the 1.0 farad cap (rated for 1000watts) & yellow top battery would solve this problem but it hasn't! What gives? I'm only running AT MOST 700watts RMS (BTW, the 500a2 is only pushing a single JL Audio 12w3 so the gains for this amp are all the way down.)

Could it possibly be a faulty cap?

 

Did you pre-charge the cap befor installing it? I have a 400a4 and a 800a2 with two fared and one battery...not a problem...with any car you will get some light dim because of the pull from the amps....might try adding another .5 fared or more....charged of course

 

I was wondering the same thing since the shop who installed the cap didn't charge it using the method stated by the cap's instructions. Instead of charging the cap by placing the supplied resistor charging card on top of the cap, he charged it after installtion by touching the wires of the resistor to the battery and some other wires under the hood. I did see the green light on the card turn on. In fact, I was wondering whether this would have fully charged the cap, but someone told me that REGARDLESS of whether the cap was fully charged before installation, the cap will be charged when the car is running since caps draw and store power. I'm confused.

 

the green light should come on while charging then go off after it is done charging....when there is no light on the indicator card the cap is fully charged...if the red light is on it means the cap is discharged.....so charge it until the green light goes off and then it will gbe fully charged with, at least thats how it is on the fosgate cards...just check your manual thats about all I can tell you

 

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...and how do I do that?

 

check the voltage output with a meter. check at the battery, and at the amps. in a perfect world you would run about 14.4 at both spots. if you have large fluctuations it could be an alternator/regulator problem. probably not but its better to test than come out some morning to a dead battery.