speednsound007

Got my car back this week from the shop, and I still need to install my 1.0 farad Strike Lightning Audio cap I got over a month ago. OK, there was no instructions (new, got off ebay the guy must have lost them). My cap is one tube with two poles (+ and -) on the top. Correct me if I am wrong but to install I cut the power wire from my amp to my battery (close to the amp), attach two ring terminals and slide them over the + terminal and screw that down. Then run a ground cable from the - terminal to a ground. Can I use the ground from my amp? How do I charge this? I don't have a multimeter can I just estimate the time it'll take? I do have the resistor.

thanks a lot,
PJ

SWEETSOUND2001

iTrader: (30)

here is how youre going to wire it...pleas forgive my failed attempt at drawing


To charge the cap you will need a resistor before you connect the + to the cap. Make sure you insert the resistor between cap's + terminal and the + power wire. Hold it there for about 20-30 seconds while the cap charges. If you did not get a resistor with a cap, any stereo shop should be able to hook you up with one, shouldn't cost anything.

Hope this helps.
Laters

speednsound007

except you forgot the power cable going from the cap to the battery also, slight problem. When I charge all I have is the ground connected, then I use the resistor on the end of the power cable that goes to the battery, then slide on both ends of the power cable and I am done...right?

well I am going out to try this, hope it works!

thanks sweetsound,
PJ

SWEETSOUND2001

iTrader: (30)

When charging, have all cables connected except the positive contact on the cap. Then put the resistor in between and charge it.
Done.

Good luck

speednsound007

I hooked it all up today and when I went to charge (put battery terminal back on and started car) While I was holding the resistor to the positive wire and touching the other end of the resistor to the cap it started to get hot, then started to smoke! I had to drop it, I picked itup and tried again and it didn't get hot. I charged for about 1 minute. When I attached everything I was still losing power at loud volumes, I am betting that I didn't charge it correctly. Do I need to sue a voltmeter, if so how? Did I try to charge this right?

thanks,
PJ

SWEETSOUND2001

iTrader: (30)

Sounds like you were charging it right. You should have fully charged the cap after 15-30 seconds. What do you mean by "still losing power"? your lights dim? Cap will not necessarily solve that. Your amp will however receive more peak current flow with the cap installed. As far as dimming lights, i would recommend upgrading the wires under the hood such as from alternator to chassis, alternator to battery, battery to chassis, etc. That should help a bit as long as you use at least 4 ga. wire for that.

speednsound007

my dad says he thinks theres one somewhere in our storage room...What volts should it read? Yea, my lights dim and I can watch my RPM's dip up and down with the bass notes, the 1.0 farad cap didn't even help these problems a little bit, thats why I am thinking it isn't charged correctly.

thanks for ur help bro,
PJ

BRIGBOY

just get yur alternator respooled when it dies, by someone who is good at it. Have them respool it tightly, so you'll get about 110 amps, more than enough for any system.

SWEETSOUND2001

iTrader: (30)

I don't know about 91 maxima, but my 97 has a 110 amp alternator from the factory.

speednsound007

I would rather not have to replace the alternator anyways, ythats why I baught the cap! Anyone know what I should do?

PJ

enticiveblkmax

i have a .5 farad monster cap to help power a 300watt phoenix gold amp. i saw the drawing someone posted and mine is a little different. i have the wires going like this: battery to cap, the cap to the amp and then ground to cap then cap to amp. is that right? the picture used two seperate grounds, does that matter?

speednsound007

but does anyone have specific instructions on how to charge this? Because I don't think it's working for me...was the resistor suppose to get hot like that?

PJ

jashick

Actually, you can use the same ground point for all components... all ground points should be at the same "level."

Also, in theory, since you hooked up the cap in parallel to the amp (load), the moment you make all connections, the cap should start charging....