Hey y'all...
I'm getting components, amp and subwoofer installed in my 02 Max. Last time i did this i had problems with the battery... so i ended up getting a new battery and removed the sub and amp. Why do you think my battery went bad? Bad setup or cuz i didnt have a capacitor. The installer who is going to do the work says my battery will be absolutely fine... what do you guys think?

 

surprisingly your installer is correct...unless you are running over 800 watts rms you are fine. and thats just a guesstimate.

 

Yea... this is just a basic sub setup to take away the bass from the components. I think last time i was playing music while i was parked somewhere... think that must've pulled a lotta juice out!

 

There's a lot to consider when a you have power problems like that. It can be something as simple as the alternator and battery not able to keep up. A lot of it is the following.

Low charging alternator
Battery not charging fully
Poor connections

But you should be fine. But I'd recommend having your charging system checked as a precaution. If everything turns out ok... your old battery was bad.

But like slickrick said, anything under 800 RMS, you won't need a cap.

I'm just wondering about my truck though... I'm putting a 1100 D Memphis in. It was able to run the 500 D no problem, but I'm not totaly sure with the new amp. Any thoughts slick?

 

how big is the alti? and is that the only amp? also i assume it will be running at 1 ohm.

 

True, but given that your amps are drawing current in spikes during bass hits, it wouldn't hurt and could possibly extend the life of your equipment by adding a capacitor in-line. Plus, overall audio may be affected in a positive way (amps not straining) by always having adequate power available. Since you can get a quality .5 or 1 farad cap on Ebay for $70. Wouldn't it be worth it to gain the benefits?

 

Benefits... LOL. Yeah, overworked alternator... woo hoo. Cause now the alternator has to work twice as hard charging the batter, and that cap. Easier to just upgrade your alt. You pay more at the beginning, but less troubles overall.

Hmmm, I need to check on the amperage for the alt... I checked it out one day, but forget what it was. And yeah, that's the only amp I'll be running. It's only going to be 2 ohms. Unless I can get the M3's to run @ 1 ohm. Going for that pure Memphis setup.

 

yeah you can get an idea by finding out the max current draw at 2 ohms for the amp and comparing it to the amps output. i DISAGREE with the need for a cap. when you think you need a cap, take a step back, slap yourself and go do the "magic" 3. if that does not work and all connections are good and with the approropriate size wire then think about getting a new alternator. im still unsire about how much a battery can help a system but i dont think an optima battery would hurt an electrical system.

 

so... playing music while the engine is off is a bad idea right?

 

I'm confused, you didn't mention why not to get the cap. I'm not trying to flame, just trying to learn. According to this information, http://www.bcae1.com/capacitr.htm

it might make sense to get a capacitor as a stiffening device if you have the need. In my last two vehicles, I did have a need as my lights would dim considerably. I eventually added an upgraded alternator to each but they cost me $350 each time. I was able to use the original alternators until they died because I had a stiffening capacitor. Granted, I will concede the arguement that my alternators may have died sooner because they worked harder, but at least I could see while driving down the road at night. Though my total amp wattage changed over time depending on which amps I was using, it never exceeded 500 watts rms at the most. One alternator was listed at 80 amps and the other 95 for each vehicle respectively.

After thinking more about was has been said and doing some research, I guess that it's best to hook everything up and add a capacitor "after" should it be required.

 

thats odd. im running 2 500watt amps with 2 subs, components and i have had no battery problems, not even dimming of the lights, and i dont have a cap.

 

Remember though that I was running 500 watts (rms) and that the alternator amperage was under 95 amps on both cars. Not sure what your max runs but it might be higher.

 

Well since you're here to learn... me and slick will edumucate you...

I'm not sure how long slick has been doing this, but I've been doing stereo work for 7 years... 5 of which was for subwoofer intall and tuning for various areas. SQ or SPL competitions, or just plain filler.

You hit the spot when it comes to a cap... it's the last thing you should ever do with a system. First being the big 3 upgrade, then alternator. Sometimes just a simple gain and freq range adjustment can bring everything together. Depends upon what you're using.

To me... Caps are like Nitrous Oxide... A BIG NO NO

 

I ran 2 batteries and averaged about 800w RMS over my various system layouts..killed my stock 90 amp alt about a year after I stuck the second battery in it..all dimming went away for that whole year (and still no dimming even with a dead alt...) though. If your grounds are sufficient, double them anyway..if your alt to battery cable is sufficient, put a cable atleast 2x bigger on it..then think about a bigger alt..then worry about adding batteries or caps..

 

Thanks kcidmil, slickrick, and Golden Ice,

I'll be putting my system in soon and was debating about sticking in the old cap. I'll wait for now as I think the '01 has plenty of juice for the system. Should I need to upgrade the alt. in the future, any recommendations on what is a good product?

 

Denso has a high output brushless alternator. Little pricey... around $300 last I heard... but it saves the brushes from going out. I just can't remember what website I saw it on.

I remember you had to email them your old alternator's part #, manufacturer, and details about your car, and they built it up to fit on your car. It's on my midco account... which I don't have access to right now.

 

Power drain can be a big problem, but I agree... it shouldnt be a problem. I havnt had any issues, but then again, i dont have as large a system as some of the fellows here.

 

yeah basically a cap should only be tried IMO when you have done every wire size upgrade and have installed a new battery and HO alternator. but even so, if your alternator puts out over 100 amps you should be fine unless you run a ton of power from it. there are so many threads about caps on audio forums its amusing.