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capacitor and trunk rattling problems...help!

Old May 3, 2006 | 05:16 PM
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capacitor and trunk rattling problems...help!

two things:

1) i baught a $130 tsunami capacitor to toss on my 2 12in alpine type Es and 700watt alpine amp (im gettin headlight flicker), but as i was hooking it up i lost one of the terminals where the wires hook up. so this is what ive done with no luck: called the company but they dont sell them, went to ace hardware but they have no bolts that fit, went to tweeter staples and best buy but they dont carry them either....im thinkin maybe home depot?? what should i do to try to get something threaded in there??

2)i have a 99 max. ive put great stuff and dynamat in my trunk to stop the rattle. the only problem is it still rattles around the latch. theres really no way to put dynamat or anything on the latch so i was thinking if i add weight somehow to my trunk do you think that would help??
Old May 5, 2006 | 07:23 PM
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Throw the cap in the garbage (or return it). Upgrade your wiring.
Old May 5, 2006 | 08:26 PM
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Upgrade your alternator to batter positive, better yet just add a 4awg wire and run in a different route. That will save you the headache of actually upgrading the wire.
Add a engine ground to batter atleast 4awg, also add a chassis to negative ground, once again atleast 4awg. Get a better battery if you dont already have 1.
As far as your trunk latch, that part cant really be helped. Im still trying to figure that 1 out myself.
Old May 5, 2006 | 09:26 PM
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my 3rd gen latch was rattling, but it was just loose. try tightening those bolts. so far there's no rattling from the 6th gen.
Old May 8, 2006 | 02:06 PM
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what do you mean by 'upgrading the wire'? like a better brand? i got schoshe (walmart style! haha)...should i get JL audio or monster cable? would that help? and its 8 gauge wire that i have now...the terminal on my amp isnt big enough to fit 4 gauge.

thanks for the replies.

EDIT: oh yea, and my battery is just a regular engergizer battery, i heard the gel batteries push out more amps and should be used if you have a system? is that true? and if it is...how much do they usually cost?
Old May 8, 2006 | 02:09 PM
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No, thicker. If you have 8, go to 4.

You can still get the wire on your terminal.
Old May 8, 2006 | 02:33 PM
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Originally Posted by djfrestyl
No, thicker. If you have 8, go to 4.

You can still get the wire on your terminal.

ok thanks...i have a 5 gauge wire(yea, odd i know...) that ill throw on there.
Old May 8, 2006 | 02:42 PM
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you should be able to find bolts are lowe's or homedepot that fit it.
Old May 9, 2006 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by djfrestyl
No, thicker. If you have 8, go to 4.

You can still get the wire on your terminal.
will this really help stop headlight flicker???
Old May 10, 2006 | 01:53 PM
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Ever try to suck ice cream through a straw?

Same thing using 8 gauge for long distances using anything more than ~300 watts

edit: It will help to use your power more efficiently. It may not fix the headlight flicker but it will be better.
Old May 12, 2006 | 04:32 AM
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Originally Posted by djfrestyl
Ever try to suck ice cream through a straw?
mmm ice cream through a straw

haha, ok cool thanks.
Old May 12, 2006 | 05:05 AM
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Get an optima yellow top. and +1 on the 4 gauge. and make sure your amp is grounded with the shortest wire possible (also 4 gauge) or 5 i guess if that's what youve got. I too have a capacitor I don't/can't use. just extra trouble imo.
Old May 14, 2006 | 12:48 AM
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Originally Posted by kenji
I too have a capacitor I don't/can't use. just extra trouble imo.
i went to tweeter and they said they didnt have anything to sell me, but they could install it for me because they have installation parts that will work. so i think thats my plan for the cap.
Old May 14, 2006 | 05:34 AM
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That is why I do not like going there. They do not like to help people out. I wanted to get a small amount of speaker box carpeting, and they did not sell me even a small amount. The guy tried giving me some directions of a place where I could get some, meanwhile I was looking at all of the rolls they had behind him....
Old May 14, 2006 | 03:33 PM
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whatever, as long as they hook it up ill be happy...otherwise its just $130 in the garbage
Old May 14, 2006 | 03:47 PM
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tweeter is a rip off and there monster cable prices are inzane they can go to hell your better off going to a audio shop I find they are alot cooler and suprisingly cheaper than tweeter lmao.
Old May 14, 2006 | 05:33 PM
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Originally Posted by willard00
whatever, as long as they hook it up ill be happy...otherwise its just $130 in the garbage

whatever..... go and get jacked if you want... how much do you actually think that part costs. Certainly not worth the price of the installation they are going to charge you.

As far as the money being in the garbage, some of the guys here run pretty big amps and do not use a cap......

Old May 15, 2006 | 11:59 AM
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once again, i dont care. theyre gunna hook it up and ill be happy. plus they do a damn good job on installation too. ive gone to probably about 5 or 6 different places looking for the damn terminal for the cap and noplace has had anything, not even something they could install for me. so **** it, im sick of running around and lookin for the ****.

and as for those people who dont run caps and have big amps...sweet. good for them. i have headlight flicker, a cap helps elimate it, so i baught one. now would you people stop telling me to "throw it in the trash" or "return it" or "some people dont have them" or whatever else. its quite annoying if i do say so myself.
Old May 15, 2006 | 12:13 PM
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CAPS DONT DO ANYTHING. They are for looks only. I am running about 200 amps and i barely get any dimming. I am going to say this BIG 3 > Caps. And im am 100% positive everyone will agree. You just wasted 100$. Do some research before wasting money
Old May 15, 2006 | 12:22 PM
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MF'in
Old May 15, 2006 | 12:38 PM
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Technically speaking, a cap DOES do something, but it shouldn't be necessary if you upgade wiring. IMHO, both are solutions, but one is cheaper and better for your system overall. =)
Old May 15, 2006 | 01:00 PM
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In my integra i had a 1200 watt amp and had a headlight dimming problem that was ridiculous. Like so bad that it almost looked like a strobe. It has a stock replacement type battery. I have to say that when i got a capacitor it decreased drastically. Almost totally gone. I am not a know-it-all of car audio or anything, but in my experience it helped a lot.

Now i have that amp in my truck with a optima yellow top and no cap... and it doesnt dim at all. Maybe the yellow top is the better investment? who knows
Old May 15, 2006 | 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by 6spBlkMax
In my integra i had a 1200 watt amp and had a headlight dimming problem that was ridiculous. Like so bad that it almost looked like a strobe. It has a stock replacement type battery. I have to say that when i got a capacitor it decreased drastically. Almost totally gone. I am not a know-it-all of car audio or anything, but in my experience it helped a lot.

Now i have that amp in my truck with a optima yellow top and no cap... and it doesnt dim at all. Maybe the yellow top is the better investment? who knows
I'm going to assume you did nothing about your wiring first.
Old May 15, 2006 | 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by willard00
once again, i dont care. theyre gunna hook it up and ill be happy. plus they do a damn good job on installation too. ive gone to probably about 5 or 6 different places looking for the damn terminal for the cap and noplace has had anything, not even something they could install for me. so **** it, im sick of running around and lookin for the ****.

and as for those people who dont run caps and have big amps...sweet. good for them. i have headlight flicker, a cap helps elimate it, so i baught one. now would you people stop telling me to "throw it in the trash" or "return it" or "some people dont have them" or whatever else. its quite annoying if i do say so myself.
Whatever dude, just throw it in the trash!
Old May 15, 2006 | 07:40 PM
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Get yourself a yellow top and some 4 gauge and you will be good to go! I have a Hifonics Brutus 1000D, 4awg, and yellow top and no dimming! Best investment for me was the Yellow top, I've always ran 4awg power wire!
Old May 16, 2006 | 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted by DcMaN
CAPS DONT DO ANYTHING.
oh really? they dont? i mean, all they do is flatten the voltage spikes and store voltage so that your amp doesnt suck power from your headlights and other electrical components when the bass hits...but that means theyre doing nothing so i guess i should never have baughten it. and they are deffinatly only for looks...****in idiots. im in automotive school and just got through electrical class a few months ago. so (most of) your bull**** isnt going to fool me.
Old May 16, 2006 | 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by BLUEMAX01SE
Get yourself a yellow top and some 4 gauge and you will be good to go! I have a Hifonics Brutus 1000D, 4awg, and yellow top and no dimming! Best investment for me was the Yellow top, I've always ran 4awg power wire!

yea im planning on running some 4gauge wire and installin my cap onc emy buddy gives me the $200 he owes me...cause right now im a broke college kid. but whats a yellow top? is it like a gel type battery or somethin?

EDIT: nevermind...i figured out what they are...but i dont understand how they get hooked up? and how much are they typically?
Old May 16, 2006 | 04:13 PM
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I saw some Optima yellow tops in Costco on my last trip. I think they were around $150-ish, maybe more. I didn't see one in the size that would fit in my Maxima though. (they only had 3 or so sizes of yellow tops)

As far as hooking them up, it's just a battery.... nothing special about hooking it up other than making sure it fits in your car and you have the right kind of posts (side vs top).
Old May 16, 2006 | 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by willard00
oh really? they dont? i mean, all they do is flatten the voltage spikes and store voltage so that your amp doesnt suck power from your headlights and other electrical components when the bass hits...but that means theyre doing nothing so i guess i should never have baughten it. and they are deffinatly only for looks...****in idiots. im in automotive school and just got through electrical class a few months ago. so (most of) your bull**** isnt going to fool me.

hilarious. would read again!
Old May 16, 2006 | 10:22 PM
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ok first of all wilard when you actually know what your talking about you can argue this fact. But for now do some reading. You dont know the electrical system of our car very well. First of all we have a 115/125 amp alternator depending on the year. Second of all IF YOU KNEW ANYTHING YOU WOULD KNOW A GROUND IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS A POSITIVE WIRE. This is where the big 3 would come in UPGRADING THE STOCK GROUNDS AND POWER WIRES GIVES A HUGE ADVANTAGE. I am running over 200 amps AND BARELY get any dimming. Just because you think you have a "Big" system doesnt mean you NEED a cap. You need to over look the fact that you may need a wire size increase or even a good battery for the car. Those things are much more important and system dependant then a worthless cap that you wasted your money on.
Old May 16, 2006 | 10:37 PM
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automotive school versus experienced audio enthusiasts...hmmmmmmm....
Old May 17, 2006 | 05:32 AM
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first of all, i dont have a big system. its only 700watts max power. i barely get any headlight flicker, but i still find it annoying. if you had read any of my previous posts you would know that i am planning on upgrading to 4gauge. and a cap will more then sufficiently handle the problem i am having. and i know there are different types of batteries and that batteries with gel cells are better. but whatever man. but you are right, i dont know about the whole alternator stuff...but once again, oh well...thanks for your input.
Old May 17, 2006 | 07:42 AM
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Why don't you try upgrading your wire FIRST?
Old May 17, 2006 | 08:09 AM
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The cap will only mask the electrical systems initial issue. Honestly the $130 would have been better spent on doing the big 3 upgrade. Since you know so much about automotive electrical systems you should know how to do that. Ugrade the ground to battery, the battery + to alternator and the alternator ground to chassis. Not hard, and will solve all of your problems most likely. Sell the cap, upgrade the wiring. Come out with more money in your pocket, don't waste the time paying someone else to do something that'll only mask a bigger issue.

With only 700 watts you shouldn't have any if much dimming, so since you do I would say the alternator is gonna crap out on you sometime after installing the cap.
Old May 17, 2006 | 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by willard00
once again, i dont care. theyre gunna hook it up and ill be happy. plus they do a damn good job on installation too.
Yeah, like putting in speakers in a truck, having the customer go home and then figure out that the windows can't roll down all the way....


Originally Posted by willard00
oh really? they dont? i mean, all they do is flatten the voltage spikes and store voltage so that your amp doesnt suck power from your headlights and other electrical components when the bass hits...but that means theyre doing nothing so i guess i should never have baughten it. and they are deffinatly only for looks...****in idiots. im in automotive school and just got through electrical class a few months ago. so (most of) your bull**** isnt going to fool me.
The only one dealing bull here is you. If you know so much why are you here asking questions and calling people names...
Old May 17, 2006 | 03:48 PM
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caps=useless for a 700 watt system.
Old May 17, 2006 | 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by 1996blackmax
The only one dealing bull here is you. If you know so much why are you here asking questions and calling people names...
my question i originally asked was where i could get a terminal for my cap cause i lost it. then people started bein dueshbags tellin me to throw it away and return it, when obviously niether one was going to happen/could happen(for the return..missing the terminal=cant return it). i would have not biitched at anyone if they had kept those comments to themselves.

but to those who were sincerely tryin to help me out, thanks...i appreciate it. those of you who biitched at me and told me to throw it away and hook it up another way, i hate you. but thanks for lettin me know how to hook it up right.

jesus christ, now can we all stop biitching?
Old May 17, 2006 | 06:14 PM
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Originally Posted by willard00
now can we all stop biitching?

This is the way to go.
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