jetsfan2008

So I finally get my new AVIC N5 hooked up to the 500 watt amp and 2 alpine type r 12s hooked up yesterday, and while driving I immediately can tell somethings up, as the headlights were dimming at the light. After I got to where I was going last night(30-40 min driving) I turn my car off, head in to get somethin to eat, and when its time to go, my car battery doesnt turn over. Luckily one of the other customers out there had jumper cables that parked next to me, and he said I need to get something to handle my new system, but I forgot what.
Any of you guys have this issue before?
what did you do?

07Maximan

First thing I would say is get a power cap.I know alot of people say they are BS and a waste of money,but they work.I had the same problem.Im running 2 Kicker 10's with a 750 watt Kicker amp and before the power cap my lights would dim light crazy when my system was crakin'.I put in a cap and it stopped.

As far as the dead battery,maybe it was already weak a the added amp just was too much for it.Either that or something is hooked up wrong and the battery is being drained.

jetsfan2008

just came back from autozone---result bad battery. The guy said the same thing u said 07maximan, that the battery was already weak and the new system killed it.

filtor1

iTrader: (7)

No cap. Waste of money. Instead of trying to cover a possible issue up with a cap, try and figure out what is causing the issue in the first place.

I agree that the battery could have been on its way out already. A more likely culprit is an improper ground. You will need to go through and make sure all of your grounds are secure and the metal is exposed (ie. there is no paint on the contact point.

filtor1

iTrader: (7)

I would keep an eye on the voltage. I have had a battery tested and the auto parts store said I needed a new one. I bought it and within 3 days it was dead again. I found out it was a bad ground. The alt couldn't charge the battery and fully discharged a brand new battery. Fortunately they replaced it for free under warranty. It was a bad diagnosis though.

jetsfan2008

Thanks for the info

AscendantMax

iTrader: (7)

the factory battery on the 6th gen sucks...plain and simple. my battery died suddenly too. do NOT get a cap, it's just a bandaid for a weak electrical system. like chris mentioned, check the voltage the battery is getting with the car on. sometimes the alternator maybe dying and won't properly keep the battery charged.

07Maximan

I really dont see how you guys say a cap is a waste.Ive had audio shops do installs on a couple of my vehicles.They were done very neatly and professionally.They would try to sell me a cap and I would always say no.Then I used one and it made a big difference.What are the options?? A new alternator,Optima batteries(or multiple batteries),new grounding system?? I mean these are all well and good...if you do them yourself.These can be very pricy mods to do for some.I bought a cap for 50.00 and its been working for me for a long time.It might be a bandaid,but for a lower end system they work fine.If youre running a 2000 watt system,then yes do all the electrical upgrades possible.

filtor1

iTrader: (7)

Do whatever you want bro. We can only guide people based upon our knowledge and experience. It doesn't matter if your system needs a small "bandaid" or a large one. Caps can serve a purpose and can cover up some voltage issues. That doesn't change the fact that it is still covering up an underlying issue.

The car audio shops sell them b/c they make them look better and have a great ROI. They cover up possible shortcomings so the customer doesn't notice them. It is ultimately up to you to decide if you want to cover up an issue or eliminate it.

Pearl96Max

iTrader: (151)

I do own and run a shop and have been in the business 20years. I would not sell you (or anyone) a cap if they paid me double the retail. 'Fix-a-flat' or new tire?

You are aware amplifiers have caps inside them right? Any well built/designed amplifier has enough capacity within itself to not need additional assistance.

jkmay01

iTrader: (3)

yes amps do have caps inside of them, but caps i have noticed have helped my systems without fail. In my last system I had 2 1 farad caps along with a deep cycle battery. I used 4 gauge wire both ground and power, with distro blocks i didn't want to go the route of change alternator. After this install no dimming, bass was always tight and accurate no distortion. I guess it also matters where the gains are, along with the volume of system along with the amperage draw he has going on, along with the other power drains of the car 14.4v is normal voltage, if he has AC, Hid's, rear defrost, etc ,etc and is cranking the hell out of the system. Shoot the best of the batteries will go after a while. And Pearl i know you know your stuff, I'm not denying that!!

AscendantMax

iTrader: (7)

a cap won't make a sub sound 'tighter' and with less distortion. that's usually box/sub dependant.

Pearl96Max

iTrader: (151)

Re evaluate your setup and see if 4Awg is indeed appropriate. Not just for power claimed, but more importantly amperage used. All amps are not create equal, so a '100 watt amp' may draw twice or half that of another '100 watt amp'. Also consider the length of your run as well as your alts power and ground right along with your batteries.

I can surely take a few 20-30 watt amps and drain a brand new battery in minutes with them at idle. ALL things are relevant.

jkmay01

iTrader: (3)

the point behind my statement was in regards to power. With sustain power to your amps they will produce the bass notes properly, if not then you will get distortion. Do a test run on a 1000 to 1500 watt system on a 2 battery system not using a direct isolator, but a circuit breaker turn the car off run the system isolate the system to the second battery. run the system hard in about 10min you will hear distortion across the board. hence the caps outside of amps will help sustain the power demands from bass notes.