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Can anyone help me out here. Im having problem with the battery/alternator/power with my car. I assume its the audio system that is causing this. At the moment, im having 3 amps in my car (one 4-channel, one 2-channel, one monoblock) powering a pair of 10-inch subs. The car seems to be running quite low batt from what i monitored..basically the battery drops to 12.8-12.9 when audio is switch on (using a safc to see the voltage of the battery). Occasionally the car engines 'dies' when stop at traffic light, usually the car will jerk..before 'dying' off. I had this problem for sometime, so i thought it was the battery, so ive change it to optima red top, but the problem still persist.

Anyone knows if the battery is giving me the problem?? And from what i notice, its only when i power up my aircond and audio that the car will have this problem. Could it be the alternator?? What im trying to find out is whether it is due to the audio in my car that is causing the problem. Thx ppl

 
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wat u need is a CAP

 
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at least 1 faret

 
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Oh, i do have a cap..1 faret. But it does not seem to be helping much. Do i need another cap?? And also, the battery runs quite low when i switch on the lights, aircond & audio. So i assume its the battery problem, and therefore i opted 2 purchase an optima red top. But the problem still persist, so im wondering is the problem cause by the battery power not sufficient or the alternator is not working properly (which i doubt, as the car is only 2yrs old..01 model). Trying to isolate the problem.

 
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ive found that the capacitor can be the CAUSE of such problems....

but heres an easy way to confirm its yrou audio system. pull the fuse out of your main cable by the battery. drive around for at least a week, better two, see if the problem persists. car doesnt die anymore? hook stuff up bit at a time, see if you cna isolate it.

ill bet anythign that capacitor is part of the problem, however.

our civics can handle voltage drops like that just fine, however, so its not the unstable voltage, that I can confirm for sure.

 
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make sure it aint no generic cap...get the monster cap

 
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The cap can be the problem?? I thought the cap was suppose to help reduce load/stress to the batteries?? Well, if the aircond wasnt switch on, it has no such problems. Usually in the morning, the problem will not arise, only in the afternoon, when the aircond is on, and also in the night, when i switch on the lights as well. Sometimes even when the audio is not switch on, only the lights and aircond on, it will still give me the problem. Just the other day, the car 'died' and i couldnt restart the car...could put on the emergency light...but the car just wouldnt start...no engine 'kicking' when i turn on the ignition...only after awhile, only i manage to start the car, and the problem occur when my audio is switch off.

The batteries are very new, just installed onto the car..about a week or two.

 
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try what i suggested, lemme know if that improves the situation

 
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All capacitors are made by 2 or 3 companies, and sold to other brands like Monster and Phoenix and Rockford who relabel them...brands dont matter as far as "performance" and all a cap will do is help reduce headlight dimming.

 
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i think he's straining his electrical system to much. i mean, he pretty much states it. when he has his system going and he: turns on ac, stops, or headlights, he has the problem. i say, u tried ur first option of a bigger battery. u wasted ur money on a cap. and now your last option (as i see it), is a bigger alternator. or maybe look at how you have your amps hooked up to your battery? do you have it all off ONE, say 0 gauge wire? and have distribution blocks for each amp? i've heard that can help reduce the load. anyways, good luck!

-DINGALING

 
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I have a pretty hefty electrical load on my system (right Mystic??) and I've never once that this issue. I have 2 Xtant 1000x1 amps and a Diamond Audio D7 amp. This combined with other things (neon, Sirius tuner, dual 0 awg power wiring, lights, A/C full blast) and never had an issue, even with the stock battery and alternator. With everything on, I still have almost 13v at the battery. Sounds like it's a wiring problem somewhere to me.... Check all of your connections and wiring, especially at the battery. Also check for solid ground connections. Maybe you just got a low output alternator from the factory?? Definately not the battery if you bought a red top and it still didn't help...

 
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a cap is a cap is a cap

1 farad of capacitance is one fadar of capacitance
brand doesnt matter a damn thing

 
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noone needs a cap.
the cap is the biggest marketing ploy in the history of audio

 
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im sorry, but electrical series resistance does play a factor, and if one company produced two capacitors of the same capacitance, but of differnt esr's, they will perform differently, regardless of capacitance.

did you know that your cellphone has a BUNCH of 1F caps inside it? interesting, eh? why cant we use those for our car, string up 100 together, make a 100F cap!

ESR.

I agree that capacitors are a marketing ploy. great rule of audio salesmen, if htye buy a radio, sell them a wireharness and dash kit, if they buy an amplifier, sell them install kits and a capacitor, if they buy speakers, sell them speaker wire.

its amarketing ploy, that doesnt mean they dont have their uses! now, not everyone is ognna have that need! I dont need 12 tweeters in my car, or a 31 band EQ, that doesnt mean others dont need or get them! just the same with a capacitor. its got its potential in the market. its just a marketing ploy because salesman like to make up fanciful stories about what a capacitor really can or even will do.

but im sticking by my original post, as to the most probbale cause of the problem, and still suggest the course of action I have already outlined to isolate and Identify the problem.

 
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yea caps are not really needed and i pefer not to use them. A cap is a ghetto solution to electrical problems and the problem will still exist despite the cap 90 percent of the time

 
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Thx for all the replys, i'll be going to my installer today to see if he can rectify the problem. I have no idea how the amp is connected to the batt. Just to add, i do have ground wires and a cap, and my headlights still dims. And the issue is that i live in a hot climate country, so the a/c have to be on whenever im in the car, and for the past few days...the aircond have to switch off . Still wondering whether it is the alternator or not, im pretty sure many ppl out there is prollie running a much more 'power hungry' setup then mine and they dont have the problem.

As for the optima red top, im not to sure which model i purchase...all i know its a red top...didnt really do a research, as the audio installer says that it will solve my low voltage problem....guess not.

Ps: sorry for the late reply, dont have a computer to go online...my comp fried the other day.

 
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what u need is more batteries and an alternator to charge them. the cap will keep the voltage up and lights from dimming...maybe. a battery will add current and the only thing that will make more power in your system is the alternator. batteries and alternators are the only way to keep the power up on large systems. How many caps do you see in SPL systems? or SQ systems? all of them have extra batteries and HO alternators.