Rage0598

I have a Kicker 900 Watt amp (box says 750 but the certificate in the case says a little over 900 Watts) in my Civic 04 ex coupe. it's automatic ;(
It's powering 2 12" Kenwood subs.
Problem: Front lights dim with the beat of the subs. It's really noticeable the higher the volume. (higher vol = more power i'm assuming)

First off... Does this even matter? Ok, my lights dim it's annoying yes but is it actually hurting my car (I heard it also effects sound quality)?

Possible solution:
Power capacitor or big 3 upgrade?

A 1 farad capacitor is equivalent to about 1000 Watts. So I should be able to just get a 1 farad cap and that should suffice and fix the problem (about $60 w/o install fee)? I also heard about a big three upgrade but i don't really have the resources (aka tools) to do the upgrade (if it is even worth it). I also have no idea of the cost of a big 3 upgrade.

Price: No more than $200 (including installation)

Future projects that might affect electrical:
I plan on adding in LED interior lighting, fog lights, rear spoiler (with brake light), and change out the factory default 6 1/2" and 6 x 9" speakers.

Would a combo of both work best?

Novice mechanic (my specialty is computers not cars lol)

sl33pyriceboi

iTrader: (3)

why on earth did you get a 900w for?

my old 400w hiphonics where more than enough to shatter my window.

anyways, if u wanna stop the dimming, get a high output alternator.

a cap also helps.

lowlife9

you could also tune the amp and maybe turn the gain down

BigVic4545

Use the 0,2, or 4 gauge wire.

ancientpimp

Check all connections first ie:ground etc. if that still doesnt work then do the
big 3 , use 0 gauge or at least 4 gauge, don't waste your money on caps. It's a bandaid solution.
Big 3 is the cheapest so do that first before buying a high output alt. and a better battery

Rage0598

The connections are fine and the amp had already been tuned. checked that out already (thought it was the original problem).

I have a bunch of gauge 4 wire left over from my speaker install.

Any one know of a place to get a "high-end" alternator? (i only keep finding the 70 amp one...factory default lol)

electric130

iTrader: (44)

http://storesense1.mysuperpageshosti...ail.bok?no=735 and i make big 3 kits too. link in my sig.

Schuy

In answer to "is it hurting anything"....possibly. If all of your connections are correct and the right gauge then you should be fine for overheating and fires and such, but since your bass is actually dimming your headlights you can be sure that you are putting enormous strain on your alternator, and thereby your car's entire electrical system. If you headlights are dimming as your driving, that means that you ecu could be getting low voltage as well and you MAY even be ruining your spark, which could cause your car to miss (in very extreme cases, prolly not for you). Worst day to day problem, however, is that your alternator cannot keep up with the draw from the sub and you will probably burn it out in a shorter period of time than your average alternator. I would suggest you invest in a performance alt, or at least one with a bit more output to avoid any odd things happening with your electronics.

The bass cap would be a good plan in any system btw, it will improve sound quality because it keeps the voltage at a steady flow rather than fluctuating when the battery drains and the alternator has to pulse to keep up.

DeX

If you want to fix it and not care about your electrical system, get a capacitor. If you don't want to kill your electrical system, stay away....far away....from capacitors. Upgrade your wiring to/from your battery/alternator and if that doesn't help, upgrade your battery/alternator. I have no idea why people get such high powered amplifiers, the next step after 300 watts should be simply converting over to class D. I bet a class D amplifier would sound 3 times as good as that 900 watt and be louder too. Besides it's a Kicker so you do the math.

c kim

iTrader: (1)

I have the same problem but I'm only running about 600rms. 400 to the sub and 200 to the front components. I did the big 3 (got it from electric130). Didn't help with the dimming problem even with all accessories off. It only dims when I listen to rap though. I'm still using the oem battery, I plan on upgrading that once it dies (whenever that is). Thats another weak spot on our cars.

Not only are your headlights dimming your taillights are probably dimming as well.

electric130

iTrader: (44)

mine dim with only a single 200w sub amp. it's because our alternators suck and only put out 70A.

HLC

i think a capacitor will only cover up the problem as once the capacitor drains, then you'll be back to the same problem of the headlights dimming. and also, 1000 watts=/=1 farad. capacitance is a measure of charge per volt (farads), and power is a measure of Volt-Amps (watts). just my .02 dollars

tmuc13

I had the same problems with mine. I first added a cap, but then decided to really fix it. I bought a yellow top and put it in. Problem solved. Might be a little over $200, but very well worth the extra money. That is my suggestion.

lilmidget08

yellow top is the way to go....

mrplow123456

Figured I'd chime in since I'm a big audio guy. First my system consists of a mono channel 500w Alpine Class D amp power 2 12" RF P2s and a 300w Pioneer amp powering the door speakers, not sure of all specs. I have distribution blocks so I have 1 ground and power wire and I have a 20 farad capacitor, yes 20 farads, and a yellow top Optima. I still have my lights dimming and over the weekend I installed a big 3 upgrade. Only thing I'm missing is my alternator and upgraded power wires to that. An overview is I have 800w RMS which draws 85A I believe with a 20 farad cap and a yellow top. Like what HLC said once the cap is drained you are back to your previous situation. A cap is more of a bandaid then anything. Anway moral of the story is, if you are serious about listening to music, especially rap, buy the HO alternator. It will save you from having to upgrade again any time soon, it will be kind to your battery, even though OEN isn't that great, and overall its relatively cheap. Also buy the big 3, it is WELL worth it.

DeX

Ya, after grinding a pile of dirt into the wound first and then covering it with the bandaid. Making sure to keep it as dirty as possible. Seriously, your alternator is now trying to supply enough power to keep your capacitor and your battery topped up.......are you crazy? Your system would be healthier with a 1 farad capacitor or even none at all would be better. First upgrade should have been the alternator.

mrplow123456

Believe me I know. I never intended it to be an alternative and therefore my stuff is never maxed. I got the cap due to it supposedly having built in distribution blocks, which it didn't, and now I'm stuck with a 200 dollar piece of crap. Believe me it does its job but I turn it down when lights start to dim, which does take a very long time. I'm now looking to upgrade the alternator, selling my current cap and buying the 32 farad cap due to it ACTUALLY having distribution.

phil6006

I'm pretty sure you're going to kill your alternator this way. Trust me. I've done it. I have changed the alternator at least 6 times on my truck. first time because the 60A alt. couldn't handle an extra 800WRMS.

The stock civic alternator is only 70A MAX output. I'd say that everything else in the car (without the heater fan motor on) draws at least 10-15 amps, probably 20 with the heater.

If your amp is dimming your lights now, and you add a bigger capacitor, I'm pretty sure you are going to kill your alt. very shortly.

How about instead of getting a capacitor because it has a distribution block, why don't you just get a distribution block.

I guess I feel silly now making sure my 200WRMS/20A amp would be too much for the alternator... :-)

mrplow123456

I meant in that order. And I currently have distribution blocks but they are a pain when you have the kind of wire I do. Most of this stuff is just for shows as I don't care much for them but it makes it and eye sore having wires everywhere. I just wanted to state that caps, no matter how large, don't do anything. Where if you go to a show and have a nice looking cap sitting there reading all the info to them it looks time times better.

cwo715

iTrader: (13)

im thinking 900watts (peak) = 450 rms. well you just need to get a .5 Farad Capacitor. im running at 1600watt MTX Comp amp (800rmsx4 +375x1 @ 2 Ohms) and i got a .5 farad cap and it fixed the problem.