I just put a new sub and amp set up in my '93 Civic hatch. I'm running a 2000 watt Performance Teknique amp, 2 10" Audiobahn Alum10Q. Everytime I turn the bass up just a little my cars lights start dimming. But its only the lights in the interior. IE Guage lights, the clock, head unit etc. Now I'm probably sure my car is underpowered and that the amp is drawing too much power, so what should I do to fix this. I was thinking about getting a stiffening capacitor. Any thoughts?

 

The amp is drawing too much power. The alternator can not keep up with its needs, so power is taken away from the weaker sources...such as the interior lights.

Best way to deal with this is by installing a high-output alternator (HO). Someone else should chime in on caps.

 

I still don't agree with the capacitor craze.

You can get the same result while giving your system a closer power source which actually holds power by adding a quick charge/quick discharge battery in the rear.

Even if your alternator can't keep up with the demands, the second battery creates a huge cushion allowing everything to stay powered and for the alternator to catch up when it can. A true high-output alternator will cost you a lot of cash, and most people who get them don't actually need them.

A capacitor and a battery shouldn't be compared, they each have their own job and do it well. However, a by-product of the battery doing its job will be that your lights don't dim and everything has the power it needs. Also, it creates a much shorter path for the electrical circuit for your system *In most vehicles*.


For anyone who is having problems with their electrical system because of their stereo, I suggest buying a battery, then buying a HO alternator if they need one. Unless they are just compensating for low signal voltage by pulling extra current at the amps, in which case I suggest a HU with more output voltage.

My competition system has *Zero* capacitors and very rarely dips under 13 Volts. I have 4 2200 CCA batteries in the back, an isolator, and an Ohio Generator alternator. This is on a system with ~7000W rms (12 Memphis MC300 amps which I have modified).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chilly61383 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just put a new sub and amp set up in my '93 Civic hatch. I'm running a 2000 watt Performance Teknique amp, 2 10" Audiobahn Alum10Q. Everytime I turn the bass up just a little my cars lights start dimming. But its only the lights in the interior. IE Guage lights, the clock, head unit etc. Now I'm probably sure my car is underpowered and that the amp is drawing too much power, so what should I do to fix this. I was thinking about getting a stiffening capacitor. Any thoughts?</TD></TR></TABLE> There is only one way to get more "power" to your amp, and that is with a higher output alt. any thing else is a band aid, although an extra isolated batt. is a very good idia and so is a cap. I hear a lot about how you can't compare a batt. and a cap., and no they are not the same, but they do the same kind of things when it relates to car audio, a batt stores energy and releases it when needed, and the type of batt. will determin how much power a batt. can store and how fast it can release it, a cap stores energy and releases it when needed and the type of cap. will determin how much power and how fast it will release it., a batt. can work without a cap, [batt. will store power for a long time] a cap can not work without a batt., [a cap can not store power for a long time] put a 12v light bulb on a batt. and it will stay on for a long time 24 hr or more , depending on batt., put the same bulb on a cap and the cap will drain in a few sec.
I have been installing car audio for over 30 years, and I don't agree with people that caps don't work, I will bet you if you install a cap, [1 or more farads] on your sub amp, close to the amp, it willnot only get rid of your "disco dash lights" but your sub bass will sound better, again it's only a band aid, it will not give you any more power, [only a alt. can do that] but it will alow the amp to draw power, [very fast muck faster then any batt.] off the cap when it needs it. A cap is your least expensive "fix" next would be a batt. and then an alt., and the best would be to have all 3. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and the best would be to have all 3. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I do agree with that, but I still say a cap isn't as necessary if you have plenty of battery capacity and an upgraded alternator. As in if you only had 2 of the three the best combination would be battery/alternator. Hence why I say that a battery is a much better first purchase than a cap.

And besides, the only capacitor systems I've seen that are of high quality usually run about the same as a decent sized and high quality battery (wherein the battery has multiple times more capacity while sacrificing an relatively small amount of charge/discharge time).

And I do agree with the "band-aid" thing, until you upgrade the power source you are still only covering up the fact that you are taking out more current than you put back into the system.

 

I also want to replace the current battery in my car, whats a good battery to use and if I use an isolated battery whats a good one to use for that?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chilly61383 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I also want to replace the current battery in my car, whats a good battery to use and if I use an isolated battery whats a good one to use for that?</TD></TR></TABLE>Use two of the same batt. We always recomend replacing the main batt. when installing a 2nd isolated batt., [so both batt. are identical in all ways] use a solinoid to isolate the 2nd batt. [better and cheeper then a diode isolater] trigger the solinoid with 2nd ign., [your car has a 2nd ign. free pin on the incar fusebox] it has no power when cranking the motor to start, also rewire the yellow, [constant power] wire for the HU to the 2nd batt, side of the solinoid, [so the only thing drawing power from the main batt. is the red acc. wire] I still say get a cap. 94

 

I ended up getting a cap for my car, 1.2 Farad Digital Capacitor.... No more dimming, I'm still gonna end up getting a new alt soon hopefully and a good battery, I think I'm gonna go with the Odyssey Dry Cell. Not the little one though the bigger one i think its the 925 MJT.