I have had my system in my car for about a month now (see sig for car and system). About two weeks ago I added a 1 Farad Stinger Cap since the first two weeks my headlights flickered when I would crank it. This is what the audio shop suggested to fix it. Two weeks later and it is better but if I crank it the voltage seen on the digital readout goes from 14.2V to 11.5-11.8V when it is up a bit. The flicker is less but still there. They said it wouldn't hurt anything but I am not getting the full potential out of the amps. They said my next step should probably be a dry cell battery or alternator. If it would fix the problem totally I would spend the money but don't want to just keep throwing money at something to not fix the problem A battery is like $150 and they said an alternator is $600. I have plans to get a new timing belt and have all my belts changed shortly so at 85k miles I could do an alternator at that time to save costs. How do most people fix this problem? Wonder how much potential I am really losing?
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1998 Honda Civic LX 4-Door


Head Unit- Pioneer 760MP
Front And Rear Fill Amp- Kicker KX800.4
Front Stage- CDT HD52Z 5.25" With 1" Silk Tweets
Rear Fill- Focal CV-690 6"x9" Two Ways
Sub Amp- Kicker KX600.1
Sub- RE-SE 12" In 2.0^Ft. Unported Box
Cap- 1 Farad Stinger
XM SkyFi2

 

I see E-Bay has some alternators: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

Is that a good deal and does it really double output from 75A to 135A? Anything better out there for a reasonable price?

 

Anyone running a higher amperage alternator than the stocker?

 

How to explain this.............A capacitor will help as you already saw. That isn't what the cap is designed for but it is an added benifit. I wouldn't go buy the digital read out on the cap. I would actually remove it they serve no purpose.

An important question to ask yourself is what is the ESR of the capacitor you have. Say its .02 ohms. Now you pull 100 amps of current, 100*.02 is 2V! this will be your voltage drop. Now the question might be how do I reduce the ESR? Either buy a cap with a very low ESR or put them in parallel. (another cap)

Your lights will always flicker some. Even with a higher output alternator. The reason being the alternator can't respond as fast as the power requirements of the amplifier. I would suggest going to get your current draw measured. If you are exceeding your alternators output then it might be a good idea to upgrade.

Adding a low ESR battery also helps but your lights will still flicker. You will never reduce the ESR to 0 so you will always have some voltage sag. You have to ask yourself what is acceptable to you. A dry cell doesn't garantee a low ESR. Stinger product are usually fairly good though. They will state the ESR of there products. One draw back to dry cells is they hate cold weather. Your car will be very hard to start if it gets cold. They also don't like to sit for to long.

An alternator and low ESR battery will help the DC current draw, a capacitor will help with the transient current draw.


Modified by nsxxtreme at 8:09 AM 9/29/2005

 

Sounds like some good info. Can I measure my current draw with an Ammeter? The only thing I can see the digital readout on the cap being good for is to see how much I am loosing. From what it looks like you are saying I can never totally eliminate the slight blip on the lights. What about the drop in voltage? Am I damaging anything or just not getting everything my amps has to offer? Maybe I am okay or as close to it as I can get without spending tons of cash.

 

Any time you measure something you have to ask what is the sample rate. A DMM stands for Digital Multimeter is samples the input at some given rate and converts it to the digital domain. Your voltage meter is probably also uses digital sampling. Since I don't know the rate I couldn't tell you how accurate it is. If your sample always happens to land in a low point then your data means nothing. Voltage measurements should be done at the battery not the capacitor. There are other things that cause voltage drops and taking a measurement all the way in the trunk doesn't really tell you have power supply problem.


You will need an current meter that can measure 100+ amps. You will measure this at the battery. We have a place here that will do it for free called Startmart. Its an easy measurement you should be able to find someone that can do it for you. If your current draw exceeds your alternators output the it would be a good idea to upgrade.

Depending on the amp you may or may not care. If your amp has a regulated power supply then it probably doesn't matter much. They will produce the same rail voltage all the way down to 8 volts usually. So the output power wont very much.

If it has an unregulated design then any drop in voltage will reduce output power.

Try seeing if your local shop will allow you to borrow another cap. It should reduce the blinking even more. If it doesn't then return it. The fact that it reduced the blinking tells me you haven't exceeded your alternators output. If it did the lights would blink and stay dim.

Since you plan to upgrade the alternator then I say run it until you blow it. If your are exceeding its output it will burn out. Your not going to hurt anything else. If it doesn't burn out then save your money.

 

I have an amp probe you clip around a wire to see how much amperage it is drawing. Will that tell me if I check it at the battery?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Intercooler &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have an amp probe you clip around a wire to see how much amperage it is drawing. Will that tell me if I check it at the battery?</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you can measure as high as the current draw then yes.

 

Alumapro pro makes The C.A.P. wich comes in 5 - 15 - 20 farad. they work pretty well I would recomend getting one of these.

Check out the website

http://www.alumapro.com/cap.html

 

You'll notice no ESR value is stated with that product. hmmmm...................

 

I just got my system a month now....i have a cheap 1000 watt amp...2 12'' subs....no cap.....but everytime the bass line hits my headlights dim...and my rpms go down at idle!!! Is that normal?Or do i have a problem...the car starts fine every morning!!

 

lights dimming is a voltage drop rpm's dropping is caused from the additional load on the alternator. It takes power to produce current, the more current you require the more power is taken away from your motor.

 

Understood!!But is that normal?Do i have to worry about replacing my Alternator...or am i good?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Intercooler &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have an amp probe you clip around a wire to see how much amperage it is drawing. Will that tell me if I check it at the battery?</TD></TR></TABLE>I will agree with most everything nsxxtreme has told you.
I do disagree on one point with nsxxtreme, DON"T WAIT till the alt. burns out before upgrading, because as sure as **** comes out of your ***, the alt. bill burn out at the most inopportune time, it will do so on some back road miles from anyplace it will be pissing rain, you will be in your "glad rags" because your on a hot date, and there will be no cell service. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I will agree with most everything nsxxtreme has told you.
I do disagree on one point with nsxxtreme, DON"T WAIT till the alt. burns out before upgrading, because as sure as **** comes out of your ***, the alt. bill burn out at the most inopportune time, it will do so on some back road miles from anyplace it will be pissing rain, you will be in your "glad rags" because your on a hot date, and there will be no cell service. 94</TD></TR></TABLE>
Lol that's what AAA is for. Usually when you alternator goes the charge light comes on. You still have time to drive somewhere.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondamonkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Understood!!But is that normal?Do i have to worry about replacing my Alternator...or am i good?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Dimming lights is normal. But I cant tell you if your going to burn out the alternator. Go get it tested to see if your pulling more then its capable of producing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxxtreme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Lol that's what AAA is for. Usually when you alternator goes the charge light comes on. You still have time to drive somewhere.</TD></TR></TABLE> You may be right, but not very far on a rainy night and you have to be able to phone AAA and be member.
You should know that if **** like that is going to happen, it will not happen a block from home on the day you are taking the car off the road for a rebuild. 94

 

if i get a capacitor will it save my alternator?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondamonkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if i get a capacitor will it save my alternator?</TD></TR></TABLE> Not necessarily, if you continually try and draw more current then the alt. can supply, it will continue to over heat till it burns out.
The more current, over it's output you try and draw, the more it will over heat and the sooner it will burn out. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hondamonkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if i get a capacitor will it save my alternator?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Depends yes and no. It will help the charging system.

I've gotten 30 miles with a broken alternator belt before Damn JR SC used to eat belts before they changed the pulley system.