Hey, i have a 96 integra LS, and i've had a system in it for about a year, rockford fosgate 500sPUnch amp, running 2 12" MTX subs...its been fine for awhile now...but recently, like if my car was idling at a traffic light, and some heavy bass came on...[like every beat of a rap song], my RPMs would drop by like 3 or 4hundred RPM...

will a cap fix this? and do you think that the alternator might be going at this point, cause this never used to happen...

 

A bigger alternator will be better than getting a cap. However a cap can help out.

You might want to drive your car for a day or so with out any bass so that your battery can recharge fully.

 

If it didn't happened before, keeping all elements the same, chances are your alternator is giving up.

The reason for this to happend is because the electrical system in your car is designed to handle the demand of your factory accessories. When you install a piece of equipment that demand more current than the factory system supplies, it fails with time. The best solution to your case is have your alternator checked and repaired and then install a good capacitor for your amp.

 

any idea how much that would run to repair? replace?

also, say i'm at the track racing...naturally with no subs or anything...is damaged alternator going to have any real impact on perfomance?

 

bump

 

Yes, a damaged alternator will have a negative impact in performance. It won't generate as much current to produce a good spark in your ignition system.

 

Eric, I don't think a capacitor is going to help with his undercharging problems.

I say YES to a bigger alternator, but NO to a capacitor.