do i need to add a capacitor for my system?

Question

i have a 08 honda civic si i have two 12" kicker cvx subs and a Rockford Fosgate Punch 1000-Watt Mono Amp will this set up drain my battery and do i need to upgrade the alternator or add a capacitor

Answer 1

caps are nothing but a gimmick to get your money. do 'the big 3' instead.



http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+big+3+upgrade&nomobile=1&hl=en&gl=US&client=mv-google



http://forum.realmofexcursion.com/electrical-charging-systems/17919-why-you-dont-need-capacitor.html

Answer 2

i get tired of seeing the other guy telling people to get caps, he turns his music down and tends to keep it down, so he shouldnt need a cap. dont get them, they are a gimmick, people have put online that you would need more like 100 farads for every 1000 watts but by then a battery is cheaper and better anyway. caps add strain to your alternator, which is really bad for stock since it already has strain on it from the rest of the system and lowers the life of your alt so just get a high output alt and then you will have enough power that you wont need a capacitor. and also capacitors are usually one volt below the rest of the car, so if your car is at 14.4 volts the cap is at 13.4 and thats what your amp is seeing. and if the voltage drops while playing then thats an even lower voltage your amp is seeing and less power its putting out and if the voltage at the amp is getting down to around 12 then that lowers the life of the amp because it is working harder and most amp arent very efficient or stable down to 12 volts and it is also bad for the subs.



i know a lot of people with caps and they all have more voltage problems at their amps than i do and they wonder why they keep burning up their amps.



you dont have a ton of power so try the big 3 upgrade that should be enough for you but if your lights dim and you want to get rid of the problem without trying to patch it up then get an alternator as well, that way if you get a big enough one you also have plenty of power incase you ever want to get a bigger amp(s)



also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPL03WVbDRQ

Answer 3

Sorry to say caps arent gimmick. Caps deliver power to your subs peak demands, since ordenary car-batteries dont deliver fast enough to the peaks. The peaks in a sub or in any other speaker is there for a reason. Peaks makes music dynamic, instead of lifeless. There is a reason why car stereo demo people add caps in theyre demo cars. I have seen up to 100F on a 6000 watts system.

I myself use 40F on my 2-3000watts system, and i get all the good peaks with full dynamics in the music. Without it there was a clear difference. The added benefit of light ending dimming was a pluss too.

Answer 4

As long as You have a decent, functioning battery and alternator, You shouldn't need anything. If, when Your bass hits, Your headlights, or other electronics in Your car, dim, I would recommend a capacitor then.