Cap recommendations
05-27-2005, 01:01 PM
#12
Originally Posted by darkknight1999,May 26 2005, 03:20 PM
yeah... I hope that didn't sound to strong, but to say they don't help dimming just isn't accurate. It will help some setup's more than others.
They're are pro's and con's but in the end it comes right down to the person's setup. Different equipment in different cars will act.. well differently. It depends on many different things.
They're are pro's and con's but in the end it comes right down to the person's setup. Different equipment in different cars will act.. well differently. It depends on many different things.
It certainly helped my dim 
issue. I have a 5 farad Alumapro.
They are a box shape and much easier to integrate/and or stealth than the tube style. 
05-27-2005, 02:12 PM
#14
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Ahh, thanks guys. I'm running the Soundstream 700/2 (700 watts RMS @ 4 ohms) to my subs and 125 wrms to my MB Quart QSD 216 fronts. I was having severe light dimming (so bad I think it messed with the ECU and gave me a rough idle 
) with the stock battery. The Optima Yellow fixed that problem and added volume and clarity. I still think I am running out of juice though. I continue to have episodes where my subs play about 1/10th volume and other times where they are silent when they should be booming. I was hoping that a cap would fix this by keeping my relative amperage higher so my Yellow Top could recharge a bit more. I'm running 1,000 watts total so it doesn't seem like I should have to run parallel batteries yet.
What do you think? Would a cap help here? I think I may be just shy of lights dimming -- that's why a cap came to mind.
) with the stock battery. The Optima Yellow fixed that problem and added volume and clarity. I still think I am running out of juice though. I continue to have episodes where my subs play about 1/10th volume and other times where they are silent when they should be booming. I was hoping that a cap would fix this by keeping my relative amperage higher so my Yellow Top could recharge a bit more. I'm running 1,000 watts total so it doesn't seem like I should have to run parallel batteries yet.What do you think? Would a cap help here? I think I may be just shy of lights dimming -- that's why a cap came to mind.
05-27-2005, 02:15 PM
#15
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Originally Posted by NFRs2000NYC,May 26 2005, 12:00 PM
BLING BLING!!!
40Farad!
Honestly, Id recommend you spend 60 bucks on the soundstream powerplant. That will monitor how much effective amps you are drawing. If the number is relatively low (a cap wont do sh!t).....its a good investment, and can save you $$. However, if you see major amp draw spikes, a cap might just be your solution.
Powerplant:
05-27-2005, 02:39 PM
#16
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Originally Posted by flitcroft,May 27 2005, 04:12 PM
Ahh, thanks guys. I'm running the Soundstream 700/2 (700 watts RMS @ 4 ohms) to my subs and 125 wrms to my MB Quart QSD 216 fronts. I was having severe light dimming (so bad I think it messed with the ECU and gave me a rough idle ) with the stock battery. The Optima Yellow fixed that problem and added volume and clarity. I still think I am running out of juice though. I continue to have episodes where my subs play about 1/10th volume and other times where they are silent when they should be booming. I was hoping that a cap would fix this by keeping my relative amperage higher so my Yellow Top could recharge a bit more. I'm running 1,000 watts total so it doesn't seem like I should have to run parallel batteries yet.
What do you think? Would a cap help here? I think I may be just shy of lights dimming -- that's why a cap came to mind.
) with the stock battery. The Optima Yellow fixed that problem and added volume and clarity. I still think I am running out of juice though. I continue to have episodes where my subs play about 1/10th volume and other times where they are silent when they should be booming. I was hoping that a cap would fix this by keeping my relative amperage higher so my Yellow Top could recharge a bit more. I'm running 1,000 watts total so it doesn't seem like I should have to run parallel batteries yet.What do you think? Would a cap help here? I think I may be just shy of lights dimming -- that's why a cap came to mind.
ok -- yeah, you're in the range where a cap might start to be a consideration... wow.
what concerns me is this -- "I continue to have episodes where my subs play about 1/10th volume and other times where they are silent when they should be booming."
can you be a bit more detailed about what's happening here? are they cutting out mid note? just not coming up?
05-27-2005, 03:34 PM
#17
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The bass is not coming up. It sounds to me like the amp is shutting off power to them. At first I thought it could have been heat, but it's definitely power related. The Yellow Top went a huge way toward correcting the problem. Now it takes 10 minutes of loud top down listening to hear the subs shut off. That's why it seems like a power reserve thing. If, for instance, the alternator couldn't handle the load I would shut off much quicker. It's now only after a lot of use that the subs cut out.
And yeah the ECU suprised me too
My car now purrs like a kitten at red lights and is no longer rough at all. (And yes, I had previously reset my ECU and done the MAP whack...) I would have never guessed these were related in the slightest way.
And yeah the ECU suprised me too
My car now purrs like a kitten at red lights and is no longer rough at all. (And yes, I had previously reset my ECU and done the MAP whack...) I would have never guessed these were related in the slightest way.
05-27-2005, 03:36 PM
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One more question: is there a limit to cap size? If I decided to get a 40 farard cap (I'm not, no worries) would the car have trouble powering that thing up every time I started or does it work a different way? 
05-27-2005, 04:14 PM
#19
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well -- let me explain that i have a strong understanding of capacitors...
but in a car application like this? eh... i'm not very experienced. and to be honest, i don't always know where the facts end and the chicken bones and bat's blood begins....
if you're getting 10 minutes of listening, then shutting down? i do not feel that a cap is going to solve this problem. a cap can actually create a further drain on the system...
are you SURE this isn't heat? what subs are you using? what's the wiring config and final load? are you sure you're not trying to run the amp outside of it's operating parameters?
it could be that you're dipping WAY low (like 10 V or something) and the amps are shutting down due to undervoltage... a cap might solve that....
this really does sound weird. is there anyway you can run a test where you check voltage over time? like watch the voltage dips as your car runs and you play, and note what it is when you're getting shutdowns?
but in a car application like this? eh... i'm not very experienced. and to be honest, i don't always know where the facts end and the chicken bones and bat's blood begins....
if you're getting 10 minutes of listening, then shutting down? i do not feel that a cap is going to solve this problem. a cap can actually create a further drain on the system...
are you SURE this isn't heat? what subs are you using? what's the wiring config and final load? are you sure you're not trying to run the amp outside of it's operating parameters?
it could be that you're dipping WAY low (like 10 V or something) and the amps are shutting down due to undervoltage... a cap might solve that....
this really does sound weird. is there anyway you can run a test where you check voltage over time? like watch the voltage dips as your car runs and you play, and note what it is when you're getting shutdowns?
05-28-2005, 09:25 AM
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Not 10 minutes of any listening, but 10 minutes of continuous listening at loud volumes (and loud bass) -- only top down when the system is cranked up. I think I can go two weeks and never have it miss a beat now. Before the yellow top, it was more common to have the system miss bass hits. It's now maybe 90%+ fixed.
I don't think it's heat because I've had that problem when I left my car cover in the trunk once (d'oh!). Heat takes a while to dissipate. This problem can be as short as two bass hits (3-4 seconds) up to maybe 10-15 seconds, and can happen with an empty trunk at night in 65 degree weather.
How would I know if the amp is out of its parameters? I have two e8a's at 4 ohms with a 700/2 Tarantula pushing them. I can't imagine this high-end amp, that takes up the entire floor of the toolwell can be stressed at all. In fact, I've never had it get above lukewarm to the touch.
I could buy a voltage meter and check that wall parked. Is there any way to run soemthing up to the cabin so I could check the voltage while I'm trying to strain the system?
Thanks for the advice!
I don't think it's heat because I've had that problem when I left my car cover in the trunk once (d'oh!). Heat takes a while to dissipate. This problem can be as short as two bass hits (3-4 seconds) up to maybe 10-15 seconds, and can happen with an empty trunk at night in 65 degree weather.
How would I know if the amp is out of its parameters? I have two e8a's at 4 ohms with a 700/2 Tarantula pushing them. I can't imagine this high-end amp, that takes up the entire floor of the toolwell can be stressed at all. In fact, I've never had it get above lukewarm to the touch.
I could buy a voltage meter and check that wall parked. Is there any way to run soemthing up to the cabin so I could check the voltage while I'm trying to strain the system?
Thanks for the advice!