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Old 08-05-2004, 11:52 PM   #1
Abell255
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Arrow Help me please!!!!

Ok, so ive got:
2 12" Power Acoustik Fubr's DVC 2 ohm
1 Gage rockford wiring with 300 amp fuse
2 High performance rockford RCA's
1 farad rockford capacitor
Power acoustik A3000DB Digital Mono Amp w/ remote
Pioneer 2-channel Amp
Pioneer DEH-P7600MP Head Unit
Sony front 3x5 speakers
Pioneer rear 6x9 speakers
( soon ) Alpine tweeters

Whenever the bass hits hard, the lights dim and i can only imagine how hard this is on the alternator. I was told i could buy a yellowtop battery and another larger cap to fix this. Do you think i should go with a high performance alternator or a cap+yellowtop battery? Keep in mind that i don't have much money to spend at all... I think my stock alternator is 80 amps...so obviously i need to do something fast. Hook me up with some ideas, thanks!

Oh, and i've read that some of you have said not to get a capacitor with a voltage gauge on top???? I dont have one, but i noticed they are cheaper so they caught my attention.
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Old 08-06-2004, 12:00 AM   #2
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Check your cap to see if its wired right, I had a 1/2 farad on 2 L7's with a Kicker 1200.1 amp and nothing dimmed. If its wired right, you can either:

1. Get one bigger cap
2. Get another cap and add it to your current one
3. Get an optima yellowtop battery
4. You could buy a better alternator, or you can have your current one rewound, that might be a little cheaper with the same effect

You prolly only need to do one of the above, not all 4, so get some more opinions and see what's most economical(second cap is probably most economical).
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Old 08-06-2004, 12:06 AM   #3
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Wow, thanks. Yea i've heard of people getting their alternator's rewound, i havent heard how much it costs of what the affect is. I figure since ive got a week one anyways, that i should just leave it and get a yellowtop battery because they are only $150. I really don't want to ruin my alternator.... And a 2 1/2 farad cap was around 300$, but i'd probably spend that if i knew that my car would be safe. So you were saying that you think i should get another larger cap?
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Old 08-06-2004, 04:00 AM   #4
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Get one big cap(2farad should be fine) or just add another 1 farad. Look on ebay for caps cuz you can find like a 15 farad for dirt cheap. Places like bestbuy charge $100 for 1 farad and $150 for 2 farad, the pricing is illogical and overpriced to begin with. You can get a yellow top batttery and another cap for under $300 easy.
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Old 08-06-2004, 06:51 AM   #5
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Re: Help me please!!!!

screw another cap, if one isn't doing anything for you then why do you think a 2nd would? Upgrade the magic 3 and take a close look at your gain setting. A yellowtop will help, a 2nd or replacement cap will do nothing, and a new alt will make the dimming worse at idle and low rpm.
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Old 08-06-2004, 11:19 AM   #6
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Re: Re: Help me please!!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by sr20de4evr
screw another cap, if one isn't doing anything for you then why do you think a 2nd would? Upgrade the magic 3 and take a close look at your gain setting. A yellowtop will help, a 2nd or replacement cap will do nothing, and a new alt will make the dimming worse at idle and low rpm.
Ok, i cant tell if the magic 3 is something or another word for soemthing.... lol, im a noob. So in other words, what the hell is it? I would think a yellowtop and another cap would do alot...and thats only 300$.

( Gain: 3/4 )

Whatever works as long as i don't have to worry about ruining my alternator!
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Old 08-06-2004, 01:11 PM   #7
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don't get another cap, upgrade all the wiring, the ground, power wire, all the good stuff
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Old 08-06-2004, 01:37 PM   #8
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Yea, i just had that done. The wirings all rockford and 1 gauge... And knowing the alternator's only 80 amps, i think i'll just go with a optima yellow top battery. Anyone think of a better idea? Basically the best thing i can do for under 300$. -Thanks

Also, what type of optima yellow top would i need for a 1994 Ford probe? I'm gonna hit up ebay i think.
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Old 08-06-2004, 04:18 PM   #9
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Hey, i was just lookin on ebay and saw this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...713849468&rd=1

Also: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW


I noticed it was cheap, but if it works... Do you think that would be a good add on to help dimming and strain on the alternator? I'll still get a optima yellow top if you think i need to. Let me know asap!!!! Thanks dudes!

Last edited by Abell255; 08-06-2004 at 05:28 PM.
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Old 08-06-2004, 09:49 PM   #10
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isn't it just another thing for the alternator/battery to charge? i don't think it will help..........it might, but i couldn't tell ya, i don't use caps, and never will.....
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Old 08-07-2004, 02:36 AM   #11
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Re: Help me please!!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Abell255
Hey, i was just lookin on ebay and saw this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...713849468&rd=1

Also: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW


I noticed it was cheap, but if it works... Do you think that would be a good add on to help dimming and strain on the alternator? I'll still get a optima yellow top if you think i need to. Let me know asap!!!! Thanks dudes!
damnit stop looking at caps!

lol, I don't mean to be harsh (well I kinda do, to get the point across), but if you have a cap now and it's not helping, why do you think adding another one would help?

the magic 3 is upgraded wiring under the hood, sort of like 1/3 of a grounding kit you can buy from hks or whatever. Specifically, you upgrade the batt - to ground, engine to ground, and alt + to batt +. You don't have to replace the stock wires in these locations, you can just add to them (more wire means less resistance which means it helps more). Use 4awg, anything more is just overkill and you won't notice any improvement.

Upgrading the magic 3 will give you at least as large of an improvement in dimming as a cap will, but it costs like $10
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Old 08-07-2004, 02:03 PM   #12
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lol... thanks, i *think* i get the point now
Ok, well i don't know if i would be capable of upgrading that stuff...
I dont even know where the alt is... lol
Anyt directions somehwere like in detail? or do you mind explaining this to a noob? Im getting a optima yellow top anyways. thanks dawg
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Old 08-07-2004, 10:45 PM   #13
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Re: Help me please!!!!

I know it might sound intimidating, but it's really very very very easy. Here are some instructions
1 - find one of the 3 cables you're going to upgrade
2 - take your cable, put a ring terminal on one end
3 - lay your cable out right next to the stock one, so it's like a mirror image of it
4 - mark with your finger how long it needs to be
5 - cut it to that length and put a terminal on the end
6 - bolt it in place right next to the stock wire
7 - go back to step 1

The alt + to batt + is the only one that's a little more complicated, but honestly you can go without doing this one for a while if you don't think you're up to the challenge. The engine and batt - grounds are the easiest though, couple minutes of cutting, stripping, and pounding terminals onto the end of the wire and you're done.
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Old 08-08-2004, 12:37 AM   #14
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2 12" Power Acoustik Fubr's DVC 2 ohm
1 Gage rockford wiring with 300 amp fuse
1 farad rockford capacitor
Power acoustik A3000DB Digital Mono Amp w/ remote



With a 1 ohm load (dual 2 ohm speakers) you will be hitting more than 90 amp straight draw off a 500w RMS amp. You'd need more than a 20 farad cap just to stop the voltage from dropping to 10v from 12v with perfect ground.

Your lights will still dim off a yellow top @ 13.6v without the cap. Save the money on the battery and buy the 300$ 50 farad cap, with 1ga wiring your lights wont dim even at idle(barring rap music =).

those r just estimates but you can do math to get the exacts. the cheapest way IS the cap
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Old 08-08-2004, 12:51 AM   #15
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Holy shit, really? I've never heard anyone using that much.
Ebay: 50 farad for 300$ yea. i was just gonna hit up the power acoustik 5 farad for 100$. You sure i need 50 farad? Well around that. But yea, its 3,000 watts at 1 ohm, which i have it at. Gains: 4/5. Damnit i don't know what to do. Ya'll say somethin different. With a HUGE cap though, would my alternator be good?
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