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<blockquote data-quote="Prowler573" data-source="post: 1394694" data-attributes="member: 561023">If your old battery was on its way out just before you replaced it and it wasn&#039;t holding the charge it should have been then your car could have been running off of the alternator more than the battery and it is certainly possible that this could have been the source of dimming headlights.But - what kind of vehicle are we talking about and what is the amperage capacity of the stock alternator if yu know it?While capacitors do have their uses if the intent to add one is driven by a desire to rid yourself of a constantly depleted battery then the charging system itself is more likely the culprit that needs to be addressed.The commonly accepted wisdom around the forum here is that upgrading the &quot;Big 3&quot; underhood should be your first step. See <a href="http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=124175" target="_blank">here</a> for more details.Remember, however, upgrading the Big 3 will not increase the sharging system&#039;s capacity but rather provide a more efficient path for the already-present current to travel upon.If that doesn&#039;t satisfactorily cure your problems then most likely your system is taxing the charging system beyond its capabilities and an upgrade to a high-ouput alternator (or having your current one rewound to a higher capacity if that is an available option for your vehicle) would be the logical next step.Capacitors intended to stop headlight dimming and low-voltage issues are nothing more than a band-aid....not a cure.Just my $0.02</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Prowler573, post: 1394694, member: 561023"] If your old battery was on its way out just before you replaced it and it wasn't holding the charge it should have been then your car could have been running off of the alternator more than the battery and it is certainly possible that this could have been the source of dimming headlights. But - what kind of vehicle are we talking about and what is the amperage capacity of the stock alternator if yu know it? While capacitors do have their uses if the intent to add one is driven by a desire to rid yourself of a constantly depleted battery then the charging system itself is more likely the culprit that needs to be addressed. The commonly accepted wisdom around the forum here is that upgrading the "Big 3" underhood should be your first step. See [URL="http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=124175"]here[/URL] for more details. Remember, however, upgrading the Big 3 will not increase the sharging system's capacity but rather provide a more efficient path for the already-present current to travel upon. If that doesn't satisfactorily cure your problems then most likely your system is taxing the charging system beyond its capabilities and an upgrade to a high-ouput alternator (or having your current one rewound to a higher capacity if that is an available option for your vehicle) would be the logical next step. Capacitors intended to stop headlight dimming and low-voltage issues are nothing more than a band-aid....not a cure. Just my $0.02 [/QUOTE]

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