Capacitor Needed?

[Radiation]

Hello all,

I'm hoping I can get some input on a problem I'm having in my Dodge Caliber. I recently got a new car after being in a pile up and a new audio system along with it. The problem I'm encountering is my headlights dimming along with the speed gauge back-lights when my volume gets to a mid-high/high listening level. Of course I dont feel like dishing out a few hundred for a new battery or alternator as both are perfectly fine so I'm wondering if two 3 farad Precision Power capacitors for both of my amps would help or if I'm just wasting my money. All my grounds are fine and I'm running a main power line with a distribution block that separates to both amps. I have a Precision Power PPI BK650.1D powering an Alpine SWR-10D2 wired to 1 ohms and a Autotek MM1550.4 powering 4 of JBL GTO938. The capacitors I'm looking at are Precision Power C.3F. Would one of these for each amp help with the dimming?

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[Massive spl]

Wasting your money on that cap.

Do the big 3

Nice agm batt under the hood

 

[macsdad 10+ year member]

The best place to start is to check all connections, probably be a good idea to get an agm battery up front. I know that you said you didn't want to spend that money, but better batteries would be more beneficial to your system. I used to have a caliber, and did all sorts of upgrades, short of a high output alt, still dimmed. I currently have a large agm under the hood, and a smaller one in the back, albeit it is a different car, but significant less dimming. I hope that this is helpful dude.

 

[Massive spl]

Nice Duracell agm for under the hood prly cost $100-130

 

[Jcast1203]

How can i start my own thread?

 

[Massive spl]

How can i start my own thread?

Lol noob day today! Go into whatever section you need help with. Click post new thread top left of screen.Then type what you want and hit post

 

[Radiation]

So it an agm battery is the best choice it seems. Well buying two of the capacitors is about $120 so a lower end agm wouldn't be out of the questions. I've already checked all my current wiring as well. Why would you recommend an agm battery over a capacitor? What should I look for when purchasing an agm battery to ensure it fixes the dimming?

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

So it an agm battery is the best choice it seems. Well buying two of the capacitors is about $120 so a lower end agm wouldn't be out of the questions. I've already checked all my current wiring as well. Why would you recommend an agm battery over a capacitor? What should I look for when purchasing an agm battery to ensure it fixes the dimming?

because one small bat does the work of 500 capacitors. You are getting fked in the @ss with capacitors and by all the misinformed kids in reviews and stuff spewing stuff they dont know about electricals, thinking caps actually help with power. Conventional caps dont make power, they dont store enough power to make any difference. Absolutely useless.

A battery actually stores enough power to meet the demands of amps.

The Big 3 should be done first though or else you are always bottle necked at the engine bay.

 

[Radiation]

Ok so capacitors are not the solution haha. What should I look for in a AGM battery for my system? how many amps or cca? Also would I just replace my current under the hood battery with the AGM? Would a Reikken® - Energie™ 2400W 12V Power Cell be a viable solution?

 

[macsdad 10+ year member]

Find out the group size of your factory installed battery, then try to match that size, get the biggest that will fit your space under the hood.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Ok so capacitors are not the solution haha. What should I look for in a AGM battery for my system? how many amps or cca? Also would I just replace my current under the hood battery with the AGM? Would a Reikken® - Energie™ 2400W 12V Power Cell be a viable solution?

you can add one in the back near the amps if possible. Have you done the big 3 yet?

 

[Radiation]

Instead of wiring it as a second battery I'm wondering if its possible to use it as the main battery (if the dimensions are right, I still have to check)? I dont see any CCAs listed for the battery and that concerns me. Its a Reikken® PB2400 and it looks like it only runs for about $105, or is this model made to run as a second battery?

 

[macsdad 10+ year member]

Instead of wiring it as a second battery I'm wondering if its possible to use it as the main battery (if the dimensions are right, I still have to check)? I dont see any CCAs listed for the battery and that concerns me. Its a Reikken® PB2400 and it looks like it only runs for about $105, or is this model made to run as a second battery?

Just for the purpose of gathering info, go to the xs power battery site, you can garner an idea on what size you need, for what you're trying to achieve.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

Only you can find that out yourself if it fits or not. Pull out a tape measure, measure your battery bay's dimensions and look at the dimension specs for each battery, its not that hard to figure out what works and what doesnt.

 

[Radiation]

Thanks for the help everyone! looks like a new battery is what I need. If I get one soon I'll post a response.