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Capacitor vs battery
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<blockquote data-quote="helotaxi" data-source="post: 393355" data-attributes="member: 550915"><p>If your problem is dimming lights, thee a battery simply cannot help. The reason your lights dim in the first place is your alt runs at about 14.4V. It can only provide so much current at that voltage. As the current demand increases beyond what the alt can provide, the voltage begins to drop until it hits the voltage level of the next available current source, the battery. The battery is usually about 12.8 volts. The change from 14.4 to 12.8 affects everything hooked to your electrical system, but it is most obvious in the lights because with lower voltage the lights will not be as bright. Another battery will not keep the voltage constant at 14.4V when you exceed the current capacity of the alt. Neither will a cap, but the cap does at least start off at 14.4 V and then will slowly discharge, gradually lowering the voltage. The lights will still probably dim, but you won't notice it as much because it is so gradual.</p><p></p><p>You really should research a new alt. It may be a tight fit, but I think you might be surprised what's out there. There are several members on here with F-bodies that might be able to help you out with that. Long term, overtaxing your alternator is going to shorten its life as well as the life of your battery. To get the most out of your stock alternator in the mean time, upgrade your battery groung, your engine block ground, and your positive wire from the battery to the alt. Go as big as you can on those wires. 1/0 would be what I would shoot for.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="helotaxi, post: 393355, member: 550915"] If your problem is dimming lights, thee a battery simply cannot help. The reason your lights dim in the first place is your alt runs at about 14.4V. It can only provide so much current at that voltage. As the current demand increases beyond what the alt can provide, the voltage begins to drop until it hits the voltage level of the next available current source, the battery. The battery is usually about 12.8 volts. The change from 14.4 to 12.8 affects everything hooked to your electrical system, but it is most obvious in the lights because with lower voltage the lights will not be as bright. Another battery will not keep the voltage constant at 14.4V when you exceed the current capacity of the alt. Neither will a cap, but the cap does at least start off at 14.4 V and then will slowly discharge, gradually lowering the voltage. The lights will still probably dim, but you won't notice it as much because it is so gradual. You really should research a new alt. It may be a tight fit, but I think you might be surprised what's out there. There are several members on here with F-bodies that might be able to help you out with that. Long term, overtaxing your alternator is going to shorten its life as well as the life of your battery. To get the most out of your stock alternator in the mean time, upgrade your battery groung, your engine block ground, and your positive wire from the battery to the alt. Go as big as you can on those wires. 1/0 would be what I would shoot for. [/QUOTE]
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