Capacitors and SQ?

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

Well sir, if you are ever in the colorado/ denver provice, I bring the beers/ explosives/ peanut butter, you bring the caps

Yeah but who brings the dogs?

 

[shaneb 10+ year member]

Well, Capacitors add a noticeable amount of resistance, so you are basically losing the total maximum amount of power that your car can supply when you add one...I know batteries also have some amount of resistance as well, but it is very minute when compared to the resistance of most capacitors out there.

Where is the resistance? wouldn't that be cancelled out by the idea that they "supply" faster amounts of power for quick bursts? (I know that is THE marketing scheme but...)

I'm so confused //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

If they add more resistance, wouldn't that mean that you would have a voltage drop from the voltage at the battery and the voltage at the amp?

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

The cap has internal resistance that leeches voltage whenever the cap charges or discharges. This is lost power and basically an added inefficiency to your charging system. If it weren't for this loss, large caps might actually be of benefit, but because of it they are pretty much worthless.

The original caps installed in a car were there to stabilize the voltage, but not from transient demands. They were there to filter out the voltage ripple from the alternator. The marketing department at Monster Cable took the actual purpose, amplified the cap's potential and sold them as stiffening capacitors. The engineers had nothing to do with improving the contribution of the caps and they weren't really improved except by perception based on effective marketing.

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

I was told that when you use a cap it makes your alternator work harder to keep up the charge in the Bat. That came from a place called custom car sound in glendale AZ. I was told that it would be a safer bet to upgrade the bat, power cable, big 3, second bat, then new alternator.

As of now I have none. just basic set up. yup, I get major dimming. Running 3 amps, rms total is 1900watts. I can seem to find an alternator to fit a 2003 cavilier.2.2L. mine is 105 amps. guess I need more? Pm me some ideas. should I put the cap on?