Capacitors or batteries?

[taylor 10+ year member]

thats not what AS&S's july 2002 issue said...."Alternators are the fastest power source meaning they can respond to power needs more quickly than the battery or even a capacitor"

 

[caraudiogod 10+ year member]

I've replaced my alternator from a 85 amp to 105 amp which isn't all that much but my headlights dim still. Is it fair to asume 1 farad cap for every 1000 watts?

 

[jlaine 10+ year member]

Originally posted by taylor thats not what AS&S's july 2002 issue said...."Alternators are the fastest power source meaning they can respond to power needs more quickly than the battery or even a capacitor"

Alternator doesn't have the ability to "react" the way a battery or capacitor does, they just supply, batteries and capacitors are storage units. Alternator is constantly on while the vehicle is running, whereas a cap or battery is only as good as its source. While their idea is cute, one has to take into effect the alternator has to react through a supply line of 20 feet, wheras a capacitor is directly at the amp in the shortest lead possible.

I find capacitors useless when you beef up an alternator. Tried them found them pointless. Kept them in because I didn't want to rewire everything under the sun after I wasted my time getting them in there in the first place... Power dispersion rates compared to an alternator, a capacitor will kill it in a heartbeat. Only problem is a capacitor can't supply a charge at a constant voltage, just store one and dissipate what it has stored. All falls back on the alternator.

 

[caraudiogod 10+ year member]

How big of an alternator is enough? And what does that cost? Which are better than others? What will fit for my application?

 

[bass_mekanik 10+ year member]

i have a 150 amp alt a 375 cca battery and the hlights still dim and sometimes flash and stall the car from the alt load