How to discharge a cap

[scheisse87 10+ year member]

I'm getting ready to install a new amp and have been told by many that caps are worthless and actually hurt the performance of your system unless the electrical system is beefed up, which mine is not. I want to ditch my cap when I do the install of the new amp but am unsure how to properly do it, seeing how I didn't install it in the first place. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated.

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[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

Throw it in a ditch or at a sign.....

 

[scheisse87 10+ year member]

Throw it in a ditch or at a sign.....

I plan on it, but first I need to figure out how to "properly" uninstall it so I don't **** up my system even more. Can I just disconnect the wiring and then throw it in a ditch or is there some proper procedure that I have to follow?

 

[deadboi77 10+ year member]

^^that will work..when i was usin caps*bandaids*thats all i did was dis connect and tossed it

 

[thismightbepat 10+ year member]

huh huh, he said "discharge"....

Oh yeah, before i forget, how does a cap put a strain on your stock electric system? J/w, I don't plan on using them.

 

[LBX2G 10+ year member]

what kind is it...

do not throw it in a ditch give it to me.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

Pull the main fuse from your system. Then turn power on from your HU. The amp will try to power up for a second from the charge left on the cap, and discharge it. It's then safe to remove it without fear of sparks.

A good quality capacitor is very efficient and poses virtually zero 'extra' load on an electrical system. If you already have one, I wouldn't remove it. It might not do much good but they really don't hurt anything.

 

[DFW40 10+ year member]

Many people discharge it with their tongue, like checking to see if a 9v is still working.

 

[homer3304 10+ year member]

You can discharge it by putting a resistor across the leads of the cap. But I would not listen to them and I would keep it. They do more good than harm.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

the reason we suggest not getting a cap, is because its a *WASTE OF MONEY* seeing as you already wasted it. no sense throwing it away.

just keep it in there, but keep doubly sure of your alternator. if ti DOES break, get a higher powered one.