Installation dilemma (cap or no cap)

[djhath]

My current amp/sub combination is a Kenwood PS400-M powering a single JL 12W3v2d4 (dual voice coils wired in parallel for a 2-ohm load) in a ported box.

The Kenwood amp is dying a slow death and is being replaced with a Polk C500.1 amp. I'm going to have my amps moved from the back (trunk) of my 2004 Saturn VUE to underneath the front seats.

The problem with doing that is, I do currently have a 1-farad capacitor for the system and will be unable to fit it up front. It was suggested to me that I should be able to run the system without the cap.

Based on the vehicle ('04 VUE, the sub/amp combo to-be), do you think I'm safe without the cap? I'm not usually pushing the system hard anyway, but during the summer it can be nice. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/cool.gif.3bcaf8f141236c00f8044d07150e34f7.gif

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

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[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

1 farad cap doesnt do much at all..... i took my Kool Audio 1 farad cap out in my first system and actually experiecned LESS dimming... the cap was more of a liability than a help

thats my experience with caps

 

[jojosdad 10+ year member]

Caps are a waste of money, and are nothing more than car audio bling. If you have problems with headlight dimming, you will get better results doing the Big 3 than you ever will with a cap.

 

[imaspaceguy90 10+ year member]

Yea, most people say they dont work, i have not had expierience but i would thinkthey would. But b4 you do buy one if you do, Do the big 3, it will help alot.

 

[lubetek 10+ year member]

they do work. I know the big 3 is the way to go and a HO alt is as well, but I have a couple of friends that use caps and before the caps were installed the lights dimmed when the bass hit pretty bad but after installing caps one of the cars lights don't dim at all even at idle, and the other car barely dims at idle.

both my friends have 60 or 65 amp alts.

I don't plan on getting a cap myself. I'm going to do the big 3 and my alt puts out 95 amps. I think I might be ok.

I would say don't use it if you don't have to. They DO what they claim they do though. "store power"

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

Hit the big 3.

In all truth, the cap probably wasn't doing anything in the first place. If you use them to kill dimming, it's like wiring an assload of rechargable AA batteries to your amp. The big 3 is just an all around good thing to do so we recommend it for peace of mind.

Anyway, ditch the cap. From what you describe, it's not worth the effort to install it.

 

[four inch gunz]

i am facing a similar dilemma, what is the big 3?

 

[then00b 10+ year member]

http://forums.caraudio.com/vb/showthread.php?t=124175

 

[Savstyle 10+ year member]

Hit the big 3.
In all truth, the cap probably wasn't doing anything in the first place. If you use them to kill dimming, it's like wiring an assload of rechargable AA batteries to your amp. The big 3 is just an all around good thing to do so we recommend it for peace of mind.

Anyway, ditch the cap. From what you describe, it's not worth the effort to install it.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/word.gif.64b12e39f936af3b4fff38a1c0bd0244.gif

search big 3 and you will see alot of thread about it