Is this even doing anything?

[Chappie 10+ year member]

Okay, so I've got a 15" Type R, and I'm giving it somewhere around 900w RMS. Anyway, when I bought all this crap, I also got a 500k microfarad capacitor. I figured since its so small, it wouldn't do any harm, or really any good, to my system. I basically have it there for measuring voltage. I'm thinking of getting rid of it and just buying a voltage meter to mount somewhere in my car. Do you guys think this would be a good move on my part? It's a 500k Microfarad capacitor on an almost 1000w system, so it's really not doing anything for me..

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[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

It won't do any harm to your setup nor is it probably doing anything good

 

[murph 10+ year member]

Okay, so I've got a 15" Type R, and I'm giving it somewhere around 900w RMS. Anyway, when I bought all this crap, I also got a 500k microfarad capacitor. I figured since its so small, it wouldn't do any harm, or really any good, to my system. I basically have it there for measuring voltage. I'm thinking of getting rid of it and just buying a voltage meter to mount somewhere in my car. Do you guys think this would be a good move on my part? It's a 500k Microfarad capacitor on an almost 1000w system, so it's really not doing anything for me..

just get a voltage meter lol

 

[Dirtrider4eva 10+ year member]

the 500k increases your draw from your front battery when your amp pulls alot of power, ditch it.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

the 500k increases your draw from your front battery when your amp pulls alot of power

Just the opposite actually. The cap will not recharge until the current drain subsides to a point that system voltage starts to go back up. The only added drain the cap will place on the circuit when system voltage is bottomed out is its internal resistance, but that resistance is always there anyway.

At a 1/2 farad, Im guessing its a standard electrolytic type cap, and its internal resistance probably isnt big enough to cause any noticeable (certainly not audible) problems. But its also small enough that its probably not making any audible improvements either. Basically, I wouldnt have bought it, but once I already owned it, I wouldnt worry about replacing it with a gauge, unless I just wanted to mount a gauge in the dash or something.