mazda 626 and capacitor

[darkamulet]

This is my first install of an amp, im going to install a 300w @ 2ohm sub amp, now the question is on a '93 626 do i need a cap, or i have heard of the "rewound altenator" option, what do you guys suggest? please excuse teh newbie question but i gotta find out.

also quick thing on my head unit i use a Alpine CDA-7892 why in gods name does it have folder up/down buttons along with file search if it can't play mp3s, according to the manual it cant.

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[tglisson 10+ year member]

unless your alt is a POS 300 watts wont effect your system, caps are for systems with 1000watts or over

 

[CarAudioAddict 10+ year member]

Actually very few system need a cap. Even an 8000 watt system would run better with a high power alternator than a cap.

Caps are for looks, other than that they do more harm than good. If the alternator can't keep up, a cap that discharges in a fraction of a second won't do much good either (most bass hits in todays music are more than 0.5 seconds long, whereas a cap will discharge in under .2 seconds).

Also after a cap has discharged it must be recharged, putting a larger load on the alter.

 

[evo2k3 10+ year member]

Originally posted by CarAudioAddict Actually very few system need a cap. Even an 8000 watt system would run better with a high power alternator than a cap.

 

Caps are for looks, other than that they do more harm than good.

An 8000 watt system will run the best with both!

They are not for looks, they have very specific purposes but are misused to correct electrical system problems.

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

i'll agree w/ that last statment

 

[darkamulet]

how about getting my alternator rewound? not at all? and can anyone answer that question bout the alpine? almost forgot, how bout installing a switch to kill power to the amp, when i dont want it playing? better to just use the head unit to power it off?

 

[CarAudioAddict 10+ year member]

Originally posted by darkamulet how about getting my alternator rewound? not at all? and can anyone answer that question bout the alpine?

getting your alt rewound is the cheaper of the better choices, the other choice is to buy a high power one.

I would guess that either alpine has an MP3 capable changer for that deck, or that they had intended to make the deck MP3 compatible (possibly in a later model of the same line)

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by CarAudioAddict I would guess that either alpine has an MP3 capable changer for that deck, \

That is correct. Here's one

http://www.onlinecarstereo.com/caraudio/product.asp?sku=12066

 

[darkamulet]

i dont wanna kill my alternator so whats the consensus? 8 guage is more than enough correct?

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by darkamulet i dont wanna kill my alternator so whats the consensus? 8 guage is more than enough correct?

8 gauge is fine for that kind of power. But if you are thinking of upgrading later on down the road you might as well get 4 gauge. Won't hurt anything.

 

[evo2k3 10+ year member]

Originally posted by darkamulet i dont wanna kill my alternator so whats the consensus? 8 guage is more than enough correct?

its enough, its not more than enough though.

 

[darkamulet]

can my alternator take taht load, and how can i check if it can't

 

[darkamulet]

now the hard part, i looked under the ole hood, i can't get through teh firewall from teh top, so i assume through the bottom, anyone know if theirs any easy entry from anywhere to pass the power wire through the firewall with out drilling, or a easy spot to drill on the '93 626.

in the end, im running 8gauge wire for power, to a mtx thunder 4250D class D thunder amp, small box 16x12x10 for one 10" sub, and im gonna see how the amp affects my electirfcal system im gonnan add a 1/2 farad cap. sound good?