my cap!!! Please Help.

[Savant 10+ year member]

Is there any reason in particular that you think you NEED a cap? Most of the time they don't do much for you and you are better off getting your alternator upgraded..

If you don't understand how to use the cap, I'm guessing you probably don't really need it either.. you may want to consider bringing it back (sending it back) to where you got it for a refund.. just a thought..

But, if you are dead-set on using it.. you charge it by...

do NOT hook the power and ground up first.. hook up the ground.. then, with the test light, put one end of it on the + for the cap, the other on the power wire from the battery.. let the initial connection for the cap be the light... that will charge it slow.. once the light goes out, you aren't drawing current, the cap is full.. NOW you connect the power wires.. once that's done, you can turn on the radio and play away..

(note: I've never used/charged a cap before. Not sure why you can't just pop on the wires and go.. but if these guys say you have to charge it, charge it.. just like I explained it .. which is how they explained it, but in more bits...).. Hope this helps..

 

[juvinile 10+ year member]

so with the piont of the tester touch the cap. then with the power wire touch it on the top of the tester before the grip starts right?

 

[Savant 10+ year member]

Yes... kinda.. the tester should have a wire on it .. And, actually, I think you would want the wire on the cap, the tip on the power wire from battery..

with the wire on the cap, it will 'act' as your ground while charging (because you have the ground hooked up on the cap).. and juice will flow from the battery wire through the tip of the tester, through the bulb (lighting it up) and into the cap.. Once the cap is full there won't be anymore flow and the light will go out..

 

[Rockman 10+ year member]

Be **** carefull about shorting anything out across the cap terminal. It will deliver as much power as a battery can for a short time. And you know what happens if you short a battery across the terminals...

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Originally posted by Rockman Be **** carefull about shorting anything out across the cap terminal. It will deliver as much power as a battery can for a short time. And you know what happens if you short a battery across the terminals...

You get a one heluva quick light show //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

so i could just connect it drive around for 20 min or so and then turn my radio on? i dont have any tools. can i just connect it ?

No. It has nothing to do with turning on your radio.

When a cap is discharged, it's a short circuit. Zero ohms. Connecting it directly to power will make huge sparks and blow fuses and possibly destroy it. So what you gotta do is charge it slowly by limiting the amount of current that can go through it. That's what the resistor or test light is for.

Here's how ya do it: Pull the fuse out of your main power wire (near the battery). Hook the cap up to your amps and secure it. Then put a 12 volt test light across the main fuse terminals. Basically substitute a light bulb for the fuse. The bulb will light bright at first, then get dimmer as the cap charges. Once the light goes out it means the cap is charged and you can put the fuse back in. Done.

If you don't have a 12 volt test light, get one. Or go to Radio Shack and get a 100 ohm 1/2 watt resistor. Stick the resistor across the fuse holder terminals and leave it there for 5 minutes. The cap should be charged by then.

 

[Savant 10+ year member]

Originally posted by maylar Here's how ya do it: Pull the fuse out of your main power wire (near the battery). Hook the cap up to your amps and secure it. Then put a 12 volt test light across the main fuse terminals. Basically substitute a light bulb for the fuse.

doh!.. much better idea than leaving the wire for the cap loose while charging.. if you use the fuse holder (with no fuse) there is pretty much no chance of accidental shorting.. Very good idea and suggestion //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[eddie12345 10+ year member]

the only question i have is do you take the ground wire from the amp to the cap then from the cap to the grounding point. or do u ground the cap seperatly and the amp seperatly. thanks

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

Ground them seperate.