Proper ground for 2 amps and a cap

[kenstewart 10+ year member]

I know, most will say don't use a cap. I haven't fully decided but have one that was practically given to me. So, just help on wiring will be much appreciated.

Question...what's the best way to ground these three components? Circuit City guy says to ground the two amps to the cap and then the cap to the vehicle. Other option he said was ground all three to vehicle. Which would you guys do (other options welcome as well)? Thanks ...

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[gimpster80 10+ year member]

the circuit city guy is an idiot. ground all items seperate, you can run the hot through the cap but if you have an extra battery just use two seperate lines to connect the cap to the battery, then connect the amp sepereately, you will still see the benefit of the cap. BUT ALWAYS GROUND THEM SEPERATELY

example:

++++++++++++++++++++cap+++++++++++amp

------------------------------------cap

------------------------------------amp

use of second battery

----S+ ++++++++++++ cap

-S+ +++++++++++++++++++amp

-S

-S- ----------------------- cap

----S- ------------------------------------amp

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

As long as it is a good ground, a ground is a ground. The whole electrical system in your car is one big parallel circuit. Whether you ground through the cap or separately, electrically it's exactly the same thing.

 

[RandyJ 10+ year member]

As long as it is a good ground, a ground is a ground. The whole electrical system in your car is one big parallel circuit. Whether you ground through the cap or separately, electrically it's exactly the same thing.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/clap.gif.178cba2c538c68e720c727fcb024b19c.gif

I was beginning to think I was the only one who preached this.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

the circuit city guy is an idiot. ground all items seperate, you can run the hot through the cap but if you have an extra battery just use two seperate lines to connect the cap to the battery, then connect the amp sepereately, you will still see the benefit of the cap. BUT ALWAYS GROUND THEM SEPERATELY

An easy way to remember the proper spelling there is to think that there is 'a-rat' in the middle of the word separate(ly).

Secondly, why exactly is it that you're preaching so loudly that this is the proper method?

See the following response:

As long as it is a good ground, a ground is a ground. The whole electrical system in your car is one big parallel circuit. Whether you ground through the cap or separately, electrically it's exactly the same thing.

This is exactly right. No, n00blet, you're by far not the only one who preaches this. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif My main ground connection is spot-welded to the spare tire mount underneath my trunk floor. That main ground goes into a distro block which feeds every single accessory electrical component that I have installed outside of the HU itself which is grounded through my car's factory wiring. (As I am using my HU as a dead-head it doesn't need extraordinary wiring to operate correctly)

Having said all of that (sorry, fellas..../rant) this is incorrect advice and please do not pass it along to anyone else //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[marley1 10+ year member]

run the amps to the cap, and ground the cap.

if you have 0 guage running to car, run 0 guage to the cap, 0 guage from cap to a ground, 4 guage or what not to teh amps from teh cap.

1 ground location = less chance of noise.

why would u do 3 seperate grounds, thats the reason the cap has room for hte wires.

thats how i do it and its fine.

 

[Savstyle 10+ year member]

excuse me you *)(&*%^ idiots but electricity 101 says electrons flow toward protons, if you have 4 4 guage wires all running to one cap you can't possibly bolt them all down unless you get one big &*^ screw! so that means he will ground the cap with only one WIRE, meaning increased resistance and less power flow! also more heat in the cap, excuse me but your ignorance is not my stupidity! friends using a seperate groud wire for each amp will see you more volts and amps. I did not mean several differant locations for the ground, use the same location but use a seperate wire for each device. **** guys chill out!

good god man, your not gonna last long here with that attitude

I can allreayd see another shitfest in a **** cap thread.

 

[kenstewart 10+ year member]

Ok, so looks like running them to the cap is ok ... all items will be run to one single grounding point on the vehicle. I've got a ground distro block coming , but it only has three 4ga ports ... one will go to the vehicle, which leaves me two ... so, if I use the cap I'll have to ground at least one of the amps to the cap correct?

Thanks btw for the helpful responses so far //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

everybody's a know it, why does the forum even exist?!

So we can laugh at ignorant dipshits like yourself.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

excuse me you *)(&*%^ idiots but electricity 101 says electrons flow toward protons, if you have 4 4 guage wires all running to one cap you can't possibly bolt them all down unless you get one big &*^ screw!

If all the cables were terminated with ring terminals it could be accomplished easily. I own a cap (that I do not use - it's in a closet collecting dust) and the bolts for the power amd ground terminals are easily long enough to stack four 4awg ring terminals on. Next?

so that means he will ground the cap with only one WIRE, meaning increased resistance and less power flow!

See above, friend.

also more heat in the cap, excuse me but your ignorance is not my stupidity! friends using a seperate groud wire for each amp will see you more volts and amps.

After I very calmly explained an easy way to remember the proper spelling of the word 'separate' you continue to spell it wrong. And then make statements about my ignorance? Nice try...

I did not mean several differant locations for the ground, use the same location but use a seperate wire for each device. **** guys chill out!

Obviously I am not the only one who took your post the way I did. Imagine that...

 

[marley1 10+ year member]

Ok, so looks like running them to the cap is ok ... all items will be run to one single grounding point on the vehicle. I've got a ground distro block coming , but it only has three 4ga ports ... one will go to the vehicle, which leaves me two ... so, if I use the cap I'll have to ground at least one of the amps to the cap correct?
Thanks btw for the helpful responses so far //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

this is what i did in my system

i ran everything to the cap

i have 2 amps one for my front speakers and one for the sub.

from each amp i run 4 guage to the + and - of the cap, so each amp gets power and ground from the amp.

then the cap gets grounded.

if i ever drop down the ohm load on the sub amp i will rewire it so that the cap has a 0 guage ground as opposed to a 4 guage.

this is the way caps are suppose to be wires i beleive.

anyway i did this cause the cap was cehaper then 2 distro blocks //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

caps make me sad