kurtismcleod
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I would NOT listen to Samantha if I were you. A big 3 upgrade is only going to ensure a clean connection and best possible stable current to your amplifier. It is necessary when upgrading to a large system, and is always recommended as common sense to anyone who wants clean electrical. A big 3 upgrade will NOT stop your headlights from dimming if your system is still pulling more amps than your alternator can push out.
The whole point of a capacitor is to give your battery buffer, so each time your subwoofers hit those REALLY low tones you aren't pulling huge amperage from the battery at any one time, you're pulling the amperage from the cap, which will then slowly recharge from the battery. If you've got the correct capacitance for your system (Meaning you've researched exactly what MINIMUM farad rating you need to keep your system with stable current at ALL TIMES).
When a capacitor is fully charged, and charged properly, it will take the big hits from your amp, and when those hits pull from the cap, your system will slowly recharge the cap while cleanly drawing from the battery.
You say you had 1.2F cap, with a 1000w amp and 3 kicker subs. If you had that 1000w amp connected to three subwoofers wired in bridged parallel, you could very well have been pulling every ounce of juice your amp was willing to give, and since it is a 1000w amp, the 1.2F cap was BARELY enough to keep up.
The general rule of thumb, albeit not perfectly accurate, is 1F per 1000w + 40% for buffer. You should have had a 1.4, or more realistically, a 1.5 F cap for your system.
As for your cap dying, cap's all contain electryolytic gel encased in a foil tube. If this electrolytic gel were to get too hot, or too cold, you may end up damaging the gel, and over time, the entire capactior. I live in Canada, we had a -50C night, and my old Cap froze solid, It never held a charge after that.
240 days ago
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