TJ

Ok, I need some opinions on a capacitor and if they're worth it. I just installed a kicker amp and subwoofer. It's their smallest one, the KX120.2 amp. And when the bass hits hard, the lights dim slightly when my headlights are on. Should i invest in a small capacitor to help things out? do they really work? I'm more than likely to get one soon. thanks.

scionspecialistvegas

Tj, its me again, the problem that you are having, is because your alt cannot handle the load instantanously from your amp. A cap might help your base response, Idon,t think it cure the head light dimming. Walmart har a great price on 1 farad cap. that will really tighten your base. they also have some great prices on speaker wire and 4 gauage amp install kits. Mark and I used one his Xb. The cap is worth a try. Bill

scionracerxb

i think a cap is DEFINATELY what you need...for a long time i used to do audio installs on vw's and all they have is a generator for power, and if you put a big system in, it would dim the lights really bad...so i put a 1 farad cap in and PRESTO! no more light dim. On some installs, i would hook the deck and everything to the cap and you could run the system off the energy in the cap. It will also definatlely tighten up the bass too. The reason why caps are used is this: Your amp is made to run at a certain voltage to produce the rated amout of power, but when the voltage drops, (usually cuz of some hard hittin bass) your amp produces less power, thus producing distortion....with the cap, it stores energy between bass hits so that when it does hit, the amp has all the power it needs!!!oh yeah, one other thing, be careful when hooking it up, cuz if you hook it up wrong it could blow up like a bomb and total your car

TJ

Sounds scary - Capacitor blowing my my beloved xB. But i'll look for a 1 farad around town and install it asap.

DenZinz

That's why you get a Crossfire Car Audio amp becuase it's rated at 12.5 volts, not 14.4 like most manufacture. Since the amps are rated at 12.5v, while the car is running at 13.8-14.4 you will get 15%-20% more power, due to the unregulated power supply.

A cap is useful because the discharge rate is slower than a battery. The downside of a cap is it is harder on the alternator.

Also make sure you have proper gauge power wire for your amp. Do you know what gauge wire you are using?

bluxb

i would not suggest getting a cap because it will put more strain on your alternator. do the magic 3 which will help a lot and if you still have dimming then get a deep cycle battery such as an optima yellow top. i honestly think that amp shouldnt be making your headlights dim. what gauge wire is running to the amp? where is the gain set to?

TJ

I am running about 9 feet of 10 guage wire to where the amp is located underneath the seat. The lights slightly dim when i hit a hard hitting bass note. The gain is set at the second arrow after the 0 on the gain ****. Bass boost @ 40hz is at 3db and my crossover is around 130-150 hz. Then again since it's really cold here at 25 degrees. The heater is also on but even without the heater on it does it. Maybe i'm doing something wrong here but give me your opinions.

rampagesd

is it a regular amp or a class d amp? if it's a class d amp gettin a cap might not do much it may even hurt it a lil. if it's not a class d i'd get a cap and deep cycle battery. also it may be too small of power cable and it's choking everything out.

TJ

It is a regular amp class A/B probably , a KX120.2 Kicker. 60wattsx2 @ 2ohm stereo . 120 watts x 1 4 ohm bridged. I got a paper saying the maximum tested wattage was 194 watts. I don't know if that's @ 4 ohms bridged. I don't think i'd need a bigger wire except if i was running it to the rear of the xB which it isn't. I ran the shortest amount of 10 guage wire that i could from the battery to the amp (under passenger seat).

vpkb

just get an amp, i got a 1 farad lightning audio, no dimming at all

trust me, they will not blow up on you, most have a leak port



killing alternator? dont worry about it, i had it on my MR2 over 6 years now, no problem

scionspecialistvegas

Thank you for adding that it is almost impossible to blow a modern capacitor of .25 farad or more. There some great suggestion here. The optima battery, larger primary wire, stiffening cap. The only other thing I would sugest is to try just running your headlights and your stereo with subwoofer playing , no other electrical accessories, and see if your head lights dim. try that cap and wire first as these two are the cheapest upgrades. then the battery and last the alternator. When I get my plan together, I 've got a guy here who can 125 amps hot from the factory case. the case is to small to accept winding larger than that.