aj_92rs

I was trying to tell you that in a round-about way, but I couldn't quite make out WTF you were trying to do because you kept using incorrect terminology.

My first goal was to teach you correct terminology so you could better understand WTF YOU were trying to do. How the **** could you expect me to understand it when you didn't even understand it enough to properly explain it?

The only thing in the back of my mind was "this dipshit has his cap wired in series because he thinks it's the right way to wire a cap."

I was trying to establish common ground (pun intended LOL) and you where still scattered wiring.

It's all good. Just try not to be so bone headed the next time someone tries to explain something to you and I'll try not to tell you to shove wire up your ass. Deal?

06redlineb

http://www.realmofexcursion.com/forum/index.php

try this place they can help you.

06cobaltLT1

So how do you figure you have 2000W system with one 500W, one 4X65W amp and one 300W amp? Did you just add them up or what?

Art

turbolsl61

im not sure but i think that was pretty close to the definition of owned
+1 06cobaltlt1

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

man im glad i skipped over this threat

Bumpin Balt

As I stated, those are RMS #'s. The amps add up to a combined total of 2000 watts MAX... Or approx. 1060 watts RMS.

Turbo, quit trying to be a smartass! It's not working out to well for you!

I have my system wired exactly like your diagram. I guess I should have said that in simple english before I tried to explain my "improvement" idea.

Bandit2941

I think what you're not understanding is that order doesn't matter in a parallel circuit, hence this quote of yours from above "If I run a 4 guage positive cable from the alternator to the cap, my system will get power from the alternator first, cap second (if the alternator can't keep up), and battery last. The way it's wired now, my system will get power from the alternator first, battery second (if the alternator can't keep up), and cap last."

Adding a 4ga from the alternator to the cap (so you have 3 wires on the positive cap terminal, one from the batt, one from the alt, and one to the amps) would be essentially the same as adding another 4ga from the alternator to the battery, since everything is wired in parallel.

Bumpin Balt

Wow! I wish you had been the first person to respond on this thread. That's more or less what I was trying to figure out! One guy said if I run a wire directly from the alt to the cap, I will short the alternator to ground and fry the alt, is that true? I would run the 4 gauge directly to the battery, but it's buried under a solid floor board and I don't think I have enough wire to reach that far. If this is the only safe way to wire my system, then I'll splurge and buy some 2 or 0 gauge and run it from alt to battery, as well as adding heavier ground wires. I was just looking for a possible alternative so I could use the 4 gauge that I already have and save some money in the process.

aj_92rs

It's like my dad told me; philanthropy doesn't pay.

Honestly I don't think so. A capacitor only flows current until it's "full". Once it's "full" it becomes stagnant (I.E. it flows no more). The only way it would fry your alt. is if it showed no resistance, which will never happen.

Running the extra 4 gauge from the battery to the cap might help keep the voltage to the cap more stable due to any resistance from heat in the existing wire (i.e. it'll help keep the wires from getting hot. Heat adds resistance.), but it won't increase the output of the alt. and/or the battery.

The place I think it would help the most would be from the capacitor to the amp. Try it and see. Just hold it there and see if it helps with whatever length you have now.

BTW, have you measured the amount of amperes running through your wire(s)? That will tell you a lot in itself.

I'm gonna tell you a quick story...
I had a '92 Camaro which had a JVC HU, an Alpine EQ (similar to yours), an Alpine 35w x 4 and a RF Punch 100 DSM (seriously under rated) running to two MTX 12" Thunder Series subs. I kept blowing 30 amp fuses like crazy. So I measured the amperes running through the 10 ft. long 4 gauge wire running to the RF amplifier.

58 amps!!! Talk about lights dimming at idle. They about shut off sometimes.

The stock alt. put out 85 amps and that was it. Figure in the amount of current to run the car itself (fuel pump, injectors, sensors, ignition, etc.) plus the marker lights, tail lights and headlights plus the 58 amps that amp was sucking and you can easily see I needed a higher output alt.

Measure yours. I'd be interested to see how many amperes it takes to run your system at full tilt.

Bandit2941

If you have everything wired the way you do now, and you add a wire from the alternator to the positive terminal of the cap, you won't hurt anything. Basically you just don't want to run a hot wire directly to ground (obviously) or wire anything in series.

Check out some of the info at this link. It has info on the resistance of wires and a voltage drop calculator at the bottom. You can play with the wire size and distance to see the drop. For example, if you're passing 50 amps through 10 feet of 4 ga wire at 12 volts, you will lose .255 volts. If you take the same scenario but use 2 ga wire, you'll lose .161 volts. 1/0ga will lose .101 volts.

Bumpin Balt

Thanks AJ and bandit for taking the time to help me out, +1rep to both of you! My 2 farad cap came yesterday, so I installed it and performance has improved quite a bit. My sub hits harder and sound more accurate. I can't see the voltage when I'm driving, but it must be holding at a higher more consistant level.

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

hey how do you measure amps the system is pulling? id be interested to see how much current im passing

Bandit2941

The clamp on DC ammeters are expensive. Here's one: http://www.powerstream.com/DC-clamp.htm

Its not as simple as using a voltmeter since ammeters need to be wired in series with the main power cable. Obviously this is not possible with a regular multimeter since the leads are tiny.

aj_92rs

So, what voltage reading are you getting at idle?

If you want to know what the voltage reading is while driving just have a friend rev up the engine to ~3,000 RPM and hold it there while you watch the voltage meter on the capacitor. It's the same difference, really.

If this truly fixed your problem that's great.

Godspeed.

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

damn well im not getting that... Im actually quite interested thou because the fuse on my sub amp is 300a so i want to see how much current it acually draws.

also im not sure my 2/0 wire can fit in that thing

HatedCobalt

Do the simple big 3 if that doesn't work HIGHOUTPUT