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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Car Audio / September 2005cap on amp
I just installed a Profile HA1040 in my Subaru WRX to power the main speakers. The car has a new battery and I ran good wire as short as possible from the battery to the amp. When the car idles the sound drops out for half a second and comes back up. I know my alternator is pretty weak, but would a cap help this? I know people use them for sub amps but i don't have one installed yet. a sub amp has more quick punch than the fronts, so thats why i wonder if a cap would help. Also, am i going to run into the same problems with a sub amp? thanks, >I just installed a Profile HA1040 in my Subaru WRX to power the main >speakers. The car has a new battery and I ran good wire as short as [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > thanks, Why is the sound dropping out? Is your amp shutting off? Is your head unit shutting off? The symptom you describe won't be solved by adding a capacitor. A capacitor is only charged to the supply voltage. Does the sound drop out while the engine isn't running? Can you monitor the battery voltage? -Bruce caps are largely useless consider a new alternator before a cap -- Radit CarAudioForum.com - Usenet Gateway w/over one million posts online LOL.....a cap is the most important part of a a+ system... alt. lol.....i never seen a bigger alt. help a system when the car is turned off...... idiot.... aww trolling again, just FYI since you obviously know nothing about cars, when a car idles, it is actually running, not "turned off" to quote you, therefore an alt is actually part of the electrical system, hell you can usually take your battery out once the car is running and it'll do just fine if you're not running your radio and 20 other electrical devices. > LOL.....a cap is the most important part of a a+ system... > alt. lol.....i never seen a bigger alt. help a system when the car is > turned off...... > idiot.... > aww trolling again, just FYI since you obviously know nothing about cars, > when a car idles, it is actually running, not "turned off" to quote you, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> turned off...... >> idiot.... Bob was saying, when the car isn't running (not idling), an alternator doesn't do anything. He's right about that, however, a cap is not the most important poart of a system. As to your post, I wouldn't say it'll do just fine. The battery does more than just store and supply energy. I don't recommend running a car without a battery. I'd go as far as to say a bad battery is better than no battery at all. -Bruce bruce you ruined my fun.i was going to let this idiot keep ramblining on.showing hes a idiot.lol ive been laffing at him for days now.... he thinks if you have 2 exact systems in exact same cars but 1 has a cap.theres no difference. and yes i know if you have a weak electrical system a cap can be a negative. but 88% of the time its a positive...... > I just installed a Profile HA1040 in my Subaru WRX to power the main > speakers. The car has a new battery and I ran good wire as short as [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > fronts, so thats why i wonder if a cap would help. Also, am i going to run > into the same problems with a sub amp? It's possible that it might make it drop out a little less frequently, but if it's so severe that the amp is shutting off, then you've got a serious electrical problem going on. The alternator might be on its way out, if you know what I mean. But even more likely, the battery is probably in rough shape or severely inadequate. A battery does act similar to a cap in such severe instances. It should be able to deliver tons of current for brief periods of time while maintaining roughly 12-12.7 volts. If it's unable to do so, then I suspect that something is probably wrong with it or the battery terminal connections. Using an analog meter, see if this voltage dip is prolonged enough to measure. If it is indeed measurable, make the measurement at the battery terminals (thereby bypassing the connection/wiring issues) to see if the dip occurs there as well. >> I just installed a Profile HA1040 in my Subaru WRX to power the main >> speakers. The car has a new battery and I ran good wire as short as [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > bypassing the connection/wiring issues) to see if the dip occurs there as > well. The CD player is not turning off, but i'm not in a position to see if the amp is. The remote wire should not be turning off because the cd player is still on. I can attempt to read voltages, but because it does it when the engine is running, but idling, i'll have to figure something out, like have someone rev then engine for a while, then idle it. The battery is a new sears die hard battery. i got the upgraded one, so i think that should be ok. THe alternator is only a 75 amp alternator. I used to have a subwoofer and amp, but i bet i wouldn't be able to hear that dropping off. and the sound is a very quick static sound, then it goes back to normal, like the draw is coming from the alternator then switches over to the battery, but i know the alternator really charges the battery which runs everything else. Should i check the potential at the amp and compare it to the battery? Thanks, ok so it does it when the idle drops? not when you are idling and hit a big bass note? I'm agreeing and saying this definately sounds like it has little to do with the audio system and more to do with your connections somewhere, just out of curiosity how old is the car? possible that the connections have corroded? have you physically checked the main wires? (btw i mean connections for battery amp and grounds under the hood) >>> I just installed a Profile HA1040 in my Subaru WRX to power the main >>> speakers. The car has a new battery and I ran good wire as short as [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > Should i check the potential at the amp and compare it to the battery? > Thanks, > ok so it does it when the idle drops? not when you are idling and hit a big > bass note? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > corroded? have you physically checked the main wires? (btw i mean > connections for battery amp and grounds under the hood) I agree, Chris. If it has nothing to do with the volume level of the music, then it's either an issue with the car's electrical system OR the amplifier is broken (broken stuff sometimes does unpredictable things). A voltage reading at idle would certainly be helpful. But even so, it's a strange problem because with a healthy battery and healthy wiring, it should be able to provide enough voltage to the amp to keep it on. What he describes is a classic example of a bad battery or bad battery wiring. I guess it's possible that his new battery is defective, but probably unlikely. Whatever it is, it's intermittent because he's able to start his car. remember those kids in elementary school that nobody wanted to be friends with and nobody even wanted around, but yet they still think they're part of the gang....i can't help but think of Bob hanging around here >> ok so it does it when the idle drops? not when you are idling and hit a >> big [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > probably unlikely. Whatever it is, it's intermittent because he's able to > start his car. hey idiot..he JUST installed it....no old connections.duhhhh > The CD player is not turning off, but i'm not in a position to see if the > amp is. The remote wire should not be turning off because the cd player is [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Should i check the potential at the amp and compare it to the battery? The problem sounds a little different from what I understood it to be. Are you saying the music is shutting off at idle regardless of volume level? For instance, if it's playing very softly, will it shut off? And remain off until you accelerate? >> The CD player is not turning off, but i'm not in a position to see if the >> amp is. The remote wire should not be turning off because the cd player [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > level? For instance, if it's playing very softly, will it shut off? And > remain off until you accelerate? Sorry if i wasn't clear earlier. The sound makes a static-y sound and drops out for a split second, then comes back on. I basically listen to it at the same volume all the time, which is medium to moderately loud. I can't imagine it drawing much power cause it isn't a sub. This is what happens: Driving along, music sounds great, then i stop at a stop light, i have the clutch in and about 10 or 15 seconds of sitting htere, it makes it's noise, then goes back to normal, Mind you i'm still idling. Then i go and it's fine until the next time i stop. The car is an 02 Subaru Impreza. I've heard they have lousy alternaters (75 amp). I run a "car-computer" which i've been running for about 6 or 8 months w/ no problems. this draws about 50 watts w/ a max of 90 watts in the power supply. I USED to have a 150 watt subwoofer amp but took the subs out. now i have this 80watt/channel amp for the main speakers that i bet i'm barely touching. I just put a new battery in it and new wiring directly from the battery. I'll give u the details of my wiring in case that matters: 80watts/channell * 4 channels = 320 audio watts / .6 for effiency = 533 watts of power from the battery. at 12 volts thats 44 amps of current MAX. hopefully i'm pulling more than 12 volts and the current is lower. Anyway, i put a 40 amp fuse in line and i'm using 10 gauge wire as its rated for 35-50 amps for a 10ft length. Since i'm not going near my max volume and haven't blown the 40 amp fuse, i feel i'm in a safe range for the wire. could it be that i'm drawing too much current for my alternater? Its just an annoying problem, but i'd like to get it figured out in case i want more audio gear. uhm this is really far off the wall but while stopping are you waiting till it almost dies to put the clutch in thus dropping the idle so low it nearly dies (and losing most of your amperage) still like mz said, your battery should easily take care of this and if its not able to then it shouldn't be able to start your car.... why did you replace the old battery if i might ask >>> The CD player is not turning off, but i'm not in a position to see if >>> the [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > Its just an annoying problem, but i'd like to get it figured out in case i > want more audio gear. > uhm this is really far off the wall but while stopping are you waiting > till it almost dies to put the clutch in thus dropping the idle so low it [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > its not able to then it shouldn't be able to start your car.... why did > you replace the old battery if i might ask First off, thanks to everyone for your help with this! No, i don't wait until the last minute to push the clutch. The amp makes the sound after i'm at the light for a bit. It's nearly every time, so it has to be because of the engine speed. next, I changed the battery because it died. It was over 4 years old and was the original one in the car (car was made May 2001). it was slowly dying until it wouldn't hold a charge. I got the "upgraded" battery that is $20 more at sears. It hasn't hesitated to start in the slightest since then. What do you think? i still can't figure why your battery wouldn't help this problem, how about this, does the radio ever do this when you're playing it without the engine running??? >> uhm this is really far off the wall but while stopping are you waiting >> till it almost dies to put the clutch in thus dropping the idle so low it [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > What do you think? > i still can't figure why your battery wouldn't help this problem, > > how about this, does the radio ever do this when you're playing it without > the engine running??? My guess is the loose connection bit. Can't know for sure until he steps in with a meter (preferably analog, but I always say that anyway). > >> uhm this is really far off the wall but while stopping are you waiting > >> till it almost dies to put the clutch in thus dropping the idle so low it [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > > > What do you think? The amp >> > makes the sound after i'm at the light for a bit. I'm all for checking the connections regularly because the automotive enviroment produces all sorts of causes of corrosion and oxidization. s old and >> > was the original one in the car (car was made May 2001). it was >> > slowly dying until it wouldn't hold a charge. I got the "upgraded" >> > battery that is $20 more at sears. It hasn't hesitated to start in >> > the slightest since then. >> > >> > What do you think? Unless I missed where someone else made the suggestion, you need to have the output of your alternator tested. A brand new battery, esp if it in effect is being "trickle charged" most of the time, will have some built in recuperative ability even if it is somewhat run down - so, even if the alternator is only marginally charging it, your car may not fail to start for some time after purchasing the battery. But this nonsense about the amp crapping out while idling seems to indicate a fairly substantial voltage drop. If the battery is barely hanging on at 12 volts, and other accessories are in operation, a weak alternator could be the culprit. But of course, before you spend money, check your connections. "Anyway, i put a 40 amp fuse in line and i'm using 10 gauge wire as its rated for 35-50 amps for a 10ft length." What about the power wire to the amp? I was under the impression that 10 gauge wire might be a little small to run an amp... ~Mister.Lull > What about the power wire to the amp? I was under the impression that > 10 gauge wire might be a little small to run an amp... Not unless it's a rather large amp. 10ga is perfectly suitable for a lot of installations, especially if it's a short wire length. What does the size of an amp have to do with wire size? it's the weight of an amp that matters lol. >> What about the power wire to the amp? I was under the impression that >> 10 gauge wire might be a little small to run an amp... > >Not unless it's a rather large amp. 10ga is perfectly suitable for a lot >of installations, especially if it's a short wire length. |
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