Subaruski42o

I have a 1 farhad capacitor but my head lights still flicker when the bass hits hard. Is it possible if the capacitor was sitting around for a while i would have to recharge it? Other wise i dont know?

justgo13

Caps can discharge over a long period of time. You should try to discharge it and then recharge it and see if that helps.

Subaruski42o

how do i discharge it then recharge it?

kravdra

to discharge, simply short across it (w/ it off) then do the same thing with a charge. U have to have access to it tho. I may be wrong tho, To me it would seem like every time u turned off the llights it should discharge it (assuming the capacitor is after the switch. I doubt thats the problem but... hey, wat do I kno, I dont even have subs Good Luck

nosnam

i farad cap is almost like ram in a computer, it stores it for when power is needed then quickly recharges, i would contact someone at the company who made it before you do anything to it.

Subaruski42o

I am running 2 Alipine type Rs with an eclipse amp. I am pretty sure its not the best battery, not sure what kind though.

pdqwrx

iTrader: (3)

O.K. you can check your cap by simply unhooking the battery/ ground and playing your system. With a working 1 Farad cap it should play at a low volume for a few seconds and then as voltage drops in the cap it will shut off. This also drains the cap so when you re-hook up the ground to the battery it will spark unless you use some type of resistance device to "Charge" the cap. I use a basic automotive test light. Simply put the test light in between the cars negative cable and the battery negative post. When the light goes out then the cap is charged. You can also use a 50ohm resistor and watch the voltage rise in the cap with a volt meter but the test light is easier. Once it's charged you can rehook up the negative terminal with no drama or sparks.
Your cap is almost certainly working. About the only way to mess them up is to hook them up backwards which makes all the goo inside come spraying out of the vent hole on the top.
Your lights still dim because Subaru and most new cars have just enough alternator current to power the car, leaving little or no power to run your amps. The cap will HELP stabilize the charging system by charging and discharging millions of times a second but the output voltage won't be any higher then your alternator output. As for your battery, once the car is running the battery has little effect on the charging system unless it is bad and is shorting out inside. If this happens, the battery becomes a load to the alternator and wastes power output. Thats how a battery can take out an altornater.
The lights dimming really wont hurt anything, it's just annoying. To fix it you will need to get a higher output alternator.
You may also try more farads. Caps store energy and you really cant have too much storage. I have had as much as 10 Farads in my systems.
Good Luck
Scott

Subaruski42o

thanks