polarized or non polarized capacitor?

I'd like to add a cap to cut the low end to my dash speakers. Something around 1000Hz high pass. I'd like to know If Im supposed to be using a Polarized or non polarized cap? Thanks

Non Polarized if you want to use it as a filter. Watch the voltage rating on any cap you select. You need something with a minimum 50v rating to make sure it won't fail on you. Some places are sketchy about that.

Forgot to mention: Make sure you know the impedance on those things. It will change which cap you get to filter at 1000 Hz. 2 ohm speakers need a 80uf cap. 4 ohm need a 40uf cap. Check the passive crossover charts 4 ohm chart

Depending on your amp, you may be better off purchasing 100 volt caps.  I have sen many 50 volt caps explode.  I have never seen a 100 volt cap fail in an automotive system.

How much power were you pushing through those 50v caps when they blew? Just curious. I've used 50v caps before but not in any really high power situations (i.e. under 200 watts).

You can also use polarized 80 microfarad caps, wired in series, and out of phase, i.e. the two positive leads connected together, with the negatives making the connections between the amp and speaker. Doing this, you 1: double the voltage capacity, 2: create a non-polarized cap, and 3: halve the capacitance. A possible solution for you that MIGHT be slightly less expendy.It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

Great site.  Thanks for the help

The 50 volt caps were not in my system.  We have the most abusive customers in the world.  Most of the ones I saw were built onto a 2 or 3 way speakers.

I am.....: That's what I was curious about. I see 50v caps wired onto speakers for cheap x-overs. I admit I've used a few in-line for cheap tweet filters. Wondered about those things failing vs. 100v caps.