capacitor, ground loop isolator

Whats up guys, i gotta question for ya. I have a 95 civic, now i have two amps powering my system a 1200W 4 channel amp for my highs, and an 900W 2 channel amp for my subs which are connected in parallel. Now i have GLI's on each sets of RCA's (3 GLI's). The GLI thats connected to the amp thats powering the sub's is a no name GLI as apposed to my other two which are of the same name brand.. Also the amp thats connected to my sub's has (2) 1 farad capacitors in parallel. Once i added the 3rd GLI that connected the amp to my subs, everything was working perfect, i was not receiving any engine noise from my alternator when i revved the motor, also my radio reception was good there was no distortion. After about a week or so, my subs totally stop working.. i notice then that i can hear alternator whining at low rpms or if there is no audio it still can be heard.. Now in terms of my radio reception, when i dont turn on my headlights it sounds OK. But as soon as i turn on my HID's the radio gets distorted.. there is a radio station in Toronto that is known all over(93.5 FM) and is clear reception for everyone else.. but its distorted for me! So i got out my trusty volt meter and went to work, i ending up finding out that one of my capacitors lost charge, it would not hold anything more than 1V, so it pretty much died. i took it out of my system and just connected the one capacitor & everything works, but the same issues come back( alternator whining & poor radio distortion). Its like i never even installed a GLI at all ;s. What i want to know is, can an GLI kill a capacitor? & is it vital to have the same brands of GLI on the same system?. I have upgraded the big 3, & i have a deep cycle battery. One thing i thought of was the wire that connects your alternator to your battery i made 4 gauge. Maybe its too big? Maybe it could be the deck? thats whats causing this? I have no idea guys why its doing this, its getting frustrating. If anyone could give me some assistance or lead me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance. Cheers

Why not eliminate the caps completely? Also, ground loop isolators are no substitute for a properly grounded system that's totally noise free! Maybe you could get more replies if you posted the type of equipment!commit your way to jehovah and he will act in your behalf. psalms 37:5

I'm curious what the cap is doing to the system if it only holds 1V - that suggests an internal short (albeit with a voltage threshhold...). But things other than voltage should not destroy caps. Caps themselves are designed to destroy finances - aka - maximum drain of funds for inferior results. (There are cheaper superior solutions that cover most applications.) But I'd love to know why it failed.... age (dried out?), quality....?

I did not read the original post, but do you have a Pioneer radio?

well the reason for the caps was to help smoothen out the bass in my system. i noticed a difference when i had none and when i put them on. well my entire system is Rockford Fosgate including the cap's. if that is the case, then i would say the cap died b/c of age.. it has been over 6 years of it being used. & i have a Panasonic deck

oh i like the link thx

A small AGM battery in place of the capacitors is likely to be more effective. And they are cheaper. Many with big amps use a large AGM (next to the amps) anyhow for "non-charging" playtime independent of the main cranking battery.

im thinking i should just put another battery in the trunk to avoid any hassles. AGM battery is a good brand? any specific one i should acquire? oh i think i found out what the issue is.. my ground for the amps was connected to my shock/strut mount. ;s

If it's instead of a cap, try a 7AH AGM. If you want reserve time, get something bigger.