How many farads?

what size power wire do you have running and the size of the ground, what type of fuse and how big is the fuse. how many fuses are on the amp and how big ar they.other than that I would try the big 3, using a yellow top battery, does the amp shut down while you are driving, some ho alt provide about the same as the stock at idle. and for your other questions about the cap if you want a cap I always say for every 500 watts I will use 1 farad. and for your amp just because you have it a 20% to me really does not mean anything depending on your deck. some amp i install i have the amp gains a almost 1%. try turning it all the way down. on your deck ensure all bass or eq is set to zero and then turn your deck up to listening level and then adjust your gain till you hear some distortion and then turn it down a little bit see if this will help your probleme.

You can't use the amps voltage indicator it diagnose the low voltage. The amp clipping can cause the gauge to read that, the subs resistance can cause it, a bad ground can cause it, a bad cell in the battery can cause it, a bad alternator can cause it, inadequate ground at the battery can cause it, inadequate alt to body ground can cause it, etc... The amplifiers indicator can't tell what is actually wrong. Also I have heard of many upgraded altenators going bad quickly and coming bad out of the box. The first thing I would do is wire the subs to a higher resistance, this is free and easy. AND A CAP WILL NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, OR JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER PROBLEM.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

FROM BATTERY:

1/0 gauge200amp fuse (1 foot from battery)1/0gauge to end of car (18 feet)Distribution block (150 amp fused for 1800 watt,  40 amp? Fused for 300 watt)4 gauge 1 foot to amplifierFrom amp to ground4 gauge (2 feet to ground)The battery i have is about 5 years old,  but is a 1000CCA model vs. the 750 for a yellowtop...(PREVIOUSLY WAS 6 inches to distribution block, into 1/0 gauge, 3 feet to ground)Amplifier uses 5-30 amp fuses

~wayland

Oh and there is an oddball that I have experienced. The tinsel leads where too long in the sub and would arc on a deep note causing the amp to go into protection.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

the alternator is perfect from what i see.   No matter what i throw its way,  it puts out no less than 14.2 volts (which quickly rises to 14.4 after it raises the engine's RPMs a few.     The battery and alternator both have additional grounds to the car's body.~wayland

Go get it load tested, free at any autoparts store. You can't tell just by voltage.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

auex wrote: I'm not productive???

oops!  lol... I guess there are exceptions......

I was kidding anyways. I try not to take part in brand bashing, that is also why I don't really respond in brand recommendation threads either.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

1/0 gauge

200amp fuse (1 foot from battery)1/0gauge to end of car (18 feet)Distribution block (150 amp fused for 1800 watt,  40 amp? Fused for 300 watt)4 gauge 1 foot to amplifierFrom amp to ground4 gauge (2 feet to ground)

get a 0/1 guage ground... if you are takin from the battery 0/1 make the ground.... 0/1 .... have a 4 guage ground.... and  a0/1 guage input.... thats like putting a telephone pole up your cars electrical ass...

get 0/1 guage grounds... then come back

Why would I need a 1/0 gauge ground coming from the amp, if all I have going into the amp is a 4 gauge wire?

What I was trying to say in that post is i have 1/0 going all the way to the rear of the SUV to a fused distribution block, which powers two amplifiers.from that fused block, I have 8 ga. going to 1 amp,  and 4 going to another.Besides,  I had the grounds going through a 1/0 gauge distrobution block, but changing it to a direct ground solved half of my problems.   PLUS the amp can't take 1/0 gauge wire.....it's designed for 4 ga.

~wayland