is this true? i hope not

first i have the 2001 mustang with the dimming headlights . im using an 8ga wire on the bazooka el1500 600 watt amp into 2ohm load..w/ 1 farad cap lights dim when bass hits even when the cars moving...supposedly pushing 500 watts.
im upgrading to 2ga wire at lets say 12-14 feet long... my friends here in the electrical dept say that by doing that im pushing more power through the line and will get even dimmer headlights. i figured that the bigger the wire the less resistance and thus no dimming. electrical system tested out ok. 12.9 to 13.6 batt to amp .so whats the deal? i wont change the cable then if i can just add another 1 farad cap and go on my way..

I don't think you need to step all the way up to 2 gauge.  Actually I'd stick with 4 gauge.  In theory your friends are correct, but since you have a cap in your system it can affect it in the opposite direction.  The cap does not have a big enough wire going to it from the battery, to help balance out the charging system when your bass hits, and as a result your lights dim cuz the cap can't supply all it's power.  Regardless, 4 gauge is the correct size wiring for the cap and for the amp, not 8 gauge.

You said you tested out your electrical system...did you test it before, during, and after the bass hits?

Also I don't remember if I asked you this already and/or if you answered it already, but with the cap removed from the system, is the dimming any worse than with it in place?  Or does it appear to dim the same amount?  Easiest way to tell for sure is to park your car facing the side of a building at night and turn on the headlights.

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Ethan
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"Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success"
Donate to the12volt.com

esmith69 wrote:

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You said you tested out your electrical system...did you test it before, during, and after the bass hits?

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yes before at idle its like 13.4 and when the bass hits its like 12.9 to 13.2 but i have a mach 460 system now that i think of it and using the two factory amps also along with this el1500 too...so theres some power going too.
i went with the 2 gauge cause we have it readily available here and its free...but if its gonna hurt the system ill step down to 4 gauge.
i will alos try the cap out of the system tonightrun a straight 2 gauge wire from battery to amp and see what happens.

you need a 200amp alt that will cure your troubles.

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Big Dave

speedwayaudio1 wrote:

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you need a 200amp alt that will cure your troubles.

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i hear that ......but i cant find one for my car anywhere at all...even ebay doesnt have them

UPDATE UPDATE!!!! ok i hooked up the system with the same wiring and all only minus the cap....it still actually sounded the same and the lights dimmed about the same........so this is now leading me to believe that the unlnown brand generic cap has decided to die ...(i thought it didnt hit like it did when i first got it in..and the lights didnt dim either) but this is what i have concluded.
now i will purchase a brand name 1 farad or above capacitor install that and upgrade wire also.
does anyone have another idea?

you still need a 200amp alt. the cap will not help unless you have good power to feed the cap. screw e-bay go to a local alt shop. or summit racing .com. your gonna spend some bucks but trust me the final outcome will be well worth it.

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Big Dave

you dont need a 200 amp alt for a dinky system as that so stop insisting speed. you do on the other hand would be better off with four guage wire. both positive and ground. 4 guage wire is not hard to run in a mustang whatever the year. a cap is not going to help you that much the dimming of the lights is due to the two ohm load which means the amp you have can handle the load but barely and it is requiring more draw than that 8 guage wire is capable of handling. step up the cable should help a little but the only way to stop dimming is to change alt . not 200 thats excesive for this system. or add a isolated dry cell battery as close to the amp ass posible. MUST Be a DRY CELL. and MUST BE ISOLATED FROM OTHER BATT WHEN NOT IN USE. if you get a wet cell battery it can only be mounted straight up and the accid on bumps may come out causing severe damage to car. a dry cell batt can be mounted anyway ass long as contacts are not grounding out together. more info drop an email.

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Jon
Installer/Help Technician
---coral springs florida---
mecp certification is not always needed. I have it and it has not helped me out at all. my experience out shines it.

lol mustang...you have figured out that you DONT need a cap...

the only difference between generic caps and name brand caps is the label and cosmetics...

a name brand cap is not going to help your situation out...3 name brand caps arent either...

if you are serious about a high output alternator for your car, contact dominick@tds.net

he will more than likely be able to hook you up, and he builds excellent quality alternators...I am running a 250A alt that he built, and likewise my buddy is running a 220A alt and neither one of us regret the purchase...

but forget about the cap...take it out...leave it out...get an alternator...you will be doing yourself a huge favor...

for once i agree with bp the alt is the way to go

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Big Dave

Try doing it this, I know It will work

Here's how I would wire it. I would go from the battery to the caps, to a fused distribution block, then to the amps. If you were running only 2 amps, I would put the caps after the distribution.

i am running from battery to cap then to the amp (1) there is only the two factory mach 460 amps and the el1500 running on this system. im also leading toward the amp.seeing its not the best quality is really struggling to produce power

r u running a 4awg ground wire too? i still say you need a good alt. 200amps might be a little overkill but you still could go with a 150amp. pig burds has a link to a good alt guy use it. you will be glade you did. your gonna try all kinds of things first then you will end up with a new alt anyway so cut out the middle man and get one. and no i don't sell them for anyone who might think i'm looking for a sale. 

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Big Dave

dominick@tds.net

contact him and dont worry about a cap...his alternators are very well built and well worth the money...and his prices are reasonable, especially in comparison to an Ohio Generator alternator or other high end brand HO alt...