Cap is killing my battery!
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=27410
Printed Date: May 28, 2024 at 1:08 PM
Topic: Cap is killing my battery!
Posted By: LEXX_DOG
Subject: Cap is killing my battery!
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 7:53 PM
I installed a 2 farad sting pro cap in my system and it kills my battery. I noticed that it doesnt have a remote turn on wire like all the others do. What could cause this? Ok heres my layout. 2gauge to the trunk connected to an optima blue battery then from the bluetop to the cap then to my orion 2100hcca. it fixed my clipping problem from my subs but it kills my battery and leaves me stranded. any help is appreciated. thx Lexx
Replies:
Posted By: customsuburb
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 8:12 PM
Does your display have a digital read out? If it dosn't then you shouldn't have to have a turn on lead. Do you have an aftermarket alternator? If you don't or if your amp is too big of a load your alternator won't be able to charge your battery, your cap, and power your amp.
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 8:18 PM
Yep, that's what can happen. It is one reason why caps can be a waste of money. They just put extra load on yur charging system. If your sub amps were drawing down your alternator, the only real fix is a high-output alternator. Caps cannot solve "clipping problems" in subs. What do you mean by this?
Posted By: LEXX_DOG
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 8:37 PM
Ok the cap has a digital readout on it. My subs fade in and out when i am at 3/4 volume. It does it when the cap isnt hooked up. When the cap is hooked up it plays fine and even louder. I have the orion's gain turned 3/4 up. I really dont wanna change the alternator in a lexus. i know thats a problem waiting to happen! lexx
Posted By: RufNUSD
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 8:51 PM
The cap is not killing your battery. Yes it is a load, but if you leave your car parked and the battery dies?? Its not your cap unless the display remains powered up after you turn the engine off. Even still I dont think it would pull more than .1 amps.
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Someone pass me that bottle.
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 9:08 PM
I agree with RufNUSD. Unless the dispaly is on there is no way for the cap to kill your battery. All it does is store energy. What kind of vehicle do you have?
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Posted By: LEXX_DOG
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 9:09 PM
When I pull my keys out and open the trunk the cap is still displaying power. it starts dropping power immediately after I pull the keys out.
Posted By: wayland1985
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 9:35 PM
Even if the display was on, it's an LED display.....and draws close to nothing.... It shouldn't drain an entire car battery if left 12 hours.... If it is infact draining your battery, it may be because your alternator is too small. If the capacitor is drained after your playing the bass to hard, it's going to use battery power to recharge after you turn the car off.....even so, it shouldn't drain an entire battery...... Check the wires once more, maybe there's some metal to metal contact someplace along the length of the wire....
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~WAYLAND
Posted By: wayland1985
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 9:40 PM
Keep in mind too....if the ignition is off, the cap shouldn't be on. Without a turn on wire, the cap is programed to look for a greater flow in power, since alternators sent 14 volts of current....When the flow increases, the cap senses that the car is on, and powers up...... maybe you can buy a cheap circuit breaker, and mount it near the driver, where you can access it.....attach the 2 gauge wires to it, and when you want your music, turn the circuit breaker on, if you don't want the music, switch the circuit breaker off.....that way not only do you have a nice "valet" switch, so nobody can play with your tunes when it is at the shop, and you won't have any drain on the battery when you don't want it to.....
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~WAYLAND
Posted By: MAXST
Date Posted: February 28, 2004 at 10:40 PM
Upgrade the alt, and get rid of the cap. ------------- I need quality equipment, feel free to donate.
Posted By: jimmeezgolfvr6
Date Posted: February 29, 2004 at 5:12 AM
if you have a dmm, please use it and check to see if your alternator is healthy....meaning that the voltage reading should be at the very least 14v when your engine is running. please also use this same dmm to find out if you have a battery power drain....anything more than 75mA is higher than normal.
you mentioned that you have a second battery in the trunk....did you put in a battery isolator? it is highly recommended that you use one if your car is a daily driver so that you don't overload your alternator or cause any circuit loops.
I agree with RufNUSD and auex. caps do not turn "on" or "off", they just simply store energy to help avoid major fluctations in power flow to the amp. those caps that do have a digital display but lack a remote turn-on lead do have a voltage sensing mechanism to turn off the display after a while.
btw, how old is your battery? another thing to keep in mind is that the life of a battery shortens considerably if it has been drained previously. their ability hold energy is weaker and eventually will have trouble holding a charge for very long.
good luck
Posted By: customsuburb
Date Posted: February 29, 2004 at 10:50 AM
The average output of an alternator should be at least 13.8 volts.
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