JMLoughrey wrote:
Ultimatly, capacitors are worthless if your charging system cant handle your stereo system as it is.
Yes, a capacitor has the potential to actually do more harm then good. If your headlights are dimming a capacitor is just a band-aid, and not one of those fancy medicated ones. It will hide the problem and chances are when it comes back, it'll be worse.
I both agree and disagree. I haven't used a capacitor in a car audio context, but I have used them in a similar context - bypass capacitors for ICs. The purpose they serve is the same, to provide those short bursts of power that ICs (and amplifiers) need, without having to deal with the propagation delay and draw on the rest of the system.
If your electrical system is SERIOUSLY underpowered, I agree, buying a capacitor to "fix" the problem is a bad idea, as well as buying a capacitor if you intend to use the stereo with the engine off. In both of those cases you really need a better battery and alternator.
Dimming headlights isn't immediately a sign that the cars electrical system can't handle the stereo, though. It's just a sign that it can't handle the *instantaneous* needs of the car stereo. The average power needed is probably still low enough to work well, so long as you have a capacitor in there to level out the power needs.
But once you install a capacitor in there, now you solved the problem, provided that your average needs are still below what the car electrical system can provide. If you listen to a whole lot of bass for a long time continuously, though, the capacitor won't have enough time to charge (and the average power needed will be higher than what the car can provide) and you'll run into trouble,
Disclaimer: I don't know anything about car stereos.
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Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
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