Caps are supposed to keep your lights from dimming, right?

[cjchaps]

I have a WRX, and and installed a cap over the weekend.

Here is my setup:
-JVC SH-99 head unit with internal amp turned off.
-A pioneer amp that I think is 30x4 to power the door speakers.
-A pioneer amp which outputting 400x1 at 2 ohms(I think).
-4 guage power going from the battery to a distrobution block, then 8 guage hooked up to the amps and cap from there.
-The amps, cap, and sub are in my trunk.

Last Sat I burrowed a 1.0 farad cap from my buddy, and installed that into the same power distribution block the amps are running out of in my trunk. Well last night I had the car running with the lights on, and the radio turned up maybe half way, and the lights were dimming! I thought a cap was supposed to help combat those problems. The cap has a digital display, and for normal not loud operation it displays high 13's, and when I really crank the radio up, it barely goes below 12's...

 

[rawko]

They are, but you might need more than 1 to see the light dimming go away. Even 1 will help out.

 

[cjchaps]

The brand of the cap is Lighting Audio, and the model is Lightning Strike if that means anything? It's a 1.0 Farad cap with digital display.

 

[Zorro]

Turn down your radio.

 

[SALvation]

COOL. MY LIGHTS HAVEN'T DIMMED YET

 

[cjchaps]

<< Turn down your radio. >>



It was turned down below half-way when I had it on
If I would have cranked it up I probably would have disturbed the neighbors.

 

[rawko]

Was your engine on when you tested it or did you just turn the key half way?

 

[cjchaps]

The car was running. I got out and looked at the front headlights and they were dimming.



<< Was your engine on when you tested it or did you just turn the key half way? >>

 

[Jesta]

Well, if it's a true 400x1 the rating is usaully at 4 ohms and if you have it wired at 2 ohms you are actually running it close to 800 watts. I have just over 1000watt output and am running 5 single farad caps and have no problem with dimming. I would geuss that you just need a bigger or more caps to compensate for the wattage load you are running.

 

[Viperoni]

Did you wire it like so?

That's odd that it would hurt more...



<< I have just over 1000watt output and am running 5 single farad caps and have no problem with dimming. I would geuss that you just need a bigger or more caps to compensate for the wattage load you are running. >>



You barely need 1farad with 1kw.....unless all of that 1kw is running straight into sub(s)

 

[Aenygma]

I use just one, on both of our vehicles. One is an 800Watt system, the other is a 1000 watt system... no dimming here.


Seems odd that you would need so many for only a 1K.