How to hook up a cap properly
05-21-2005, 08:12 PM
#1
0 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 7
One more quick question, from the new guy,
Can you guys please tell me, or show a diagram of how to properly hook up a 1.2 farad cap, also what xtras I will need to do it.
P.S. Take it easy on me, I'm just learning as I go!!haha( just incase this is a very basic install)
thanx,
Joe
[ May 21, 2005, 09:14 PM: Message edited by: joe_murphy26 ]
Can you guys please tell me, or show a diagram of how to properly hook up a 1.2 farad cap, also what xtras I will need to do it.
P.S. Take it easy on me, I'm just learning as I go!!haha( just incase this is a very basic install)
thanx,
Joe
[ May 21, 2005, 09:14 PM: Message edited by: joe_murphy26 ]
05-21-2005, 08:18 PM
#2
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,267
Power "fused under the hood" from the battery to the + on the cap.Off the same terrminal run a wire to power on the amp.Then run a ground (as short as possible)to the - on the cap.See the instuctions that it came with on how to charge it before you do any of this!
05-21-2005, 09:38 PM
#4
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 756
Think of a cap as a battery as you are hooking it up. It just needs a positive (+) and a negative (-) for it to work.
However, they come brand new without a charge. So extreme caution must be used or you can fry amps, battery terminals, etc. or even make your ears blow off your head! Wear eye protection! [img]graemlins/blah.gif[/img]
So, DISconnect the negative on your car battery. Turn on the headlights for a second to drain any trace power out of the system. You won't see them come on, but it'll do the job.
Next, wire up your system, and your new cap. Give it a positive from your alternator line, fused, and run your amp power to it (or run both to a junction block if your running multi-amps), fused as well. Then, give it a good ground, closeby, keeping the ground cable short as possible. You can ground it to the same ground that your amps are grounded to if you like.
K, double-check all cabling. Make sure it's all good before you hook up the battery.
Now, DO NOT hook up your battery yet! Get a test light, or the little resistor that is included with the cap. I prefer the test light method myself, it just gives ya a pretty light to stare at [img]graemlins/bs.gif[/img]
Connect the clip end of your test light to the negative battery cable. Then touch the light's probe to the negative post of the battery. See it light up? Good. Leave it connected in this manner for 1/2 an hour per farad of capitance. The light will get dimmer and dimmer and eventually go out. You can just do 10 minutes if the light goes out, but I prefer to wait the full half hour, on the side of caution. Some cars draw trace power from a battery at all times, even when shut off, so it is possible the test light will never go out completly.
That's it, remove the test light, hook up the battery cable (there may still be a spark as the cap balances it's charge to the battery's level, but it shouldn't be too major), and let'er rip! [img]graemlins/jammin.gif[/img]
[ May 21, 2005, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: GrizZz ]
However, they come brand new without a charge. So extreme caution must be used or you can fry amps, battery terminals, etc. or even make your ears blow off your head! Wear eye protection! [img]graemlins/blah.gif[/img]
So, DISconnect the negative on your car battery. Turn on the headlights for a second to drain any trace power out of the system. You won't see them come on, but it'll do the job.
Next, wire up your system, and your new cap. Give it a positive from your alternator line, fused, and run your amp power to it (or run both to a junction block if your running multi-amps), fused as well. Then, give it a good ground, closeby, keeping the ground cable short as possible. You can ground it to the same ground that your amps are grounded to if you like.
K, double-check all cabling. Make sure it's all good before you hook up the battery.
Now, DO NOT hook up your battery yet! Get a test light, or the little resistor that is included with the cap. I prefer the test light method myself, it just gives ya a pretty light to stare at [img]graemlins/bs.gif[/img]
Connect the clip end of your test light to the negative battery cable. Then touch the light's probe to the negative post of the battery. See it light up? Good. Leave it connected in this manner for 1/2 an hour per farad of capitance. The light will get dimmer and dimmer and eventually go out. You can just do 10 minutes if the light goes out, but I prefer to wait the full half hour, on the side of caution. Some cars draw trace power from a battery at all times, even when shut off, so it is possible the test light will never go out completly.
That's it, remove the test light, hook up the battery cable (there may still be a spark as the cap balances it's charge to the battery's level, but it shouldn't be too major), and let'er rip! [img]graemlins/jammin.gif[/img]
[ May 21, 2005, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: GrizZz ]
05-22-2005, 12:07 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
I laugh a little everytime someone brought a cap in without the resistor, I would get the other installer to put it in and wait to see him jump, when he hooked it up the first time without the resistor or lightbulb. Anyone see where Richard Clark had a cap stuck down the front of his pants and hooked it up in reverse?
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