I used to have a capacitor hooked up directly from the alternator output to the cap, and then to ground to get rid of "ripple charge" whine. My system had absolutely no noise whatsoever with this cap installed. Over time (10 plus years) the cap corroded/leaked and eventually blew up (scared the hell out of me when it happened). I never replaced it. Now I get slight engine whine. I have a dedicated alternator and battery setup just for the stereo system in my Civic. Noise is not a problem, except for this almost inaudible whine from the GM S10 alternator. The whining, although very slight, is starting to bug me a bit. I got this "ripple charge" quick-fix tip from a fellow who used to own a stereo shop near where I work (he's no longer there). My question is, has anyone done this to their car and what rating cap should I use? I threw the original cap away without looking at the numbers. All I remember was that it was blue and not huge like the caps people use for stiffening. It's slightly smaller than a skinny pop can.

[ February 23, 2005, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: mugen1 ]

 

Ah........ a condenser -- does the same job / is the same thing. Any particular rating (micro-farad)?

[ February 24, 2005, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: mugen1 ]