i'm curious on the star grounding technique what is that?

 

Means all system grounds are routed back to a single point. The wires radiating out from that point give it the "star" name.

The simple explanation is if any one branch of the system draws a lot of current, all the grounds in the system will ride on top of the voltage peaks/dips, therefore maintaining the same voltage to each branch. In the chassis of a car not all physical locations are necessarily the same ground voltage. Especially when you have an amplifier in the trunk draining several hundred amps at a time through the chassis. Not a nice environment for the rest of the system which is trying to use the chassis for a ground too.

 

hmmmm that does make sense to me, i've never heard of doing that before

 

was the cap charged properly?

imo just get a new alt

 

My amp is grounded in between where the seatbelts are attached to the chassis of the car, backseats area. On a 98 civic SI (coupe)

 

mine is grounded under the spare tire in my accord

 

Try searching on e-bay for upgraded Alt...with a Civic, I'm sure there many many companies out there.

Maybe the Battery also on it's last legs. If the battery is original...that's 11 years and it's a few years past is normal life expentancy. 2 Civic batteries, (one only being attached vis jumper cables), is maybe like one big V6 -V8 vehicles battery. With 1200 and now 1500 RMS (and those Arc's looks like they're solid), so that might be 1500rms at 12Volts, meaning it's closer to 1700-1800 rms.

That last cable of the Big 3...well it's still OEM at 8 or less Ga from the Alt to the battery...that's like not doing anything at all...since the power and advantage of the system is only as stronger and efficient as it's weakest link. It's almost the same a considering the rest of you wiring is the same as that still OEM Ga wire. The 4Ga from battery to amp is only gonna be good for a split second...if even that....on a small Civic battery. Think of it like traffic on the 401. Hard to get 10-20 lanes worth of traffic through when there's 6 or 8 lanes. For that much RMS though, (just for the subs)..let alone the any other speakers....a 2nd deep cycle battery (850CCA/1000CA) with an upgraded Alt is a minimum. Put that 2nd battery and the small OEM Alt's gonna burn out in no time trying to charge 2 batteries, with the holding capacity that's equal to 3 OEM Civic batteries.

 

you said youve tried everything else (cap, connect another car), changing the wires would help a loott. smaller gages can only allow so much power through them. open her up with that 0g and let it flow. speaking of which, i have to get on that and install the big 3 in my car, im only pulling 800rms and my lights are killing me all around the car...

 

You think that's bad. Helped a friend out, Deck aftermarket speakers all around, 12" Kenwood w a 500 rms D-class Kenwood. Stock battery/Alt, 4ga including the Big 3.

His headlights would go practically out on the big notes...lol

I'm hook up my 1 farad Cap, (Letting im use it since I don't have system currently installed), and voila...he couldn't believe it...Lights again!