Capacitor car install

See the diagram below. NOTE: If you have a third smaller terminal it is probably the remote turn on for a digital display.

This will cause your amplifier's power supply to be cut off. The power capacitor acts like a small battery power storage so it is connected as shown in the diagram. The downside of this type of connection is you don't know if the power capacitor fails since the amplifier will continue to work with or without a working power capacitor.

Ideally the power capacitor should be as close as possible to the amplifier. Within a couple of feet is acceptable. This keeps any cable losses to a minimum. To learn more about how car audio capacitors work click here. Here's how to wire two capacitors in a system. In the diagram both capacitors have their ground terminals wired together but you could also ground them independently.

You can even fabricate or purchase "buss bars" which are solid pieces of metal that connect the capacitors both physically and electrically. These "buss bars" are generally bare metal so they can be dangerous if not installed properly.

Experienced Mechanic? Recent Car radio is not working Inspection reviews. Excellent Rating. Rating Summary. Maxwell 18 years of experience. Mercedes-Benz S V Very Good.

Joshua 15 years of experience. Infiniti G35 V Nathan 29 years of experience. BMW i L Great service. Very thorough. Andrew 35 years of experience. Chevrolet Sonic L Now I can take car to dealership and maybe they will replace radio from recall or warranty.

He was honest and did good job. Need Help With Your Car? Related articles. Or, if you are looking for extra volume, Read more. How to Choose Speakers for Your Car Stereo Whether you're replacing a car's speaker that's blown or just want to upgrade the sound system.

Be sure to pick the right speakers that work for you. New Media to Listen to in the Car Whether you face a long commute every day or are planning a road trip, consider the following recommendations for audio entertainment. Related questions How do you use the CD player? The audio system in your car offers advanced functionality designed to make riding more enjoyable.

Need to remove CD from car stereo. Sometimes you can use some tweezers to get the cd out when you hit the eject button. Other than that you will have to remove the radio and send it off to get them to remove the cd.

A technician How do I change the audio controls? You can customize the audio controls to make the sound system ideal for your ears. The controls that you can personalize are Bass, Treble, Balance, and Fade. Adjusting these controls only takes a few seconds: 1. Press the Setup button If your capacitor has an internal meter, it will also have a third wire.

This is the remote turn on wire and serves to kill power to the meter whenever the car is turned off. You will need to wire this into the remote turn on wire into any 12 volt switched power source such as the ignition switch or amplifier. Reconnect the battery ground terminal. This will restore power to your system.

All of your components should now be working. Part 3. Locate the main power fuse for your audio system. This fuse is installed with your system to prevent damage to the electrical components of your car, but will need to be removed before charging the capacitor. It should be near the battery on the main power line for your audio system. Remove the main power fuse. This will provide you with a place to install the resistor that will help you charge your capacitor. The resistor allows the capacitor to charge more slowly.

This prevents damage to the capacitor and the electrical system. Put the resistor in place of the main power fuse. It is usually recommended to use a resistor that is 1 Watt and , Ohms. A higher impedance Ohm value will charge the capacitor more slowly and prevent damage. Connect the positive terminal of the capacitor to the resistor. Measure the voltage on the capacitor with a voltmeter. A multi-meter will do the job fine as well.

Set it to read DC Volts and put the positive lead of the meter on the positive terminal of the capacitor and the negative lead of the meter to ground. When the meter reads volts, the capacitor is charged. Another way to charge a capacitor is to wire a test light from the positive terminal of the capacitor to the power line. As long as the capacitor is charging, there will be current flowing through the light and the light will shine. Once the capacitor is charged the light will go out because current will no longer be flowing the voltage drop between the power line and the capacitor will be zero.

Remove the voltmeter. It is no longer necessary to monitor the status of the capacitor. If you used the light method, you can now remove the test light. Remove the resistor. Disconnect the positive terminal of the capacitor from the resistor and disconnect the resistor from the power wire. It is no longer needed, so you can store it away in case you ever need to charge your capacitor again. Replace the main power fuse. This will allow your audio system to receive power once again.

What do I do if there is no place on a capacitor for a remote wire hookup? Should it come on when the main fuse is put into place, and what would cause the capacitor to power up, but not the amp? Not Helpful 6 Helpful Do I need to use a resistor to charge the capacitor, or can I just use the test light? You can use the test light, but be sure to connect the capacitor in series with the test light. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 5.

If both the amp and cap have a remote wire, do I need to split and connect it to both? You will actually just run the remote turn on wire from the amp already hooked up, and then run the turn on to the cap. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 9. No, it does not matter which one the remote wire goes to first.

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 2. I just hooked up a cap in my car and now I'm hearing strange noises coming out my sub-woofer. What could it be? Check the grounds on your cap and amp. Make sure everything has its own separate ground. Not Helpful 2 Helpful 1. The negative side will be black or it will have a "-" symbol.