Started on the re-wiring project.

[Kofkof_00]

I've been meaning to properly do wiring on my sound system.

So I flipped the rear seats, tipped my sub & got to work.

I finally got to use the "hoard" of cable & such that I've accumulated over the past year.

I also plan on plumbing in a rear battery & an isolator.

I "think" I got the cabling right. It's looking a little daunting. I worked on it yesterday afternoon, and this afternoon also. Here's a few pics.


and


Is there anyone I can go for help here if I get in over my head?

[Damkid]

your set-up looks like it'd be wired close to the same as mine, so i should be able to help if needed

[Kofkof_00]

Ive looked over the diagram that came with that cap & it doesn't make sense. I can't see what prevents the current to just "flow over" the cap. Maybe I'm misunderstanding it. I can scan the diag that they gave me with it...

[Damkid]

here's my understanding of what a capacitor is designed for

subwoofers can draw a ton of power very quickly and the average car battery is not desinged for that type of use, where a capacitor is designed for very quick power draws

so in a sense a capacitor acts as a 2nd battery for the sudden power draws, so since the capacitor is closer to the amplifier than the battery, it provides a kind of "cushion" for the battery

so thats why the capacitor needs the big wires going in and back out, it should also have a remote wire to turn the capacitor on and off as well

hopefully this will answer some of your questions

[Festiva_tunner]

here's my understanding of what a capacitor is designed for

I installed mine Under the Hood. My Headlights would "dance" to the music at night so installed a self monitoring Cap it there is more than a 2V drop it drops itself and instantly recharges. I keep a clean crisp sound and my headlights don't flicker. My amps are under my seats though no all the way in the back, I have 1 1/2ft of wire between the Bat and the cap - 3ft of wire between the cap and the amp and nary a problem

[Kofkof_00]

Ok, I tested it with the battery you see in the re-locator box in the rear. It made some sparks then climbed to about 12v. I used the diode (?) thingy across the poles to drain it after the test.

Now I need to figure this out.

[Kofkof_00]

:shock: I never thought that implementing a heavy duty electrical system in a car would be this daunting.

I'm sure learning though. Does anyone know what the default alternator is in a festy?

[Kofkof_00]

These are the pics I took.


And

[leapin]

I got the same capacitor as you kof!

[Kofkof_00]

Did you get it @ walmart leapin?

BTW I think the festy alternator is the lowermost diag on that scan. As a matter of fact, all these scans include a "circuit breaker" that i'm lacking. I wonder what they mean by it. Something like a cut off switch?

[Damkid]

i still have the stock festy alternator on my car, the alt. doesn't make a difference with wiring a capacitor

i had a hard time trying to make out what those instructions say (blurry when i zoom in on it) but to be honest the wiring (i find) is very simple once you understand it so i'll try to explain how to wire it up, hopefully a lot easier then those instructions

correct me if i'm wrong that on the top of your capacitor, there should be 2 big terminals and 1 smaller terminal,
1 big terminal for "positive" and 1 big terminal for "negative" and the smaller for a remote wire "low volt positive" for turning it "on" and "off" with the key

the capacitor and amplifier should not share the same ground cable

the high volt. "postive" wire goes from the battery to the capacitor, from the capacitor to the amp. (same terminal on the capacitor)

the remote wire goes from the head unit (or some of other source of power that turns on/off with the key) to the capacitor, from the capacitor to the amp

once the power wires are wired like this, they should be ready to go, you'd just have to hook up the input signal to the amp (usually RCA cables from the head unit) and run the speaker wires to the subwoofers

[Kofkof_00]

Damkid, I think I've figured out the cap, (maybe? Now i'm not so sure, your setup sounds different) now I need to add my 2nd battery isolator. That's what the diagram is about, that's what the battery re-locator box in the trunk is for.

Leapin, Is your wired in? Can you take some pics?

[Kofkof_00]

:shock:

[leapin]

Yeah I got it at walmart!. I wired it in based on this site...

http://tinyurl.com/2x949v

Ill take pics after work.

[leapin]

The cap that I got has no remote wire...it only turns on when it senses a difference in draw...it has a digital voltmeter and blue LED's that come on when it is on. It seems to be a good one for the setup im running. No more dimming lights!!