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[email protected] ancyker@gmail.com is offline
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Default Capacitor Drains Car Battery?

Hello,

At the risk of sounding like a newbie, I haven't had much experience
with car stereos or cars in general. This is my first solo install and
I've been having problems from the start, although this is the first
one I have been unable to solve on my own.

I just got a new stereo system about a month ago. I was having problems
with dimming lights and music cutting out during some songs while
idling (at a red light, stop sign, etc), so on the advice of a friend
and a bit of research I purchased a 5F capacitor.

It fixed the problem (well, it stopped the music from cutting out,
didn't help the dimming lights) but it created a new one, my battery
keeps dieing! This morning I go out to start my car and my battery was
dead. I had the amp hooked up for weeks before I hooked up the
capacitor, I had the capacitor for about 4-5 days now, this is the
first problem with it. I think it did it because I barely drove my car
yesterday... but I can't just go drive my car for no reason...

I followed the directions on the capacitor exactly, including charging
it with the 'light'. I have the Metra Tsunami Capacitor (PP1005DM-CAP)
sold at Circuit City.

Advice on what could be wrong/what to do?

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GregS GregS is offline
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Default Capacitor Drains Car Battery?

In article . com, wrote:
Hello,

At the risk of sounding like a newbie, I haven't had much experience
with car stereos or cars in general. This is my first solo install and
I've been having problems from the start, although this is the first
one I have been unable to solve on my own.

I just got a new stereo system about a month ago. I was having problems
with dimming lights and music cutting out during some songs while
idling (at a red light, stop sign, etc), so on the advice of a friend
and a bit of research I purchased a 5F capacitor.

It fixed the problem (well, it stopped the music from cutting out,
didn't help the dimming lights) but it created a new one, my battery
keeps dieing! This morning I go out to start my car and my battery was
dead. I had the amp hooked up for weeks before I hooked up the
capacitor, I had the capacitor for about 4-5 days now, this is the
first problem with it. I think it did it because I barely drove my car
yesterday... but I can't just go drive my car for no reason...

I followed the directions on the capacitor exactly, including charging
it with the 'light'. I have the Metra Tsunami Capacitor (PP1005DM-CAP)
sold at Circuit City.

Advice on what could be wrong/what to do?


I would usually trace leakage down with a multimeter and
disconnecting different things. This can be tricky, allthough
a digital meter on about a 10 amp setting will work
pretty well. Normally high inrush currents can damage or blow the fuse
on some meters. I found out the battery on my truck was just going
bad, after I first thought it was a drainage problem.

greg
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[email protected] ancyker@gmail.com is offline
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Default Capacitor Drains Car Battery?




GregS wrote:
In article . com, wrote:
Hello,

At the risk of sounding like a newbie, I haven't had much experience
with car stereos or cars in general. This is my first solo install and
I've been having problems from the start, although this is the first
one I have been unable to solve on my own.

I just got a new stereo system about a month ago. I was having problems
with dimming lights and music cutting out during some songs while
idling (at a red light, stop sign, etc), so on the advice of a friend
and a bit of research I purchased a 5F capacitor.

It fixed the problem (well, it stopped the music from cutting out,
didn't help the dimming lights) but it created a new one, my battery
keeps dieing! This morning I go out to start my car and my battery was
dead. I had the amp hooked up for weeks before I hooked up the
capacitor, I had the capacitor for about 4-5 days now, this is the
first problem with it. I think it did it because I barely drove my car
yesterday... but I can't just go drive my car for no reason...

I followed the directions on the capacitor exactly, including charging
it with the 'light'. I have the Metra Tsunami Capacitor (PP1005DM-CAP)
sold at Circuit City.

Advice on what could be wrong/what to do?


I would usually trace leakage down with a multimeter and
disconnecting different things. This can be tricky, allthough
a digital meter on about a 10 amp setting will work
pretty well. Normally high inrush currents can damage or blow the fuse
on some meters. I found out the battery on my truck was just going
bad, after I first thought it was a drainage problem.

greg


Well, it's a brand new battery, just got it about a week or so ago...

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mike mike is offline
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Posts: 14
Default Capacitor Drains Car Battery?

wrote:
Hello,

At the risk of sounding like a newbie, I haven't had much experience
with car stereos or cars in general. This is my first solo install and
I've been having problems from the start, although this is the first
one I have been unable to solve on my own.

I just got a new stereo system about a month ago. I was having problems
with dimming lights and music cutting out during some songs while
idling (at a red light, stop sign, etc), so on the advice of a friend
and a bit of research I purchased a 5F capacitor.

It fixed the problem (well, it stopped the music from cutting out,
didn't help the dimming lights) but it created a new one, my battery
keeps dieing! This morning I go out to start my car and my battery was
dead. I had the amp hooked up for weeks before I hooked up the
capacitor, I had the capacitor for about 4-5 days now, this is the
first problem with it. I think it did it because I barely drove my car
yesterday... but I can't just go drive my car for no reason...

I followed the directions on the capacitor exactly, including charging
it with the 'light'. I have the Metra Tsunami Capacitor (PP1005DM-CAP)
sold at Circuit City.

Advice on what could be wrong/what to do?


Did you change the wiring when you added the cap?
I've recently discovered, much to my dismay, that newer car components
draw significant current when they're off. You get around this by
switching power thru the ignition switch or a secondary relay controlled
by the ignition switch.

You can't add a cap to this system, 'cause the first time you turned it
on, your ignition switch, or relay, would explode. That's why you used
a lamp to charge the cap before connecting it to the electrical system.

To add a cap, you have to leave it permanently connected. If you
rewired power to your system, you may be experincing that dreaded
runyourbatterydownwhenoff problem.

If you hook the cap up backwards, it will go leaky. But it will also
probably explode.

Easiest way to test the cap is to disconnect the cap and see if the
problem goes away. Leave the rest of the wiring the same, just
disconnect the cap. If you're impatient, what to do depends on what
equipment you have available.

Find a small low current 12V bulb, like a dash light, not a tail light.
Disconnect the cap and put the light in series. Wait. If the light
eventually goes out, the cap ain't leaking any more than the amount it
takes to show some glow on the lamp.

If you have a voltmeter, charge up the cap. Disconnect it.
Measure the voltage. Wait until the voltage drops a few volts and
measure again...some experimenting to find the right time interval...
Leakage current in amps is: I = C x dV/dT.
C is 5. dV/dT you just measured...voltage drop in volts divided by time
interval in seconds. Disconnect the meter between measurements.
Good meters won't matter; who knows what you have.


mike
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GregS GregS is offline
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Posts: 527
Default Capacitor Drains Car Battery?

In article . com, wrote:



GregS wrote:
In article . com,

wrote:
Hello,

At the risk of sounding like a newbie, I haven't had much experience
with car stereos or cars in general. This is my first solo install and
I've been having problems from the start, although this is the first
one I have been unable to solve on my own.

I just got a new stereo system about a month ago. I was having problems
with dimming lights and music cutting out during some songs while
idling (at a red light, stop sign, etc), so on the advice of a friend
and a bit of research I purchased a 5F capacitor.

It fixed the problem (well, it stopped the music from cutting out,
didn't help the dimming lights) but it created a new one, my battery
keeps dieing! This morning I go out to start my car and my battery was
dead. I had the amp hooked up for weeks before I hooked up the
capacitor, I had the capacitor for about 4-5 days now, this is the
first problem with it. I think it did it because I barely drove my car
yesterday... but I can't just go drive my car for no reason...

I followed the directions on the capacitor exactly, including charging
it with the 'light'. I have the Metra Tsunami Capacitor (PP1005DM-CAP)
sold at Circuit City.

Advice on what could be wrong/what to do?


I would usually trace leakage down with a multimeter and
disconnecting different things. This can be tricky, allthough
a digital meter on about a 10 amp setting will work
pretty well. Normally high inrush currents can damage or blow the fuse
on some meters. I found out the battery on my truck was just going
bad, after I first thought it was a drainage problem.

greg


Well, it's a brand new battery, just got it about a week or so ago...


Try taking off the cap for a while.

The other thing other than test for drainage is to test
alternator. It should peak up to about 14 volts with about 1000 rpm and not
much of a load. You can buy these little LED light alternator testors
that plug into the cigarrette lighter. I measured the output of one alternator
once by measuring the output current with a series piece of wire.
If its a 60 amp alternator, it should out out 60 amps at around 3000 rpm.


greg


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bob wald bob wald is offline
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Default Capacitor Drains Car Battery?

5f cap!!!! thats big..you pulling around 1700rms or more just on ya
bass?????
too big cap for ya battery i'd guess. i'd use a 2f
cap.unless i'm pulling Alot of amps on the sub amp.
really cant see why ya cap would discharge on alil sub amp.....under
1000rms.
or at least discharge much.
didnt read ya whole thread.
is ya battery smaller/older too?

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