[Guest]

First off I want to say I love the car, but it is not stereo system friendly. I have a high wattage system in my TSX and it is killing my electrical system. I have been through 2 optima yellow top 51R batteries and I am on my third. I went to a shop to have everything tested because I began to think everything the acura dealership was telling me was BS. To my disbelief they were telling the truth and my alternator is functioning properly. The only time it will drop in voltage is when my subs hit. I am trying to figure out if anyone else has a big system in their tsx and what kind of electrical work they had done. I need an H.O. alternater real bad and if anyone has had one made for their TSX's please tell me where.

System Specs
2 JL Audio 500/1 Amps
2 JL Audio 300/2 Amps
2 12" JL Audio W7's
2 Crossfire Component Systems
Alpine7815 HU
15 Farad Capacitor

 

[radiodr]

Yep, you need a HO alternator. Your battery is draining faster than your alternator can recharge it. Ohio Generator is going to be your best bet. Call 330-875-6677 talk to Gus. If he doesn't have it, it isn't made. You'll be probably looking at about 160 amps for about $400 or so.

 

[Dragon_27]

i don't have a problem in my tsx and i'm running rockford 20001 bd amp, 2 15s power series, 4 channel pg amp and i farad capacitor. maybe your install is not hooked up properly, chekc your shit cause my voltage does drop to under 12 when the bass hits but it restores it back to 14 right away... then again, you are using lots of amps so that could be draining the shit out of it...

 

[caz1604]

First off I want to say I love the car, but it is not stereo system friendly. I have a high wattage system in my TSX and it is killing my electrical system. I have been through 2 optima yellow top 51R batteries and I am on my third. I went to a shop to have everything tested because I began to think everything the acura dealership was telling me was BS. To my disbelief they were telling the truth and my alternator is functioning properly. The only time it will drop in voltage is when my subs hit. I am trying to figure out if anyone else has a big system in their tsx and what kind of electrical work they had done. I need an H.O. alternater real bad and if anyone has had one made for their TSX's please tell me where.

System Specs
2 JL Audio 500/1 Amps
2 JL Audio 300/2 Amps
2 12" JL Audio W7's
2 Crossfire Component Systems
Alpine7815 HU
15 Farad Capacitor

I had a JL 500/1 and 300/4 in my car and was running an AlumuPro 5 Farad Cap. I was having all types of electrical problems until the head installer told me that JL-Audio amps do not need capacitors. It would work fine at low volume, but when I turned it up it would cut in and out like it was searching for power. Everyone told me I needed a new alternator too...but I took off the capacitor and never had a problem again, and I also was using a stock battery. They showed me a car that had 3 JL 1000/1's and a 450/4 that worked perfectly with not capacitor. Look into it or call JL-Audio.

 

[caz1604]

I had a JL 500/1 and 300/4 in my car and was running an AlumuPro 5 Farad Cap. I was having all types of electrical problems until the head installer told me that JL-Audio amps do not need capacitors. It would work fine at low volume, but when I turned it up it would cut in and out like it was searching for power. Everyone told me I needed a new alternator too...but I took off the capacitor and never had a problem again, and I also was using a stock battery. They showed me a car that had 3 JL 1000/1's and a 450/4 that worked perfectly with not capacitor. Look into it or call JL-Audio.

I just spoke with a tech at JL-Audio and he said JL-Audio "/" Series Amps have a Regulated Power Supply and do not require a capacitor. He did say a bigger alternator would help because Hondas only have an 80 amp alternator and can't keep up with the current draw. He also recommended Ohio Generator. Call 954-443-1100 to confirm.

 

[radiodr]

Well, it takes power to make power. Laws of physics and nothing you can do about it. Look as your battery a bucket of water, your alternator a hose going into the bucket and your amps are water pumps drawing water out of your bucket. If your water pumps are pumping 200 ounces of water a second and your water hose is only putting 100 ounces of water a second back into your bucket, you are going to have a dry bucket after a certain amount of time. If you run your system at high volumes for a long time, your battery is going to go dead if your alternator can't keep up. Run it for shorter periods of time and your alternator will be able to recharge your battery, but it is hard on your alternator and your battery. Get a bigger garden hose that can supply water faster into the bucket and your bucket will remain full all the time.
To the guy running 3 JL 1000/1s, if he didn't have a HO alternator and mulitple batteries, then he's an idiot. It's just foolish to put better than 3000 watts RMS worth of amplification into your car and not have the power to run it. He can do it for very short periods of time, but that's it. Not going to be reliable for any length of time.
A capacitor is always helpful in any system. It will always help stabilize voltage drop. Even if an amp has a regulated power supply. It's just that the amp won't make any more power at the higher voltages you'll get by using the cap, but it will ultimately lower current draw and keep your electrical system happier. If your amps cut out with a cap and did not without, it would only be because of a bad connection. Adding a cap requires several additional connections to the power and ground system. Especially with the Alumapro caps becasue of the added solinoid that needs to be installed with it. If a single ring terminal is not crimped correctly it could cause a resistance to current flow that would be detrimnental to the benifits of a cap. It would cause a voltage drop at the amp that would be more severe than if the cap wasn't used at all. I'm sure that was the situation in your case.

 

[caz1604]

Well, it takes power to make power. Laws of physics and nothing you can do about it. Look as your battery a bucket of water, your alternator a hose going into the bucket and your amps are water pumps drawing water out of your bucket. If your water pumps are pumping 200 ounces of water a second and your water hose is only putting 100 ounces of water a second back into your bucket, you are going to have a dry bucket after a certain amount of time. If you run your system at high volumes for a long time, your battery is going to go dead if your alternator can't keep up. Run it for shorter periods of time and your alternator will be able to recharge your battery, but it is hard on your alternator and your battery. Get a bigger garden hose that can supply water faster into the bucket and your bucket will remain full all the time.
To the guy running 3 JL 1000/1s, if he didn't have a HO alternator and mulitple batteries, then he's an idiot. It's just foolish to put better than 3000 watts RMS worth of amplification into your car and not have the power to run it. He can do it for very short periods of time, but that's it. Not going to be reliable for any length of time.
A capacitor is always helpful in any system. It will always help stabilize voltage drop. Even if an amp has a regulated power supply. It's just that the amp won't make any more power at the higher voltages you'll get by using the cap, but it will ultimately lower current draw and keep your electrical system happier. If your amps cut out with a cap and did not without, it would only be because of a bad connection. Adding a cap requires several additional connections to the power and ground system. Especially with the Alumapro caps becasue of the added solinoid that needs to be installed with it. If a single ring terminal is not crimped correctly it could cause a resistance to current flow that would be detrimnental to the benifits of a cap. It would cause a voltage drop at the amp that would be more severe than if the cap wasn't used at all. I'm sure that was the situation in your case.

I see your point about needing a bigger alternator. I never said the guy w/ 3 1000/1's didn't have a bigger amp or additional batteries. However, according to JL-Audio and from my personal experience...a capacitor is not needed with JL "/" series amps. There are definitely amps that need a cap, but not his or my amp. You are more than welcome to call a JL tech to confirm, as I did before I posted that statement.

 

[radiodr]

A capacitor is never "needed". It may help however. If a system is too large a cap is worthless because they drain faster than they can be recharged. If a capacitor can help keep voltage up, don't you think you'd want that to reduce the sag seen by the other electrical components in your car?
A JL amp makes the same power at 10.5 volts as it does at 14.4 volts, but it will draw 1/3 more current at 10 volts as it does at 14 volts to do so, causing more strain on your alternator and other electrcal components. A cap can make that voltage only drop to 13 volts making all your electrical components only drop to that voltage as well. See my point?

 

[caz1604]

A capacitor is never "needed". It may help however. If a system is too large a cap is worthless because they drain faster than they can be recharged. If a capacitor can help keep voltage up, don't you think you'd want that to reduce the sag seen by the other electrical components in your car?
A JL amp makes the same power at 10.5 volts as it does at 14.4 volts, but it will draw 1/3 more current at 10 volts as it does at 14 volts to do so, causing more strain on your alternator and other electrcal components. A cap can make that voltage only drop to 13 volts making all your electrical components only drop to that voltage as well. See my point?

Kind of, I don't really know all the ins and outs when it comes to circuitry. I mainly don't understand your point regarding this particular application because a JL Audio TECH told me since the SLASH series amps have a Regulated Power Supply, a cap is not needed. I am sure many have a different opinion on this matter though. I am still a believer in Caps, hence why I bought an AlumaPro 5 farad cap for my last application, but in my situation the cap was hindering my systems performance rather than helping it.

 

[radiodr]

Read both of my last two posts. Both points are expressed there.