Yo Luke - what's your take on those big capacitors?

[StereoInstaller1]

I still like the pretty lights...

Seriously, on a car with the battery in the trunk they are pretty silly.

I use them as distribution blocks and as voltage displays.

[Vtec?lol]

I'm no professional nor am I any type, form, or breed of luke.. But I do know that capacitors do save your alternator. Weather it's 2farad or more, they help. Lots but not extremely. Thing is in car audio any loud or continuous amount of draw, the capacitor if not large enough becomes even more of a strain on your cars charging system as it's desperately looking for current to keep charged.
so if you have a 1800W amp and your pushing 4ohm loads of sub-50Hz bass, your 2farad cap is now leeching and killing your charging system.

So pretty much as long as you have whats required for your setup, a good voltage regulator and that thing that isolates current from certain areas of the car your good.

Thats just from personal experience. I'm no expert and i'm sure I may have errors herre and there but i'm solid the idea is correct.

Help luke

[ChaseN]

They're good for making rail guns. You just need a lot of them.

Roof mounted e30 rail gun? now this is an "in car entertainment" thread :D

[AndrewBird]

They're good for making rail guns. You just need a lot of them.

[browntown]

all the real men have 5 farad caps to power their woofers on the temples of boom!

[Danny]

Luke. Cmon man.

[george graves]

Luke. Bro. Seriously.

[StereoInstaller1]

I like the pretty lights on them.

[KennyT]

The purpose in car audio is the same as most electronic circuits, a cheap voltage regulator. Audio amplifiers have a very dynamic draw of current. Your alternator will try to keep the voltage output at the charging level. The dynamic nature will beat on your alternator and will put a lot of strain on it. If the cap can sustain the sub for 3 or 4 seconds then it should be able to limit the voltage changes.

[darrenforeal]

there is no use for them in car audio imo

[Schnitzer318is]

Not sure what Luke thinks of them, but I'm not a fan, except in certain circumstances.

After they are drained they are just another draw on your alternator.

Now if you are using them to say... even out your voltage then they could be useful. My little m42 and it's 80amp alternator barely keep my system at 13v when cruising and at idle can dip all the way down to low 12's.

[george graves]

Yo Luke - what's your take on those big capacitors?

Snake oil?
They do what they claim?
What's the deal?