Amp location help!
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,611
Likes: 1
From: Pawnee Ok
Originally Posted by Alabamacoalminer
Don't put the caps in its cooler when your lights nearly go out when the bass hits. Lol. As far as those interested in over kill I had 4 Phoenix. Gold 12"'s in a geo tracker when I was his age! Lol that. Was over kill and yes my headlights blinked every time the bass hit cause I couldn't afford a cap! But like you I worked to pay for everything that got put in or on the little thing and did all the work myself! I would suggest going to radio shack and getting a couple of the little dc fans there tiny and put out lots of air for there size best bet no to overheat the amp. Good luck with the install!!!!!!!
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 212
Likes: 1
From: San Antonio, Texas
If you put it in a box on top of the box put some cooling fans in it to help keep it cool a former friend hand a 2 door civic and he put the amps where the spare tire was. (of course taking out the spare tire) and sealed it off he put fans going into the area where the amps were to keep it cool it worked for him
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: Strathroy, ON.
Ahh, gotcha! I'm sure a custom box of some sorts will solve your issues. Is there room underneath the rear seat to throw something under there? Haven't looked back there so not entirely sure. Oh, it's a 1000 watt amp.
JK Jedi
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 221
From: SE Michigan
Originally Posted by Rednroll
There's a lot of debate in regards to the benefit of the cap. I would start by replacing the battery to one that provides more CCA's. A Diehard Platinum or a Optima Yellow top are good choices. Then also do the "Big 3" upgrade wiring.
My system is just over 3000 Watts, like I mentioned. I'm using a 1 Farad Cap on my 1600 Watt Sub amp only. The general rule is that you need 1Farad per 1000 Watts. Here's some good info on the need of the stiffening Cap.
http://www.parts-express.com/resourc...itors-faqs.cfm
Here is a pretty good tutorial on doing the Big 3 wiring. They recommend 0 AWG wiring, which is probably a bit overkill. I used 4AWG, in parallel to the existing wiring and that works fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82xRzCr-lc
Basically what you're trying to achieve is to increase the wire diameter so that your battery and charging system can supply adequate current upon demand for the audio system,not doing so will cause voltage dips on the electrical system which occur when strong BASS hits occur. That's why your lights are currently dimming, because the voltage is dropping when bass hits occur when it's turned up loud. Fixing the voltage drops will also help out the performance of your audio system so there is less distortion.
The Big 3, Basic upgraded connections are:
1. Alternator Output power post to B+ Battery post
2. Chassis to NEG post
3. Engine Block to Chassis
Of those 3 connections, #3 is probably the least needed in the JK. Essentially what they're trying to do is increase the Ground strength from the Alternator case to the chassis. If you look at your JK, you see there's a pretty solid connection of the Alternator to the Engine via the bracket, and then a pretty solid connection of the Engine Block to the chassis. So that's already a pretty good ground path of metal for grounding of the alternator...but if you want to do that connection, it doesn't hurt.
Once you get that done, then you will want to run a 4AWG or lower AWG wire directly from the B+ post of the battery to your amplifier.
Caps of this size can get expensive. The Big 3 is a cheaper solution and a better solution, but it won't hurt doing both. So as I suggested, it is probably best to do the Big 3 and also replace the battery and then decide if you need to add a cap. Adding the cap should be your last option. It is best to fix the problem at the source and that's what the Big 3 and increased battery strength does. The next step would be to get a higher output alternator, but the JK already has a pretty high current alternator and the available higher output ones that are available, really aren't worth the price of admission. The stiffening cap is a band-aide solution for people who know very little about electrical systems.
I also highly recommend when doing these additional wire runs to buy some wire Flex Tubing and put that around all your B+ wiring that you added. They carry it at Wal-mart in the automotive section for like $2.00 for 10 feet and most any other automotive store. You will see they mention in that video tutorial to secure the wire away from hot objects. That is good advice but additionally adding the Flex Tubing adds an additional layer of security because cracks, and wear due to the wire rubbing against metal over time can occur on the wire insulation, and the last thing you want is for that thick wire connected directly to the battery and/or alternator to come in direct contact with some metal and cause a fire. So in that video tutorial you will see they secure that wire to metal by some plastic wire ties. So what happens over time as that wire is vibrating against that metal or those ties start to become weak and fragile and start to fail due to heat and moisture that is always present in that engine compartment? The answer is, the insulation wears on the wire or comes in contact with a hot object due to the 2 cent wire tie failing and then melts, and poof....FIRE!!! So, that's why you see flex tubing on all the existing wires under your hood from the factory. Flex tubing is cheap and it adds that additional layer of security and will make your wiring last much longer. Let the rookies pay $12 a foot for 0 AWG wire and then fail to pay an additional 20 cents a foot for flex tubing to put around it, so you reduce the risk of catching your car on fire.
My system is just over 3000 Watts, like I mentioned. I'm using a 1 Farad Cap on my 1600 Watt Sub amp only. The general rule is that you need 1Farad per 1000 Watts. Here's some good info on the need of the stiffening Cap.
http://www.parts-express.com/resourc...itors-faqs.cfm
Here is a pretty good tutorial on doing the Big 3 wiring. They recommend 0 AWG wiring, which is probably a bit overkill. I used 4AWG, in parallel to the existing wiring and that works fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82xRzCr-lc
Basically what you're trying to achieve is to increase the wire diameter so that your battery and charging system can supply adequate current upon demand for the audio system,not doing so will cause voltage dips on the electrical system which occur when strong BASS hits occur. That's why your lights are currently dimming, because the voltage is dropping when bass hits occur when it's turned up loud. Fixing the voltage drops will also help out the performance of your audio system so there is less distortion.
The Big 3, Basic upgraded connections are:
1. Alternator Output power post to B+ Battery post
2. Chassis to NEG post
3. Engine Block to Chassis
Of those 3 connections, #3 is probably the least needed in the JK. Essentially what they're trying to do is increase the Ground strength from the Alternator case to the chassis. If you look at your JK, you see there's a pretty solid connection of the Alternator to the Engine via the bracket, and then a pretty solid connection of the Engine Block to the chassis. So that's already a pretty good ground path of metal for grounding of the alternator...but if you want to do that connection, it doesn't hurt.
Once you get that done, then you will want to run a 4AWG or lower AWG wire directly from the B+ post of the battery to your amplifier.
Caps of this size can get expensive. The Big 3 is a cheaper solution and a better solution, but it won't hurt doing both. So as I suggested, it is probably best to do the Big 3 and also replace the battery and then decide if you need to add a cap. Adding the cap should be your last option. It is best to fix the problem at the source and that's what the Big 3 and increased battery strength does. The next step would be to get a higher output alternator, but the JK already has a pretty high current alternator and the available higher output ones that are available, really aren't worth the price of admission. The stiffening cap is a band-aide solution for people who know very little about electrical systems.
I also highly recommend when doing these additional wire runs to buy some wire Flex Tubing and put that around all your B+ wiring that you added. They carry it at Wal-mart in the automotive section for like $2.00 for 10 feet and most any other automotive store. You will see they mention in that video tutorial to secure the wire away from hot objects. That is good advice but additionally adding the Flex Tubing adds an additional layer of security because cracks, and wear due to the wire rubbing against metal over time can occur on the wire insulation, and the last thing you want is for that thick wire connected directly to the battery and/or alternator to come in direct contact with some metal and cause a fire. So in that video tutorial you will see they secure that wire to metal by some plastic wire ties. So what happens over time as that wire is vibrating against that metal or those ties start to become weak and fragile and start to fail due to heat and moisture that is always present in that engine compartment? The answer is, the insulation wears on the wire or comes in contact with a hot object due to the 2 cent wire tie failing and then melts, and poof....FIRE!!! So, that's why you see flex tubing on all the existing wires under your hood from the factory. Flex tubing is cheap and it adds that additional layer of security and will make your wiring last much longer. Let the rookies pay $12 a foot for 0 AWG wire and then fail to pay an additional 20 cents a foot for flex tubing to put around it, so you reduce the risk of catching your car on fire.
JK Jedi
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 221
From: SE Michigan
I think he may have been joking.....but I suggest not listening to that advice.
Read here:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...08#post2921008
Like I previously explained, what is happening is that the voltage is dropping in your ENTIRE electrical system in an unpredictable manor. As well as your lights dimming, that means that everything else electrical is also getting choked. Just think of it this way.....your entire engine is tuned and runs off of engine control modules. An engine control module is like a computer. Computers don't like it very much, when it's in the middle of performing a task and you yank the power cord. Usually your computer will have some kind of problem after that happens where the entire system might need to be reinstalled. You don't have that option on your JK, which means parts need to be replaced instead. So, you might think it's cool when the lights are dimming with the music....but trust me....you won't think it's very cool when your Jeep no longer runs right, won't start, or you need to spend money replacing PCM's.
Here's how you should go about fixing the lights dimming problem. The Caps should be your last option....
1. new stronger battery
2. big 3 wiring upgrade
3. upgraded higher output alternator
4. Stiffening cap
Read here:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...08#post2921008
Like I previously explained, what is happening is that the voltage is dropping in your ENTIRE electrical system in an unpredictable manor. As well as your lights dimming, that means that everything else electrical is also getting choked. Just think of it this way.....your entire engine is tuned and runs off of engine control modules. An engine control module is like a computer. Computers don't like it very much, when it's in the middle of performing a task and you yank the power cord. Usually your computer will have some kind of problem after that happens where the entire system might need to be reinstalled. You don't have that option on your JK, which means parts need to be replaced instead. So, you might think it's cool when the lights are dimming with the music....but trust me....you won't think it's very cool when your Jeep no longer runs right, won't start, or you need to spend money replacing PCM's.
Here's how you should go about fixing the lights dimming problem. The Caps should be your last option....
1. new stronger battery
2. big 3 wiring upgrade
3. upgraded higher output alternator
4. Stiffening cap
Last edited by Rednroll; Mar 31, 2012 at 08:00 AM.
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,611
Likes: 1
From: Pawnee Ok
Originally Posted by Rednroll
I think he may have been joking.....but I suggest not listening to that advice.
Read here:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...08#post2921008
Like I previously explained, what is happening is that the voltage is dropping in your ENTIRE electrical system in an unpredictable manor. As well as your lights dimming, that means that everything else electrical is also getting choked. Just think of it this way.....your entire engine is tuned and runs off of engine control modules. An engine control module is like a computer. Computers don't like it very much, when it's in the middle of performing a task and you yank the power cord. Usually your computer will have some kind of problem after that happens where the entire system might need to be reinstalled. You don't have that option on your JK, which means parts need to be replaced instead. So, you might think it's cool when the lights are dimming with the music....but trust me....you won't think it's very cool when your Jeep no longer runs right, won't start, or you need to spend money replacing PCM's.
Here's how you should go about fixing the lights dimming problem. The Caps should be your last option....
1. new stronger battery
2. big 3 wiring upgrade
3. upgraded higher output alternator
4. Stiffening cap
