I have had a 1 faret cap in my camaro. Do these caps wear out over time and if so what are the signs of a bad cap?

 

A 1 farad capacitor (or any value for that matter) is a waste of time and money. If you have a problem with dimming lights on loud bass hits upgrade to a high output alternator. You can use the cap as a door stop.

 

I disagree. A high-output alternator puts more load on the engine, so if you care about your car's acceleration ability, a cap would be a better option.

You'd probably only lose 1-2hp, but it's still a loss. It all depends on your priorities.

Caps can wear out over time. They make capacitor testing devices, but I've never encountered one that could handle a cap anywhere near that big.

 

I'd like to see the documentation proving that an HO alt is more of a load on the engine than the stock alt is.

A cap is ONLY good if your stereo draws only slightly more current than your car's charging system can deliver. If the stereo draws more than the charging system can deliver the cap becomes more of a load on the charging system which negates any benefits it might have. In fact it will do more harm than good since the batery will be discharging (when it should be charging) trying to make up the difference that the cap cannot meet. This will eventually shorten the lifespan of the battery. Like I've always said a cap is a band-aid while an HO alt is the cure.

 

Where do you think the extra energy comes from? I don't have specific documentation, but the Law of Conservation of Energy comes to mind. I have seen a setup where heavy bass hits would stall the engine if it wasn't revved up.

A cap gives the alternator more time to generate the necessary power. When your only priority is the stereo, you're absolutely right that a high-current alternator is the solution. But if you feel that horsepower is more important than stereo performance, a capacitor is the appropriate solution for your specific case.

If the cap can't make up the difference, it isn't big enough. I've seen 45-farad caps... there might even be bigger ones on the market.

 

The energy comes from the extra windings inside the alt.

Larger caps are simply market hype for those that think if some is good then more must be better. Just like 3,4 and 5-way speakers.

 

The extra windings inside the alternator create a stronger magnetic field which the engine must overcome.

Most systems won't make use of a 0.5 farad cap, so that's true. However, unlike 5-way speakers, there are systems that actually benefit from more capacitance.

 

Well I still don't think an HO alt is enough to make enough difference no matter how you look at it. An besides, and I think you'll agree with me here, anyone that is worried about a 1 or 2 HP loss isn't going to have a fully blown after-market stereo system in their car anyway.

I will disagree with you on the multi-way speaker system though till I'm blue in the face. A 6-1/2" mid-woofer and a 1" tweeter are more than enough to cover the audible spectrum of sound. There is no need for what amounts to a mid-woofer and multiple tweeters no matter what anyone says. It is and always will be marketing BS. And as long as there are people in the world that think more is better then the industry will continue to make them. Same goes for men's razors. I wonder how long it will take for Schick or Gillette to come out with a 10 blade razor.

 

I'm sure there are people that are worried about it... but I won't comment on what I think of those people's ability to prioritize.

No, you won't. But you did misread something I wrote if you think we disagree. Two-way speakers are just fine.

 

My bad, I mis-read your post.

 

Caps are a waste. 1 Farad is pointless. A cap acts nothing more than a buffer.

 

It's a buffer with a faster discharge rate than the buffer provided by the battery, allowing big bass hits to draw all of the power they need without affecting the rest of the car's electrical system.

I'll agree that most systems don't need a cap, but they do have a purpose and some systems will benefit from one; they certainly won't hurt anything (except possibly your wallet). "Waste" and "pointless" are too strong to use unqualified.

 

They will definitely "hurt" if the current demands placed on the charging system are more than what the cap can make up for. And 99 times out of 100 that will be the case. I will stick to my guns on this issue till the day I die. Caps are a waste of money. And larger ones with their higher ESR are not going to be the miracle cure-all that many people seem to think they are. If you believe in snake oil remedies then by all means spend as much money on one as you wish. I have better things to spend my money on.

 

A cap is a band aid. Where as a HO alt is the solution. I am with LS1 with it notting adding more strain on the engine. They dont add more resistance when they add power just more loops of copper.

 

Those additional loops of copper create a larger, stronger magnetic field, which the engine must overcome in order to spin the alternator.

It's small, but there is a difference in the power draw placed on the engine by a high-output alternator.