attn: MattJ
 

Hey,

Just thought you'd be the right person to ask.. First off, this is my setup.

Stereo:
Panasonic Head Unit
3.0 Farad Power Acoustik Cap
Audiobahn 800w Mono Block
Infinity 7540a 520wX4 Component Amp **
Infinity Kappa 572.5cf Component Speakers/Tweets **
Infinity Kappa 12d VQ 12" Sub
Custom 2.25 Cu. In. Ported Box

Now I know you can't answer the question exact, but i thought you might have some kind of an idea as to what my problem is.

Basically, When I first had everything set up I could crank the volume up to 35-38 on the head unit without any problem, highest it goes is 40, but now I can't turn it up above about 29-31 without my component speakers cutting off for a minute then coming back on, then shutting off again etc etc.. Now, at lower volume everything is fine this only happens when I crank it up.

I've checked all of my grounds, every wire is in place, nothing is loose. Any ideas? All I can think of is that im drawing too much current, or something is wrong with my component amp.. Keep in mind, I have a fairly new alternator (within 6-7mo old) and a brand new battery. I have noticed though, that sometimes when the sub hits, my interior lights dimming. Usually when I have the heat on. Maybe the alternator is going bad already?

This is Basically how everything looks.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...g/CIMG0522.jpg

i would suspect the capacitor. after all, isnt that the point of it? to prevent the lights from dimming and such by giving an extra boost of power?

after that i would still suspect ground.

matt probably has a better idea tho

Get rid of that stupid cap. its not doing anything but stealing power from an already power hungry setup. anytime your accessories are on like AC, heat, wipers, headlights, interior lights, ect... its drawing power.

I would also check what kind of voltage you are seeing before the cap. Take a multimeter and touch the end of the power wire, and the other to a ground, with the car running. You should see anywhere from 13.2v to 12.8v in an optimal setup. Im sure I see 4awg wiring so I dont think thats a problem.

Id also try cranking it up in your driveway and checking to see if your amp is going into protection, or if its totally losing power.

How long is your ground cable? It should be as short as possible, and if its not done, id sand the paint away from where its ground for a more solid connection.

MattJ: Mustang Boards audio guru:worship2: :worship2: :worship2:

Yeah, all of my major wiring is 4awg. I believe that my ground is only about a foot long or so. Very short. I had Circuit City install everything when I worked there, and most of the guys that worked in my store were pretty good at what they do so im sure they got everything setup right.

Im actually thinkin' it's the cap, I think this Audio Acoustik is a cheap POS because I didn't have any problems before this with my 1.8 Tsunami. I might just put my 1.8 back in to see if it improves any.

Matt, I know this is a controversial especially with you, but why don't you like caps? I just don't understand why/ how they could possibly be inneffective.

BTW. I have an inline volt meter that came with my Tsunami cap (located next to the battery), and it's always in the 12-13v range.

Also, they ground down a small section in the trunk (directly under the carpet under the cap) and put a small bolt/ washer through for the ground. What makes me think it's not a ground is because when this problem happens the only sound to shut off is my comp. speakers, the sub still fires.

:dunno:

Well, I switched the caps today and the amp is still going into protection.... :nunu:

Any ideas? :dunno:

what kind of voltage is your amp seeing? try seeing if you can measure the voltage when its cutting out.

try unplugging your sub's amp and see if it still does it. im guessing its a voltage problem somewhere.