so, i dont want to spend 100$+ on a "Racing Voltage Stabilizer" (basically a metal box with high capacity caps). instead of getting a cheap worthless ebay one, i was resigned to using nothing at all :(

until! i was cruising best buy, and i saw this big Capacitor for sound systems... then, the idea hit

can i simply wire in an audio system's capacitor to my battery, having it act in place of a real RVS? the concept is the same, caps (or cap) that stores a charge, with circuitry to regulate voltage, ect. plus, i can get a cap+wire setup on amazon for cheap, and the cap Looks cool (no idea yet where to put it), and it shows your voltage, and it "should" hold a nice charge for when your car needs it, when your womping on it!

any thoughts on this!

 

Why not an Optima and double up your wire? Plus, a car audio capacitor is not a weatherproof product and shouldn't be exposed to the heat of an engine bay...

 

whats "double up your wire"?

 

You run equal gage power cable and grounds in parallel to the existing to "complement" the existing electrical system while increasing current. Then a deep cycle quick discharge Optima.

Putting a capacitor in my car kinda freaks me out enough on my audio system, though the reward is awesome. But I don't think I could ever feel comfortable with it under my hood.

I had a capacitor, although a small one, blow up in a crossover to a pair of my separates in an old car. I had it located behind a kick panel and it overheated. The entire cavity behind the kick panel was filled with a tissue like substance and stuffed like a pillow. I heard it blow, thought I had blown a tire! Can't imagine what a large capacitor would be like!

 

ya, but do you know how LONG that power cable is! itd cost about a fortune to make that thing in copper alone, dont you think?

what gauge is that wire? looks huge... like, 4g or 2g?

 

Hi,

Cabalabadingdong is right. The capacitor might blow up due to excess heat because it is in the engine bay. You should think an alternative way for this.

 

It's actually currently installed in the boot. I attached it to the driver side bulb acces hatch. It's been in for months and no issues so far!

It's a sound theory, and 2 hp is 2 hp! Lol. Idid a lot of research on this cap. It was the best price and had the best reviews. I used batt cable for the wiring, it was fairly priced. Gave me a reason to buy a huge blowtorch too so I could solder the terminal rings.

 

Unless you did a dyno, I'd assert that a 'Racing Voltage Stabilizer' is just a gimmick that people run to get $100 from someone for a metal box.

 

possible, yes. i did do a fair amount of research before embarking on this project, as I usually do. here is a link of some guys who tested a pile of these things, all diff brands, from nice and pricey to cheapies.

http://www.importtuner.com/tech/impp...n/viewall.html

They admit the slight "increase" in #s could be simple variation, however i found it interesting that ALL the products produced this. If it didnt do anything, we wouldnt see near 100% results like that, but rather maybe one or none of the products working.

from being in the car, i feel it starts crisper, idles quite nice, i get less voltage drop spikes sitting at idle, and id swear it revs just fractionally faster and crisper.

worst case, it helps my audio setup!

 

Curious... how did your MINI run compared to others you know before you connected the voltage stabilizer? It just makes me think the box is covering for something else that could be wrong engine-wise. Startup issues can be the result of bad gas (long story; I just know not to use Hess based on their detergent blend). Idle issues could be from clogged MAP sensors, bad idle circuit vacuum bulb on the fuel rail, etc.

However, it would also be interesting to see if you can actually show results on a dyno before and after installing that box. That would confirm or deny your belief the engine revs faster and crisper.

I do agree it can help with your audio setup, though. In fact, anything electronic in general would probably benefit. The voltage stabilizer is basically performing the same function as a battery backup (UPS) does for a computer.

 

the mini ran just fine before hand. i just feel it improved on some things ever so slightly. i also opted not to get the "magic box" RVS, but rather an audio cap, 1 farad. it was only 35$ or so, not too bad IMO.

 

A 1 Farad capacitor can provide the same or similar functionality as adding a second battery in parallel, except the fact it's relying on being charged up to begin with. The capacitor will help out will voltage fluctuations, if there are any, or if some other temporary drain occurs within the system. The stock alternator is 105 amps, so it should be doing a pretty good job handling all the electronics in the first place.

If it will fit, you can perhaps see about mounting the capacitor in the chamber on the passenger side where the ASC/DSC brake booster is located. That should help with shielding from engine heat. You can always wrap the capacitor in an additional layer of heat shield materials if you so desire. I would think you can find some options at Lowe's or Home Depot.

 

or, something like this!

 

Not sure what the need for this is. If you needed more current for transient demands
or a more stable voltage when a high current load goes on or off, it could
make some sense, but otherwise, it just saves a tiny bit of engine power
when the system voltage drops and costs a tiny bit when the alternator is
charging the capacitor back up. Most of the time it just sits there and keeps
the voltage from changing as much when an electrical load is applied or removed.

 

id say you answered the question spot on! like i said, 1 or 2 hp is 1 or 2 hp

it may do doodely F*, but i doubt its hurting, and its installed, and sorta looks cool, and if it helps then awesome. it was just another mod that i thought would be a neat project. i do that a lot