ok so i just took my stereo out of my 95 civic and i have purchased a 2001 civic EX coupe....i am hoping to transfer most of my equipment...but i have some questions...the head unit i had in my 95 civic is an alpine and i had it hooked up to a 12 disk changer in my trunk, now the 01 civic has a 6 disc indash changer, so will i be able to switch out the head unit and plug the 6 disk changer into my alpine head?? please if you know...let me know

secondly i currently have a 1200 watt sony amp hooked up to my 2 12" subs, thus producing plenty of power. Now my head unit puts out about 20 watts rms to 4 speakers, well i have 2 pairs of polk audio speakers that handle 60 watts rms..thats a lot of power i am missing out on, so i need to know what would be better...should i get a 4 channel amp and hook each speaker into it, or should i get an amp to hook straight into my head unit to then power the speakers like that

also what exactly is the point of a capacitor, i understand its supposed to hold power so u get constant power out of your amp, but is it needed or recommended if im pushing 2 amps?

then lastly in my 95 civic, when driving at night with my headlights on, when the subs bumped it was getting so much power my headlights would get lighter whenever they hit...is there a way i can stop this from happening without losing power

thanks a whole lot guys this will be a lot of help!

 

Okay, you might be able to buy a cable that hooks your honda disk changer into the alpine headunit, but Im not too sure. As far as the speakers, yea why not run two amps? Run an amp for the subs, and like a 300 or so watt 4 channel amp for the interior speakers. Capacitors are good but they just extend the voltage problem. Youre going to hate me but I have to tell you the truth. Your headlights are dimming because your amp is a piece of garbage. Its not efficient at all. Basically, it draws lots of current from your battery, and doesnt use it in the best way. That 1200 watt amp MIGHT be making 500 true watts of power. If your want to fix the headlight problem you should get a higher output alternator, but watch out because theyre pricey. A cap might help the problem, but it will only delay real electrical problems. I would suggest getting a high output alternator for anyone running more then 1 amp, and bumping the subs a lot. Also, make sure youre using at least a 4 AWG power wire, anything smaller will deprive the amp from power. If I were you Id look into getting a new alternator, like a stinger or something.......and then start looking into a new amp, preferable a Class D Mono block amp, they are the most efficient sub amplifiers out there. Hope I was some help. -Pete

 

^ I dunno about the OEM cd changer. I do know alpine makes after market 'f'oem changers that will plug into a factory unit. As they make one for Honda.