Hi I am new to all this i jus installed my system in my 05 civic coupe, i have a JL audio 500/1 amp powering two 12's and i can barely turn it up to a nice level without the bass going completely out i have a .5 farad capacitor installed and it helped just a little bit..so my question is the only way to fully fix this is a high output alternator?

 

What is the voltage on your battery with the system on.

 

is that the display on the capacitor? if it is..its 14.34

 

What size power wire are you running? Is it 4ga or smaller? Is your ground the same size as your power wire? Did you use a solid point for your ground? (and ditch the capacitor, its kinda like **** on a bull) Are the subs wired at an acceptable Ohm level for that amp>? I know the JL amps are fully regulated but if you go below 1Ohm they don't like that very much. And you really should be using 4 ga wire for that amp.(or bigger if you have multiple amps)

 

i found problem number 1 my power wire is 12 gauge...and my ground is 10 ga. my ground wire is connected properly so 1st thing i should try is 4 gauge or smaller for ground and power?

 

No man, 4ga or bigger!!!! When it comes to wire, the smaller the number the bigger the wire!!! If your using 12ga wire for power your lucky it didn't melt and short on you!!!! Stop using it IMMEDIATLY or you can cause problems witrh the amp!!! You can fry your power section in a heartbeat using such small wire on an amp like that!!!

 

yea i mean to say or bigger but wen i was talkin about number i was thinkin smaller...lol but thnkx for the advice that is an expensive amp im gonna try a 4 GA wire thanx

 

and DEFINATLY BE SURE TO PROPERLY FUSE THAT POWER WIRE!!!!!!!!!

definatly go 4gauge wiring kit... comes with all the stuff you should need....
and i second ditchen the cap..... i dont know why some people swear by them... caps dont make or even hold hardly any power! all your doing is starving your amplifier power while the cap has to recharge....

look at these competition spl cars..... you will never find a cap in them! if anything big batteries and high power alternators.


and if ya dont know how to fuse the power wire properly to the battery. STOP WHAT YOUR DOING AND TAKE IT INTO A REAL AUDIO SHOP!
that car is to new to try and do it yourself.....

12gauge wire isnt even large enough to power my radio! LOL i got 8gauge wire directly from the battery to it as well as the ground. PROPERLY FUSED AS WELL! and 1/0gauge wire ran thru my civic to my subwoofer amplifier in the trunk.... overkill HELL YA for now.LOL but im gonna eventualy double my power to ruffly 2400watts rms and a killer 12inch sub into my current box.
but definatly not until i get a highpower alternator and another yellow top battery for the rear.