hello this is my first post here so i hope i dont get shunned.

i just installed a full system in my Fit, i have a jvc dvd player, mtx door speakers, and i have 2 kicker comp 10" subs with an mtx 300 watt amp driving them. i will be getting a more powerful amp soon but i have 1 problem.

my lights are dimming already and thats with only a 300 watt amp. i dont really want to get a new alternator as the one i have is pretty new less than 2 years old. the lights only dim when i really crank the stereo real high and the bass is thumping as hard as it will go.

do you think a capacitor will help? ive read that caps are useless unless you have a high output alt so im stuck. what to do? thanks guys.

 

I dont think that you need a cap. You need to upgrade the battery negative to chassis ground connection with a larger gauge wire. Also upgrade the engine to chassis ground. The third recommended one is upgrade the power wire between the alternator and battery. I did the first two with the leftover 4 gauge wire that I had from my install. I would have dont the third but I didnt have the wire and the alternator is hard to get to.

I have a 1200W rms amp for my 10" sub and the only thing that I notice dimming are the lights that light up my license plate. My headlights and taillights are fine.

hopefully this helps you out. Welcome to FitFreak another florida fit I see

 

thanks for the welcome. you know i did something that i think might affect it but not sure. it was sunday and all car audio shops where closed so i ran to lowes and bought some stiff 4 gauge wire for homes. the guy said that the wire should be good enough to run a full stove/oven so i figured its gotta be enough for my system. its the same thickness as the 4 gauge wire i have now from the batt to the amp just stiffer and the wires inside seem to be less but thicker.

if you guys think this dosent matter i will be glad because i have like 7 feet left that i can use to upgrade my engine/battery grounds. thanks.

p.s. these cars really thump :0) i didnt even notice the acoustics but now with my 2 subs those 10's feel huge!!!!

 

hmmm I havent heard anyone use home wire before. Im sure that it being stiff makes it harder to work with. other than that the only thing I could think of is that it may have a high resistance which could cause some problems. I have heard of people using welding wire due to its larger gague (1/0, 2/0) and cheaper price than audio wire that size.

Unless money is real tight Id reccommend to swap out that wire for some quality wire such as knuconceptz wire or some kicker wire. I have used both and they are very flexible and easy to work with.

 

Yeah if everyone could get away with using dirt cheap Lowes wiring for audio systems, we would probably see a lot more of it. It's likely due to limitations in shielding, audio cables are designed to prevent interference and reduce the likelihood of oxidation over time. Not a pro here just my .02

 

The "Big Three." Ive heard that this is a must do if you plan on doing a decent stereo system. Im planning on changing out those wires too but havent found time to do it yet. I havent really looked under the hood yet. Are these wires hard to get to? Is this an easy upgrade on our Fits?

 

well on my gd3 the ones I upgraded were not hard to get too. I just added at wires and kept the factory ones too. It does not effect anything since current takes the path of least resistance, which would be the wire you add.

 

well i spoke to an electrician at work today and he said there shouldnt be any problems using the home wiring other than it is stiff and vibrations over time may cause it to deteriorate.

i had some car audio wire and changed it out, its all good but my amp is running pretty hot which i dont like. i will be replacing "the big three" asap is there a lin kor how to on this?

 

Where is your amp mounted? Are the gains set correctly?

This is a general how to for "the big three" so it should help you out
How to upgrade the Big Three

 

Kinetik - High Current Car Audio Power Cells
get ur self that battery
kinetik battery hc800
i am bout to install one in my car in bout an hour =)

 

did you ever get your system in?

That battery is nice but too expensive for a college student maybe ill get one in future because its time to upgrade the front stage and deaden the car

 

no not yet
im a poor college student too..im slowly buying the equipments for my car
and i dont have time to get it installed yet, i been to busy with school and work
i got the battery for a nice price. my friend sell car audio equipment so he hooked me up with it for a good price
might look into getting it from ebay also, ebay has cheap price for that battery if you trust ebay
or try to find local dealers around your area and see if they can give you a better price than MSRP

i still need that cargo cover also =(

i also recently purchased a 1/0 guage hooker amp kit recently..that was pricey! lol....hopefully i have some wires left over so i can do the big 3 upgrade

 

so i put in a 900watt rms kenwood amp and its dimming pretty bad at about 80% volume. it really is insanely loud at that point but i am a perfectionist and dont want any dimming ever.

the only step i dont understand about the big three is fusing the alternator to battery wire. how many amp fuse should i use? i will be doing this asap! please gimmie some help.

 

You don't need a cap man...