First, I probably should have posted this in another thread, but I think our TV group will get a kick out of it as well...

This was in the Fry's ad from todays paper. Can someone enlighten me as to what in Sam Hill a DIGITAL capacitor is? Does that mean that when it explodes, the capacitor crud all over the room will be in little squares in stead of sinewave-shaped fuzz :lmao:

Charles

Maybe it has a little digital recorder with Scotty's voice... She can't take anymore Captain! Any moment she's gonna blow!

In that application, it means it has a digital voltage readout attached to it. I just installed one for a neighbor yesterday!

maybe they mean "computer grade" , ive seen electrolytics with that designation

No, really! That's what it is! :)

I have seen them. My friend has a 2uF with digital voltmeter in his car stereo.

CAR STEREO The big can is filled with midget toes!

A digital voltage readout? On a capacitor?!?! That's got to be one of the silliest things I've ever heard of. Does it come with green markers for the edges of your CD's?

-Ian

It's a deluxe capacitor.

I've seen the term "stiffening capacitor" used to describe these things. Helps avoid car electrical system brownouts. When you have only a 35-amp alternator and a toaster-sized battery a large power amp could load down the electrical system and stall the car - right in front of the babe you're trying to impress...

I've seen the term "stiffening capacitor" used to describe these things. Helps avoid car electrical system brownouts. When you have only a 35-amp alternator and a toaster-sized battery a large power amp could load down the electrical system and stall the car - right in front of the babe you're trying to impress...


basically yes, but not stall the car so much. most car alternators these days are about 80 amps for a 4 cylender, maybe 130 for a large truck or big SUV, the big thing these capacitors prevent is "full fielding" the alternator. Thats when the battery voltage goes below 12.5 volts and the Voltage regulator sends maximum voltage to the field coils in the alternator(and thus maxes out the current output) and over time will burn it out. Im not an expert at stereo's at all, just an Auto technition, looking at it from an auto technition standpoint, maybe theres more to it.
And personally i HATE these things, they can hold a charge for days, even weeks, and MUST BE disconnected when doing any work that calls for the battery to be disconnected for a period of time (like air bag service, ten minutes is generally the rule). So working on Flat rate time the 10 minute wait time is built into the shop time, but not the time it takes to dig through the trunk (or wherever these 'custom radio' places hide them) and unhook the damn capacitor, or worse yet, forget and blow off every air bag in a 2002 volvo (seven i believe in that car). The poor technition totalled it.

Ok...off my soapbox, as you were :music:

Makes sense...thanks! :scratch2:

"or worse yet, forget and blow off every air bag in a 2002 volvo (seven i believe in that car). The poor technition totalled it."

Now that is one of the more expensive lessons I've ever heard about. And one I wouldn't hold the technician totally responsible for as it's not like such caps are original equipment and would probably not be addressed in OEM maintenance procedures :scratch2: I guess having been a tech for 40 years I kind of side on his side. Hope the shops insurance covered this dramatic occurrence.

Lefty

"or worse yet, forget and blow off every air bag in a 2002 volvo (seven i believe in that car). The poor technition totalled it."

Now that is one of the more expensive lessons I've ever heard about. And one I wouldn't hold the technician totally responsible for as it's not like such caps are original equipment and would probably not be addressed in OEM maintenance procedures :scratch2: I guess having been a tech for 40 years I kind of side on his side. Hope the shops insurance covered this dramatic occurrence.

Lefty


Yeah the shop owner actually called me in to ask my opinion on if I thought he did anything wrong (since i had the bay immediatly next to his). I said yes and no. No its not addressed in the service literature but if you see a huge red power cable running to the battery (you know the ones, not the OEM red, but that translucent red) he really *should* have checked, that was my 100% honest opinion, if I had been him and seen what was there I would have checked, tho i guess hindsight is 20/20. That being said I was quick to point out the customer never said anything about the stereo when he was asked about "aftermarket equiptment" since the tech was doing a check of the airbag system the service writer always asks. At any rate he wasnt held responsable and the shop insurance covered the replacement cost of the car, the tech didnt last long tho if i remeber it had something to do with him writing in extra repairs to get free parts for his own cars, service writer picked up on it after a few times when he 'beat the book' by a rediculous amount on some repairs. Overall a decent tech, just got greedy.

You meet all types out there i guess.

Yeah the shop owner actually called me in to ask my opinion on if I thought he did anything wrong (since i had the bay immediatly next to his). I said yes and no. No its not addressed in the service literature but if you see a huge red power cable running to the battery (you know the ones, not the OEM red, but that translucent red) he really *should* have checked, that was my 100% honest opinion, if I had been him and seen what was there I would have checked, tho i guess hindsight is 20/20. That being said I was quick to point out the customer never said anything about the stereo when he was asked about "aftermarket equiptment" since the tech was doing a check of the airbag system the service writer always asks. At any rate he wasnt held responsable and the shop insurance covered the replacement cost of the car, the tech didnt last long tho if i remeber it had something to do with him writing in extra repairs to get free parts for his own cars, service writer picked up on it after a few times when he 'beat the book' by a rediculous amount on some repairs. Overall a decent tech, just got greedy.

You meet all types out there i guess.

That's why I won't touch car audio.

Charles