Amplifier or capacitor?
so i have a Saab 93 2003 convertible and i want to put in a system. i put in a head unit not too long ago but had to take it out cause it would just drains the battery.I talked to some people and some say i need a amplifier and some say i need a capacitor. whats the difference between the two? and which one would i need? I plan on putting in new speakers and a subwoofer as well.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Holy crap. I'm occasionally wrong every once in a while, but good lord, I've never seen anyone give such bad advice about something that bares no relevance to your problem, present company included.
If the head unit is draining the battery then something wasn't hooked up correctly or the head unit is faulty.
An amplifier will not solve your problem. It amplifies music. I does not fix electrical problems.
A capacitor is completely useless, especially in your situation.
A capacitor charges until the electrical signal changes, then discharges at a certain rate. This would be good to hold a charge that your head unit can then draw from while the engine is not running.
An amplifier amplifies a signal, so it would boost the power going to your head unit, making it draw less of a current from your battery.
If the unit is draining the battery while the car is running I would use the amplifier, because a car's power supply is DC, so it never changes, meaning a cap would not discharge until the car is turned off. If the unit is draining the battery while the car is off, however, I would go with the cap, but you need to research the discharge rates, capacitance, etc. in order to get the right one.