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T-Spec Capacitor 3.0-Farad capacitor with red LCD meter

Item # 1203DDC

California customers:
Please click here for your Proposition 65 warning.

27 questions - 60 answers

Item # 1203DDC

In stock
$99.99

About the T-Spec Capacitor

Buck Pomerantz

Smooths out the bass

T-Spec's 3-farad capacitor will help your vehicle's charging system keep up with your high-powered sound system. When the power of the bass threatens to overwhelm the electrical system, this cap quickly provides a jolt of stored power to keep the beat pounding and your headlights from dimming. And it recharges quickly, so it's always ready for the next hit.

Displays the voltage

A bright digital meter displays your system's voltage, so you can monitor how things are going and avoid overtaxing your vehicle's charging system. We recommend this 3-farad cap for sub amps delivering up to 3,000 watts RMS. Distribution-type connections on its top simplify the wiring of the capacitor and your amplifier. Warranty: 1 year. 

What's in the box:

  • 3.0 Farad capacitor
  • 2 Polycarbonate mounting brackets (installed)
  • 5mm Allen wrench
  • 4 Self-tapping screws (5/8" length)
  • Resistor bulb
  • User's Manual
MFR #V8-3DDC

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More details on the T-Spec Capacitor

Mark G.

Product Research

Features

Overview: This T-Spec v8-series digital capacitor will improve the performance of your car's electrical system by acting as a buffer between the alternator and your amplifier. Stored energy from your car's electrical system is held in the cap and quickly released to the amplifier when needed. High current demand occurs when the music you are playing contains a loud, transient, deep bass signal.

Capacitance: This T-Spec v8-series digital capacitor has a rating of 3.0 farads. While you can never have too much capacitance, it is recommended that you use a capacitor with a minimum of 1 Farad for each 1000 watts of amplifier power.

Distribution Top: The capacitor features an impact-resistant polycarbonate distribution top with two 4 AWG positions on the positive (+) side and two 4 AWG positions on the negative (-) side. You can use 4 AWG or 8 AWG wire when wiring the capacitor into your system. The power/ground wire connections have set-screw terminals that can be tightened/loosened with the supplied 5mm Allen wrench.

Voltage Meter: This capacitor has a digital voltage meter on the top to help you monitor your electrical system's performance.

Reverse Polarity Protection: If the capacitor is wired incorrectly, you can damage your equipment or electrical system. To prevent this, the capacitor has an internal relay system which disables the capacitor and triggers a buzzer to sound.

Resistor Bulb: The capacitor comes with a resistor bulb which is used when initially charging the capacitor, and to discharge the capacitor when removing it from the system. You should keep the resistor bulb in a safe storage location when not in use.

Mounting System: The cap comes with a simple mounting system that lets you mount the unit vertically or horizontally, using the four supplied self-tapping screws.

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Customer Q&A

27 questions already asked

Q
Will this cap take 1/0 gauge wire?
joe  Apr 08, 2023
1 answer
A
Hi Joe, thanks for your question. This capacitor can take 4- or 8-gauge AWG when wiring into your system.
andrea  Apr 08, 2023 (Staff)
Q
Hi How does it hook up do you need to buy any additional wiring or does it go in line with your amp?
nicholas  Nov 18, 2022
1 answer
A
Additional parts and wiring will be necessary for the installation. The manual for this product outlines installation and is available under the "What's in the box" section of our Overview tab for this product. For additional help with this project, please reach out to our advisors via online chat or phone at 1-800-324-9695.
zachary  Nov 18, 2022 (Staff)
Q
What is the terminal size?
shaa  Nov 12, 2022
1 answer
A
The terminals are designed to accommodate 8- to 4-gauge wire.
zachary  Nov 13, 2022 (Staff)
Q
warranty??????
d  Jun 17, 2020
1 answer
A
The warranty on this is 1-year parts and labor.
jeff  Jun 18, 2020 (Staff)
Q
Can I add a capacitor to my 2015 HONDA CR-V? I running two amps & a signal processor. The Best Buy tech who installed it all said that Honda's alternator will NOT accept any secondary electrical help...
rob  Apr 17, 2020
1 answer
A
God bless you, Rob regarding your concern, I would install the capacitor if you do not have the possibility to install an auxiliary battery which is a better option, but if you cannot install a battery the capacitor is a help. The best buy technicians do not They are correct. I worked as a car audio installer for 9 years and I know what I'm talking about.Enter an answer to this question.
agustin  Apr 22, 2020
Q
Is this a true 3 farad?
santos  Dec 21, 2019
1 answer
A
Yes it is. I use this without a proper alternator in my car. I was able to protect my amps too from overheating. Great product.
jorge  Dec 21, 2019
Q
I have a GM Sierra truck with 145 amp stock alternator, I installed a KICKER HS8 Hideaway 150 Watt peak powered subwoofer to the stock radio. The lights slightly dim at higher volume. Will a capacitor solve this issue, and if so, what size capacitor will adequately protect my truck's electrical system? Thank you.
kelmaster  Dec 16, 2019
1 answer
A
If you purchased the product from Crutchfield, feel free to contact our Tech Support team. They can walk you through the settings on the product and see if there may be a fix. Our toll-free Tech Support number is printed on your invoice, and is also available under the "My Orders" tab in the "My Account" section of our website. If you did not purchase the unit from Crutchfield, then you may want to contact the manufacturer.
kristina  Jan 06, 2020 (Staff)
Q
The resistor bulb was broken when I received it, what size resistor is it?
mike  Aug 29, 2018
2 answers
A
I'm sorry to hear that! Unfortunately that info is not provided in the owner's manual. However if purchased from Crutchfield, we can exchange the capacitor for you up to 60-days from your purchase--you can contact our Customer Support at 800.955.9091 to set that up. Otherwise you may want to contact the retailer you purchased from, or T-Spec directly for more assistance.
david  Sep 06, 2018 (Staff)
A
Idk what the ohmage is but it's whatever a cabin light is. If you have a spare cabin light you could just use that as well.
brandon  Sep 05, 2018
Q
I have 2 12 in Pioneer premiere and a 5500 watt power acustik amp and I keep blowing fuses in my capacitor it was a cheap capacitor 60 amp should I get another capacitor or use circuit breaker??
brian  Apr 23, 2018
2 answers
A
sounds like a power draw issue... remake all your connections, double check you don't have anything crossed or shorting out, and make sure you have a good solid and close grounding point... my ground coming off my cap is less than 2 feet... if you're still blowing your fuse, it may be a defective cap, and need replacement.. follow discharge/ charge instructions before servicing cap
matthew  May 03, 2018
A
Man, those are some nice subs! It definitely should be your capacitor since its 60 amps. If you got those things on full blast and their rated for 1000 watt RMS then they're trying to use 167 amps. So I would recommend finding something with a 175-200amp fuse. Best of luck!
brandon  May 02, 2018
Q
I bought this capacitor a few months ago but haven't installed it yet because I just barely found a high output alternator replacement. My problem and question involves the amp power cable though. I got a Kicker CXA 1800W mono amp and 1/0 gauge power cable, but the cable looks slightly larger than this capacitor's ports. Has anyone else had issues with the fit or are my eyes deceiving me? If the fit's bad, where can I find the right reducer to make it work?
saviors  Feb 20, 2018
1 answer
A
If you purchased the product from Crutchfield, feel free to contact our Tech Support team. They can help troubleshoot and talk through solutions. Our toll-free Tech Support number is printed on your invoice, and is also available under the "My Orders" tab in the "My Account" section of our website.
jeff  Mar 16, 2018 (Staff)
Q
Does it have a built in resistor?
jimmyjuicejuice  Dec 05, 2017
2 answers
A
Brandon nailed it! This capacitor does not come with a built in resistor, but does come with on in the box to use for charging and discharging it. HTH! My Bio: http://www.crutchfield.com/Support/Bio.aspx?bio=101
jason  Dec 09, 2017 (Staff)
A
No it does not. It comes with one for charging and discharging though.
brandon  Dec 09, 2017
Q
Will the help with alternator whine in the sound system. I've redone all the grounding and still no change?
bryson  Oct 15, 2017
3 answers
A
Bryson I purchased the T-spec capacitor because my head lights were dimming on songs with heavy bass. It works great, but I would not think this would device alone solve your issue. You said your grounds are good, how is your your amp mounted? I have twice had issues with alternator whine in the past,1. My amp was mounted directly to the back seat. When the amp chassis was grounded to the seat, i got the whine. Isloated it from the seat with a piece of wood and no more whine. 2. Was just a bad amp. Hope this helps, good luck. Charles
charles  Oct 16, 2017
A
Yes how much I can't say depending on the size you might need to size up I'm mean if your system is window busting power. If under that this should help a lot. Gl
paul  Oct 15, 2017
A
No it won't, check this article out. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-XA2d1i7Zpfm/learn/learningcenter/car/noise_suppressors_installation_guide.html
andrew j  Oct 15, 2017
Q
can I use a 1/0-gauge amplifier wiring kit with this cap? I read that the terminals were 4 gauge. Will the inlets take 1/0-gauge, and if so can I do 1/0-gauge from battery to cap then 4 gauge cap to amp, and is that negating any use of the 1/0-gauge?
brian  Aug 09, 2017
1 answer
A
Hey there, yes you can use this capacitor with 1/0 gauge wire there are 4 gauge adaptors in the capacitor itself simply take those out and you are good to go. Whenever wiring an amp set it is always recomended to use same size wire through out especially when you are doing the power and ground set up use all 1/0 to amp and cap, and cap to battery less you want a fire.
steven  Aug 13, 2017
Q
If two capacitors have the same resistance, capacitance, & voltage rating does anything else matter electrically? I know the more expensive ones will have instructions and tools for audio/auto-specific uses. My question is: I understand electronics and how to install the capacitor and most capacitors can be bought for a price under $100. However, Crutchfield sells $100 capacitors. After the installation, all things held constant, will the price matter?
danny diy auto  May 04, 2017
3 answers
A
Yes, price matter, qurstion how much farad do you need? are you over 6 fared for your component? that's why you need multiple capacitor? Hosnestly there is more fared you can get i single capacitor now and price less expensive .. you can check Boss brand and they do carry up to 10 Farad ( single Capacitor ) and price less than $60.00 i using Boss capacitor right now ( downgraded to 1 farad
conrad  May 05, 2017
A
Higher cost one use better quality in most cases but both should work the same if both have same spec. U should check the reviews on them before choosing.
damen  May 05, 2017
A
Your right these are quality. 2 should do it if your running a hard system. Thanks
paul  May 05, 2017
Q
Will this help with dimming? Want to use it on a fosgate 500wx1 mono amp push two p1 10" fosgate.
titus  Oct 09, 2016
4 answers
A
It helps but I also had to upgrade my battery.
katherine  Oct 10, 2016
A
Yes, a power cap will help with lights dimming, I installed this in my truck to fix lights dimming.
nicholas  Oct 10, 2016
A
no it does not help. although it does make bass hits more crisp, you should upgrade your alternator
carol  Oct 10, 2016
A
It definitely shouldn't have your lights dimming. I have a jl 1000 mono amp with 2 12"high class kicker subs... And my lights barely dim at all. Definitely a great capacitor!
dedrick  Oct 10, 2016
Q
Can this be used on a 24v system? (trucks, some tractors for instance)
roy  Jan 02, 2016
1 answer
A
No, this capacitor is designed for a 12v system. A 24v system would overload it and cause some serious consequences. Ex. The capacitor could cause a fire or possibly even explode.
christopher j.  Jan 04, 2016
Q
Does it have a remote wire? The led reading stays off for most of the time. It turns on for a few minutes with engine off and on. Maybe it stays off because my amps dont drain it? My two amps equal 1000w, I got connected to this amp.
leo  Dec 07, 2015
2 answers
A
No it doesn't. It turns on when ever battery voltage and capacitor voltage differ as far as i know. Mine is always on when radio on. When radio turns off stays on for alittle bit then turns off
juan  Dec 08, 2015
A
No remote wire. Yeah mine does the same thing with the engine it turns on when it gets a big draw from your amplifier. It a good cap
steven  Dec 07, 2015
Q
I have two amps totaling 800w. Can i install these to a single cap? I have Alpines: 4-ch 300-40A and mono 500w-60A. Too much of a cap a bad thing? I want this one mainly for its distribution block type connectors.
leo  Oct 17, 2015
3 answers
A
Probably it's fine, I'm sure there's specifications somewhere if you want to make sure. I used it with a single Alpine PDX-V9, which is a 4X100W + 500W sub amplifier.
troy  Oct 20, 2015
A
you can never have to much cap I have two amps one 1100 alpine and a 1200w kicker and 2 12" alpines and the cap worked perfect
thomas  Oct 18, 2015
A
I Don't see why not.. no the bigger the cap the better.. it will help your car run as well because it draws energy from there first then you're battery
nathan j  Oct 18, 2015
Q
I have a Rockford fosgate 1200 watt amp and 2 12' punch p3s. Will this help me with the dimming?
aebriel  Aug 30, 2015
6 answers
A
Probably will help. But it's not a substitute for a high-output alternator
troy  Sep 05, 2015
A
Alpine 1,100 watt amp with one kicker L7 with the tspec 3.0 cap. Took care of the dimming on my car. So it should be more then what i need and more is better you know what i mean. So yes it will help you with the dimming.
gary c  Sep 01, 2015
A
IT will help but if your dimming is bad it won't fix it... just make it a little better.
nathan j  Aug 31, 2015
A
It helped on the dimming of my JK. Didn't completely go away but helped
curtis  Aug 31, 2015
A
I too bought this to try and help with the headlight dimming and it did not work. I also bought a optima yellow top battery to try and help but that to didn't work. In order to prevent dimming, you must upgrade your alternator, battery and power grounds.
paul  Aug 31, 2015
A
Yes, this capacitor will be more than enough for that size amplifier. It is rated to handle up to a 3000 watt amplifier or combination of amps adding up to 3000 watts. I have mine wired in parallel to another capacitor to handle my 3600 watt amp and it does a great job.
ray albert  Aug 31, 2015
Q
Do you have to leave hooked to a battery all the time ??putting in a boat with a battery switch
david  Jun 10, 2015
5 answers
A
yes or you will have to recharge it
franklin dean  Jun 11, 2015
A
you do not have to have it connected all of the time. Putting a cut off switch is perfectly fine. When the capacitor detects a change in battery level, it will automatically activate and fill itself with stored energy. Switching the unit off will not hurt it at all.
ray albert  Jun 10, 2015
A
You would need to charge the capacitor before you install it. Mine is constantly getting power from the car battery, I believe there's an automatic shut off. This is deffentlly and auto electronic and not sure how it would work with your marine application.
paul  Jun 10, 2015
A
I leave mine hooked to the battery at all times but you don't have to.. I just know that if it's for a long time you'll need to discharge it. I'd ask the manufacturer to be sure.
nathan j  Jun 10, 2015
A
Yes, mine is hooked to the battery but cuts off with the ignition after about a min.
berdale  Jun 10, 2015
Q
can you wire 2 amps to one capacitor, if so how?
john  Apr 29, 2015
5 answers
A
You can if you like i would wire a 4 or 0/1 wire from the battery to a fuse in the engine bay then to the capacitor positive terminal. Then two wire from the capacitor positive terminal one for each amp. Ground the amps and capacitor with their own ground wire to the cars bare metal surface. the closer the capacitor is connected to the amp the better also the shorter length of ground wire the better hope this was help full.
kertton  Apr 30, 2015
A
not recommended
franklin dean  Apr 30, 2015
A
I do believe u can,i wouldnt go with too big of amps on 1 cap.i am gonna have 2 on mine but a 400watt and a 500watt only.not sure if i would hook 2 1000 watt amps to it...its hard to explain in words how to wire your application,but i am just gonna jump cont.power,power(red),and ground(black) amp to amp
jerry  Apr 30, 2015
A
you can, just make sure the capacitor is evenly matched for the two combined amps. Wire to the first amp then put an extra set of cables on the capacitor and run those two to the other amp power inputs. Each side of the cap will resemble a y shape. From the battery is the leg of the y. Two tips of the y to each amp. The capacitor would be the intersection of the y shape. Hope that helps
ray albert  Apr 30, 2015
A
Well if you already have the two amps wired all you need to do is splice in the cap before where the wire splits for the two amps. Year it's possible but you'll need a splitter if you don't have one already.
nathan j  Apr 30, 2015
Q
can you use 12 volts?
douglas archibald  Nov 30, 2014
8 answers
A
yes It is for standard 12 volt systems
donald g  Dec 03, 2014
A
This is a 12 volt capacitor. the display shows voltage in battery and with engine running will show @13.5 to 14 due to the alternator.
ira  Dec 02, 2014
A
Yes you have to use the resister supplied to do the first charge and then leave hooked up to a 12 volt batt
franklin dean  Dec 01, 2014
A
I waas just wondering because I thought some systems run using 14volts.
douglas archibald  Dec 01, 2014
A
12 volts as in battery power?
george  Dec 01, 2014
A
Yes - This capacitor works fine at 12v. It appears to perform well over the range of 11.5v to 14.8v, which covers operating from battery power (car turned off) as well as from regulated alternator power (car running).
anthony  Dec 01, 2014
A
Yes it's meant for 12 volt systems. The capacitor stores energy for when your amp needs more punch, and your alternator just can't stand up to your amp's request.
ray albert  Dec 01, 2014
A
It is for a 12 volt system. When your vehicle is running you should see between 10-14 volts on the capacitor.
michael  Dec 01, 2014
Q
What are the dimensions of this cap H×W×D?
andrew  Jun 04, 2014
1 answer
A
It's approximately 3.5 inches diameter (it's cylindrical), and close to 12 inches long. I'm not close to my vehicle right now but I think these are very close approximate dimensions.
ray albert  Jun 05, 2014
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