Havoc

I think you should have read the whole thread mate, I was trying to put him off doing what I did. As I said above the move the battery and do it all is a piece of ****, wouldn't take more then a few hours.

As I said I did it another way and that was how I did it.


I did. but you still have to replace some of the electrical components and the main fuse block somewhere as I didn't want it in the engine bay. I put it behind the dash as I wanted to remove the AC to make it look cleaner.

Theres obviously lots of different ways to do it, but this was the outcome I was after.

Also if I was to do it again Id use a ISIS system

AND running the loom through the front arch its a #$% of a job, there is a little gusset plate with about a 10mm hole, you need to grind it out to get the loom through.

Also voltage drop is sweet FA when running some decent wire. As someone said before just run a decent wire, Im running 2 lots of car audio 1 gauge which I know was good for about 250+ amps when I use to run a spl sound system

TrboSpdAnt

iTrader: (5)

I'm running 4G which is good up to something like 110A, but getting NASTY drop under start-load.


I love the alt relocation on your car, too! How'd that mount up? Custom bracket, or ?

Havoc

mate 4G is tiny for starter motor wiring to the battery in the boot. get rid of it and use some decent wire of a decent size.
(4G is what I would use for a small amplifier, not to kick the car over)

Its a side mount alt kit with some extra bits to them, you can buy them from extreme rotaries in Australia.

GeenIdee

I have calculated my wire size with somekind of website my dad found.

It has everything to do with voltage, amps AND lenght.

I used 35mm2 / 2AWG wire.

TrboSpdAnt

iTrader: (5)

LOL. Someone ELSE told me that, too... I told them that I had a stretch of 8G , as well... They suggested that I double up and run some of that, as well...

So Now I need go go grab a few feet of AWT-gauge wire, as well? Greeeaaaat.

Run it from battery to breaker and from the breaker to the starter.... That's a few feet.

GeenIdee

True, that's why it gave me a headache when i was figuring out the right size wire for the lenght.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

It is a fused wire which bypasses the breaker. That way I can turn off the breaker without having to reset my stereo and clock. But if there is a high current draw (like the starter), the fuse blows.

One thing to note is that in most areas, there are laws which specify how long the hazard lights need to be able to operate without the engine running. Just something to consider when installing a smaller battery.

I purchased 4AWG wire in black and red from the local stereo store. Welding stores also carry it.

That "little box" is a 150A circuit breaker. A breaker as close to the battery as physically possible is required when doing something like this. I purchase many of my wiring supplies from Waytek (Google it).

The battery boxes they sell in the auto parts stores suck, and are very unsafe unless you run your hold downs to a strong area of the floor or a backing plate.

Get a sealed battery. Flooded batteries have no business in a passenger compartment or trunk.

Never had an issue. Proper connectors go a very long way to avoiding this, and at the minimum, 4 AWG wire. 2 AWG is even better.

TrboSpdAnt

iTrader: (5)

Yeah, Aaron, that's what I'm running.

4G all the way up: Battery > Breaker > Starter> Alt & Fuse-box... 11.6 top and bottom; 0Ω on all grounds.

Per a suggestion, I ALSO ran an 8G, piggy-backing up the 4 from the breaker > starter.

magus2222

iTrader: (22)

******* genius, i never would have thought to do that........

as far as my automotive licensing and training goes, i have never heard of this law, even in this stupid state (california)

barnett87rx7

iTrader: (1)

Is it possible when relocating the battery to the spare tire area to just run wires from the + and - of the battery and solder them together with the original wires? This way I dont need to worry about grounding or putting breakers in? Or will I still need a breaker close to the battery on the + side?

Havoc

you could put the battery on your roof and you will need to put in a breaker or fuse. (it should be within the first foot from the battery + wiring)

RE Drifter

iTrader: (5)

Because they blow up. In the stock location there is a little air duct that pull in air from the front of the car, this is to cool a hot battery.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

It might only be in parts of Canada that this is a requirement. And even still, I doubt anyone is failing inspection due to a small battery...

You could, but if you are going to do a job, why not do it properly first?

You can just run a short ground wire to the body of the car. Then install a breaker as close as possible to the battery, and run your long heavy gauge cable up to the engine bay. Get a single stud connection in a plastic base (the actual name I forget at the moment) and use it in the engine bay to connect the stock positive battery cable to the new one you ran. At the same time you can also clean up the main fuse box wiring to bring the power feed to it off of the lug.

Batteries don't really get hot in normal operation, and they certainly don't blow up without gross overcharging and some sort of external ignition source. A typical sealed battery is fine installed without any venting. Though I do agree that there should be at least some kind of vent in the rare event that the battery will off-gas.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Like this...

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

That's the beast.

TrboSpdAnt

iTrader: (5)

Instead of running the heavy-gauge from the battery to the starter, then one to the alt and one to the breaker (both from starter, in a 'Y',) will it still work going from the alt > fuse box vs starter > fuse box?

GeenIdee

Why doing so difficult i can't realy understand.

Bat. > heavy fuse > wire to the front > another heavy fuse > stock wires

thats it.

TrboSpdAnt

iTrader: (5)

Why use the stock wires when you're running 4 or 2g wiring, everywhere else?

I've already got mine, run and working. I wasn't asking to figure out how to do it, I was asking about the feasibility of it...

No rhyme or reason; just a general inq.

GeenIdee

ic.

no i conntect the stock wires to the front fuse box. I am talkin about 2 wires. From there the thick wire to the back of the car.

maby later 2 new wires to alt and starter but im ok for now.

TrboSpdAnt

iTrader: (5)

Ah. Gotcha.

I don't have, 'stock wires' pre se, to run to.

ATM, mine's run like so:

4g with an 8g piggy-back: battery > breaker > starter

4g: starter fuse-box (replaced OEM wire);

4g: Starter > FD alternator.

Mine works fine, I was just wondering if it would work, as well, if I omitted the wire from the starter to the box and ran it to the alt, instead (since it's connected, @ the starter, to the main).

At this point, I'm running fine V and A, to the top-side, but am probably going to build a master box with a 0 or 2g from the battery to the breaker to the master distribution box, then 4g up front, running individual wires to each of the 3 points (Starter, Alternator and Main fuse-box).

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Using the starter as a junction point is a bad idea. It will introduce a load of noise into the system while the car is cranking, the terminal is exposed to the road (corrosion) and the voltage drop is much higher. The best bet is to bring the battery to a terminal in the engine bay as I posted, then run separate cables from that terminal to the fuse box and starter.

TrboSpdAnt

iTrader: (5)

If The Man (because you are definitely that, Aaron) says so, than it must be so.

I shall change my setup, ASAP.

Is running any heavy gauge, to the alternator, required or....? Purpose for why I was told to do this?

Alex_n/a

iTrader: (1)

from Aaroncakes's pictures it looks like he is running a ground wire all the way to the front. For those grounding your battery to the chassis inside the car you will be getting greater voltage drop. using the chassis to ground creates electrical problems as other accessories will be introduced to the 110amps cranking.

4awg is good enough to get that 12.6v @ 110amps for 10ft. but you must run 4awg on the ground all the way to the front to not get bad voltage drop.

magus2222

iTrader: (22)

probably cause in canada they know that at some point youre going to be stuck on the side of the road LOL.
but for reals, its a dumb LAW, but a good thing to keep in mind when messing with the charging system.
thanks for the forward thinking

Lloyd

magus2222

iTrader: (22)

think of it this way.....
all of the stock charging system junctions at the battery terminal, yes it does
so, by moving the battery, you still want to keep the junctions the same as they were before.
consult a bmw wiring diagram for instance. the battery is in the back (newer 3&5 series). all of the wiring would be the same if they put the battery in the engine bay (passengers side cowel), but instead, you find a battery post with 4gauge (or 2?) running into the trunk, in the trunk, there is the battery+ wire, battery, and a very short - wire going to ground......

now, how would moving your battery be any different then these guys? why would you start moving **** around unnecessarily? see what im getting at?
back in the garage and fix your **** before something catches fire!!

Lloyd