Coolant_Leak

iTrader: (18)

last mod done before occurance:relocated battery into the passenger cargo bin - grounded with 1-4ga and 1-7ga wire, sanded down mount points.
alternator grounded and hyperground system'd, also sanded mount points.

car turns, is powered okay, stereo works perfectly, and does not hesitate.


issue: when i press the pedal down... (half way-ish) and the turbos kick in and the car starts to accelerate fast, the 'parking/hand brake light" will turn on.

I held the handbrake down and gassed it just incase it was a loose handle.. but the light still engages and then turns off when i let off the gas and let the car settle down.

puzzled, i was playing with the handbrake...
pulled 1 click up (light will turn on while going to the click then shut off after clicking)... pulled 2 clicks up or more (from full down position) - light will stay lit.

any clues on where to look for the problem?


oh and as a side question.. whats the mounting requirements to meet track/autox regulations? it's currently bungie corded on temporarily and does not move. i was thinking of building an aluminum/sheet metal box that goes 3/4 up the battery and then the box has extended brackets that bolt to the factory holes on sides of the cargo bin (currently where the grounds are located)

thanks in advance.

oo7arkman

iTrader: (2)

The bungie cords will most definately NOT suffice to meet any track regulations. You will need to secure it properly using a battery tray and some sort of strap (metal, plastic) to secure it to the floor.

On the switch, maybe it is just a switch going bad. Did you by chance run wiring through the tunnel for the battery relocation? Possibly that is interfering.

On another note, and take this for what it is worth, I would at bare minimum upgrade that batter ground to the same gauge as your battery power. Why bother to install a hyperground system if you are not going to properly ground the battery? And with the distance traveled, I would (and did) use larger gauge wire than 4ga for power. The starter in the FD is already easily starved.

Coolant_Leak

iTrader: (18)

The bungie is just a temp fix so i can drive it DD until my box is made to spec.

I am in the process of making an aluminum box with rubber inner mounts/inserts to keep the battery from moving within the box. There is then a removable/un-boltable metal strap that goes from the sides of the battery and over the top to keep it down.

My main question about this is: Does the bottom have to be mounted to the floor? I'm trying to avoid drilling into the floor, and making brackets that extend outward from the sides of the box to the existing holes mounted on sides.

Switch issue:
The light is still going off, only on hard acceleration, there is no power wire going through the center tunnel, everything power-related runs through the driver side across the bottom of the bins to the battery in the passenger cargo. all my grounds(for audio/etc) all run behind/under my dash to the passenger side down towards the trunk. Issue never happened before, and just started after the battery install. The switch connector to the brake is under the centerconsole (shiftboot area) correct? is there anyway to test if the switch is bad, via volt meter/etc??

not to be defensive or anything but just my reasoning behind my setup.

reasoning behind my wiring/setup:
- upgraded my battery size, the 51R in the front with my FMIC was annoying and the stock/modded tray began cracking. so I decided on a group34/78 in the rear pass-cargo.
- i am aware of the rule of thumb: ground > power. my ground is 4ga+7ga, because my power is a 4ga. I left the power as so because it was convenient due to already having 4ga cables running through from my audio, all i had to do was move the connections and add another short 4ga for the system in the trunk, making this a 20minute relocation job (which was necessary since it is my DD and i had places to go).
-i considered running 0ga (i even bought the wire), but since i am short on time I tested the system on the existing 4ga which started fine, and i did not want to widen or drill another hole in my fender/firewall (based on avoiding time spent and drilling), i will reconsider this when/if a starting issue occurs. hypergrounds were already there from when my battery was up-front, and it doesn't hurt just to leave it as is for the alternator ground?


thanks for the tips and advice. much appreciated.

insomniac

iTrader: (5)

check the switch on the brake handle, and check your brake fluid reservoir

oo7arkman

iTrader: (2)

Your box plan should keep you track legal, and yes the box itself should be bolted to the floor and the correspronding strap connected to it. OR you may simply connect the strap to the floor via bolts and leave the tray unbolted. Either way you must secure the battery in a solid fashion to the chassis.

You do not need to defend your reasoning, and I was not trying to be a jerk. BUT simple things can result in large problems later. Electrical being one of those small things that should not ever be short-cutted. Best rule when doing electrical work is do it once, do it right. The ground directly connected to the battery should be of equal or greater gauge. You have a 4ga and a 7ga right there? If so its all good. If you are refering to an additional ground in the engine bay that is too far away and you need larger gauge at the battery. It should not take that long to swap out that 7ga for something heaftier.

Another thing you really need to install (if you have not already) is a breaker on the positive connection between the battery and engine bay preferably within 12inches of the battery. This would save your from shorting out most every system in the car should the power cable get cut in some way and ground out.

TO YOUR REAL QUESTION, if this started happening right after your battery install it is more than likely directly related to something you changed. Maybe you bumped something. ^^Good thought on the brake fluid, although I did not know if it lights up like that when brake fluid is low.. The switch itself should be accessable by removing the center console area. Could be something as simple as a bad connection there.

On running a 0ga wire, you really do not need to drill any holes. There is a large hole already made for you from Mazda in the driver's fender area in the engine bay that runs through the fender well, then into the cabin. This is where I ran my 0ga through. If you have all the supplies you need a battery relocation should not take any longer than a day if you take your time. 1/2 a day if you push it.

Again, I am not trying to be a jerk in any way. Just trying to help. I will go and see if I can pull my console and find that switch...

oo7arkman

iTrader: (2)

OK, that switch is really easy to get to. It is located at the rear of the e-brake with a single wire clip. Light green wire. Switch runs up and down. Mine has a lot of gunk all around it just form being there for so many years. Maybe yours is the same way, causing your problem.

Coolant_Leak

iTrader: (18)

fluid/res = check ->okay
checked the switch, it looks clean, unplugged and replugged. issue still occurs :\.. thanks for the help and trouble on looking for the switch. There might be a kink in the wire, it looks as though it got wedged a bit no tears though. may be my problem, unless something else could be doing it.

thanks for the help guys.

on the battery: Thanks for double checking the safety tips, you do know your stuff. i'm using all Monster equipment, cause i get them 40%off lol.... but yeah i used an ANL fuse @ 150amp (only one i came upon) mounting the fuse holder to the side of the battery box. the grounds are very close ~6in away from battery location (one goes to the right mounting point, one goes to the left mounting point) (where my side mount for the box is going to be). i cant find any pictures, and i have no camera to take a pic of the 2 points im talking about, but they are directly to the chassis.

if it helps visualize.
1 point is on the side of the center tunnel, and the other is on the exact opposite side, where a backseat's seat belt would be located. the bolt width size is about ~.3in. This is all underneath the passenger bin.

i'm basically done with the box now, just waiting to figure out if i need to drill holes downward, or if the 6in brackets, 1/4or 1/2 thick aluminum brackets to the sides will suffice to regulations. my box basically looks like this one

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TA...0/?image=large
with the top just being a metal bar that goes over the top and bolts to the sides. and the height being 2inches lower then the terminal post, because im using some fatty tsunami top-post terminals and dont want to accidentally cross/touch anything.

i will look into the factory driver hole/grommet area. i'm pretty sure mine looked filled up, since some alarm system wires arnt running through the hole, but around the sides. I was also considering running 0ga through the passenger side, where the AC lines used to run through since i just have a large rubber grommet/plug there currently. thanks for the heads up.


although it is too late, are there any inexpensive battery boxes on retail?

Enervation

My mates car has this issue, though the light tends to stick on and stay on after accelerating. For him its just the switch is loose, perhaps the spring isn't pushing it back out. Basically the G's from accelerating push the switch back just enough to turn the light on.
You could confirm this by unplugging the switch and leaving it unplugged, and then performing the fast acceleration test. If it doesn't occur you know the issue is between the connector and the switch.

oo7arkman

iTrader: (2)

^^ That is what I was kinda guessing too... The switch is just not returning properly. It really does not sound like much to worry about, but still annoying and should probably be fixed.

Good call on the monster equipment. Really good quality stuff. Ah, I get your grounding now. That sounds great. Your box sounds pretty nice, I would not bother buying one.

When I did this I just drilled 4 holes through the floorboard, shimmed the gaps under my tray I built to make it level (unfortunately it is not flat under there) and bolted it down. Then I was able to make a 1" wide 1/8" thick aluminum bar going across the battery and cut two long threaded bars to tie to battery tray to the bar. This makes it very easy to get the battery in/out as well as secure it in a track acceptable manner. REALLY easy, should take you a couple hours tops. I think this sounds pretty much like what you are planning on doing anyway. I did use rubber washers on the underside of the car to help seal out any moisture.

Here is a lil snapshot. Sorry its a crappy pic. I have about 0.5in between the bar and terminals. So far I am not picking up any interference but I keep testing it. I will probably end up coating it in rubber just to make sure. My setup is not as clean as it will ultimately be, soon I will clean up that power wire a bit more, and make a nice cover with a window to view the voltage and hide the battery.

94tkt

I had this same issue on my 94 when i owned it. Even though the brake fluid reservoir looks good make sure it is at the max cause remember when you accelerate it throws the fluid all the way to the back of the reservoir and it might be just low enough to cause the light.

Coolant_Leak

iTrader: (18)

I will definitely try pulling the switch and running it tomorrow on my commute, the sensor does stay on a fair bit amount of time after acceleration as well, just as your friend's. It is most likely that case.

I will also top off the fluid tomorrow night just to cover all the grounds.


nice battery set-up, oo7arkman. it does make me want to run 0ga, but i checked the firewall, and there's no room to squeeze one through. my compartment setup will be very similar except my bar will be running the other way, since i dont think i have that good of clearance under my old terminals. i like the digitals

thanks for all the help everyone. hope i get the problem solved tomorrow. if not, is there a source for a new switch (if that is the case)?

oo7arkman

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I really did not like running the bar in that direction, but the other direction I ran into the issue of not being able to access the front of the bar to remove the battery.

For a new switch call Ray Crowe at Malloy Mazda. His phone number is all over this board. Make sure you ask for Ray when you get transfered to parts. He gives us all great deals on ALL oem parts. Parts get to me in 2-3 days, I bet you could get them in a day, two max. He should also be saved on your speed dial.

Personally I think the 0ga is a bit overkill. 2ga is really ideal imho.. Not sure if we are talking about the same hole to run wires through. My power wire does not run through the firewall at all... Runs from old battery connection in engine compartment through hole (factory) in driver's fender up near the firewall, through fender area to a hole (factory) into cabin near the deadpedal.

Coolant_Leak

iTrader: (18)

thanks everyone i think i got all the issues under control now. the issue was the switch/wire. i jiggled the wire and sensor and the light would turn on and off (on the first click position)

it seems to be faulty at where the wire meets the sensor, so i snipped a bit off and re-did the wire sensor, still occurred but alot less frequent then before. i also electrical taped it to the top of the console, so it minimized moving, and now it is very rare for the light to go off.

again thanks for everyones input and advice.