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Yerboogieman
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
577 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 11:21:36 PM
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| What are the pros and cons of relocating the battery of my car to the rear "trunk" area of my Toyota wagon? Where would I start and how would I do it? Thanks. |
If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over? |
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wasssup1990
Nobel Prize Winner
A Land Down Under
2261 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 12:18:57 AM
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Well the starter motor and the alternator are at the front of the car so a con would be that you're adding more resistance to current that is trying to flow to and from them, assuming you use the same gauge of wire. So that just means the voltage supplied to the starter motor will droop more than if you kept the cables short, and the alternator will be wasting more energy trying to push those electrons through a longer wire of the same gauge.
There is a reason why they keep the battery close to those two important devices namely starter motor & alternator.
Pros? Well if you had an Amp in the back you'll get less resistance to that and you could possibly disconnect that 1F capacitor that some people use to reduce the ripple voltage to their Amps. |
When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity.
When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion. |
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audioguru
Nobel Prize Winner
Canada
4218 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 10:17:29 AM
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| I have a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt car. Its battery is in the trunk with the spare tire. It starts the engine (in front) perfectly even when the temperature is very cold. I don't know where the high power amplifier is for the sub-woofer that is also in the trunk. |
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Yerboogieman
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 6:25:38 PM
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| Lets say what is being used right now is 10 or 8 gauge, and I move to 4 guage, and use a more powerful battery, would this help? |
If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over? |
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wasssup1990
Nobel Prize Winner
A Land Down Under
2261 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 6:26:53 PM
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Well I suppose you should take some measurements and do some math to see if the longer cables you'll use have resistance <= to the original ones.
I don't work with cars but isn't the negative terminal connected to the engine block through a thick cable the size of a finger? Well that's what I saw on one of my dad's cars once. Then there is a cable about half the size of the negative cable going from the positive terminal to the starter motor.
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When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity.
When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion. |
Edited by - wasssup1990 on Mar 09 2010 6:32:19 PM |
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Yerboogieman
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 6:28:38 PM
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| I like my capacitor, the lights don't dim every time the bass hits (which is also a thing I need to fix) and it has a smoother sound. |
If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over? |
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Yerboogieman
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 11:42:26 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by wasssup1990
Well I suppose you should take some measurements and do some math to see if the longer cables you'll use have resistance <= to the original ones.
I don't work with cars but isn't the negative terminal connected to the engine block through a thick cable the size of a finger? Well that's what I saw on one of my dad's cars once. Then there is a cable about half the size of the negative cable going from the positive terminal to the starter motor.
The negative cable on my car is pretty much a joke anyway. I can take old speaker wire and have a better ground than what's there. |
If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over? |
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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2010 : 1:31:03 PM
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10 or 8 AWG is way, way too small. 4AWG is the minimum size you should use when relocating the battery. 2 AWG or 0 AWG is even better. All of these wires, with suitable lugs, are available cheaply at the local welding store.
If done correctly with big enough conductors, there really isn't a lot of issue with moving the battery around. As mentioned, many new cars are now placing the battery outside of the engine compartment (off the top of my head, Cobalt, Corvette, Rolls Royce, most Mercedes, most Dodges, various hybrids, etc.).
Just make sure to use a circuit breaker at the battery to protect the long run of wire up to the engine bay. Also make sure you have a good ground. Connect it to a large body bolt.
There is some info on how I relocated the battery in my RX-7 here:
http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/projecttina/may262005-1.htm
http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/projecttina/oct12005-1.htm
http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/projecttina/sep202006-1.htm |
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Yerboogieman
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2010 : 11:35:26 PM
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That's why I said it is a joke.
Conductors?
What kind of circuit breaker? As in a big fuse?
I was going to use multiple grounds, a ground is a small issue I've been having. |
If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over? |
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Aaron Cake
Administrator
Canada
6718 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2010 : 10:37:23 AM
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I use 150A Bussmann breakers:
Conductors = cables/wires/whatever.
Multiple grounds really aren't necessary even though most use them (as do I). Just a nice big ground close to the battery is all it takes. Bolt to a solid area of the body, clear off all the paint and use dielectric grease.
Though I ran a ground ring around my car of 4 AWG, but mainly that was to just give me a "known" good ground wherever I needed it. |
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Yerboogieman
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
577 Posts |
Posted - Mar 12 2010 : 6:12:14 PM
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Thanks a lot for the tips.
Speaking of solid body, turns out that no matter what happens to the car, the thing has almost no rust under the carpet or anything, only around a hole where I decided a self tapping screw would work good as a ground, which didn't. The water is from condensation, bad door seals, bad window seals, and a window that has come off the bottom bracket. |
If you don't have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over? |
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Topic |
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Relocating a 12v Car Battery.
