Wiring question.

Gravy · 10-25-2007

For the car, i've got a new batery in the car, and today i found out that the terminals are a little two high and are rubbing against the hood's heat shield, and now getting in the hood. So, instead of doing the easy thing, and getting a new battery that's the right size, i'm doing a battery relocate to he rear trunk.There's a 2 guage wire for a sub system, no longer in use, that i will use for the power line, there is an inline fuse. So that's covered but there's no ground running to the rear, it's grounded out onto the chasis in the rear. Does anyone thing i should run a negative ground from the front ground wires to the rear, or just make sure it's a good ground in the rear and let it go from there?

**JET** · 10-25-2007

2 guage is pretty damn small for a main power wire. Just take out the little plastic tray under the battery and call it good. That should lower the battery about 1/2".

Andrew7dg · 10-25-2007

yeah 2 guage is way too small.
I got my wire from a welding shop. High strand count and flexable, plus cheap also!

You can just ground the negative in the trunk. I grounded mine in two spots.
If you do relocate, just make sure you have a fuse or something for the battery.

The battery is sealed isn't it?

Gravy · 10-26-2007

The plastic tray was already out, he only thing i could do is remove the bottom bracket, drill and tap new holes, and seeing as there is NO room in there. It's actually 1 guage wire, checked it out tonight and will have 3 main grounds one to the frame, and one onto each strut mount on the rear. The terminals on the positive side had a little corosion going down the line, cut down till i got rid of it, and i DO have a fuse in he line.

**JET** · 10-26-2007

Why do you think it is 1 guage wire? I have never ever seen that, they are always even numbers. Is it 1/0? Some places call 0 guage that and then 00 is 2/0. You have to think about all the power you are running, especially in a stealth, A/C, headlights, fog lights, etc. That is a shit load of power. 0 guage would be the minimum I would think about and 00 would be the smallest I would feel safe with. If you run too small of wire it will get hot and possibly start a fire.

Gravy · 10-26-2007

Started looking at the ground and the negative wire that's running back there, the negative is actually welding cable, and the red has the same covering on the outside, and just has the number "1" on it.I"ll have a fuse in the system, and i'm comfterble with the size of the wire. Will have a fuse in the line so as to prevent a short. Also going to be doing a fuel pump rewire.

blageo23 · 10-26-2007

I think I used 00 gauge. I purchased a battery post from BMW to make the underhood clean. I also grounded at the trunk. But I have had bad electrical problems so I think Im going to run a ground to the engine bay.

Gravy · 10-26-2007

I've got the wire running from the engine bay all the way back, and i've got a ground attatched to the fram about half way up the car, one ground onto each strut mount in the rear grounded to metal, and one to the bolts going to the seats in the back. Shortly will have one on the fuel pump as well, doing a re-wire.Drove i today, went through a consruction zone and got 8 of he 10 guys to look at the car both on the way through and the way back. Drove nice though the work zone(one way with people crossing with large pipes) and after getting away from the workers i'd run second gear from around 20- 60 roughly. I really wana hear what my car sounds like, havn't had a chance to hear it from the outside yet.

Andrew7dg · 10-27-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravy

Started looking at the ground and the negative wire that's running back there, the negative is actually welding cable, and the red has the same covering on the outside, and just has the number "1" on it.I"ll have a fuse in the system, and i'm comfterble with the size of the wire. Will have a fuse in the line so as to prevent a short. Also going to be doing a fuel pump rewire.

wait... are you saying you are running a negative cable all the way back from the engine bay?

I see in another post that you grounded out the battery half way up the frame.

Another thing that I did that you can also was to make sure the engine is well grounded out. I took whatever welding cable that I had left and grounded the intake manifold, starter, somewhere close to the alternator and some other places. I think there is also other benifits by doing this, by how much I don't know. I know there are special ground kits but ehh... welding cable is cheap.

Again I am assuming it is a nice sealed battery, not an acid battery right? Because if you have an acid battery you will have problems if you don't have a good vented battery box.

tim · 10-27-2007

Just buy the proper group size battery.

Gravy · 10-28-2007

Ok, the POWER cable comes from the engine all the way back, the battery is grounded out in 4 places, once to each strut in the rear, once to the body right in the rear, and once behind the seats.Battery is a sealed one, and i'll be doing a fuel pump rewire soon, which will save me a bit of trouble wiring all the way from the engine bay to the rear again...And for the right class size, that would mean having ot go in, buy a new expensive battery. Get tie down bars for it(part of the other problem) and replace a perfectly good battery. Now i just have to buy some tie dwns for it, thinking of getting a box for it and bolting it into the frame... not 100% sure if i'll do that or just normal tie downs.

**JET** · 10-28-2007

Don't carry anything metal in the trunk if you don't do a box!

FattyBoomBatty · 10-28-2007

Make the box out of wood, or better yet, buy one of those plastic boxes from jegs, maybe JC whitney has one.

Gravy · 10-29-2007

Work has one, i'm currently using my old box from the truck. Works good, protects the negative and possitive cables from touching and grounding at all.