2nd Battery

[i3abyjay25 10+ year member]

can i run a 2nd battery just like a Capacitor? by just running a power wire off the 1st battery back t the truck to the 2nd batter power and ground it to the body??? if not, how and whas the easiest and best way to run a 2nd Battery?

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[Steven 10+ year member]

Thats what I did.

Just remeber to make sure that the batteries are wired in parallel, not series.

The extra battery will be a drain on your alternator, another device using up it's power.

the only real advantage to adding a second battery is that you have roughly 2 times as much stored energy so you can listen to your stereo twice as long before you have to start your car. A second battery will not fix a problem with dimming lights, or starting problems due to your main battery being drained. The only fix for this is a bigger aternator. I priced one out and a 150Amp alt. is about $400 here, way to much, I'm looking at getting a special bracket made to install a second Alt just for my stereo's battery.

 

[i3abyjay25 10+ year member]

ok, thats exactly why i was going to run the 2nd battery.. my cap isnt working ver well and i thought if i ran my amps off 1 battery it would help.. or if i just ran the lights off 1 battery..and yeah 400$ is alot. i have a kit that sells the parts for the 2nd altanator.. let me see if i can find wher e saw it at and ill post it here...

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

before you get a 2nd alt. why not just upgrade your current alt to a higher rated alt or get your current one rewound....good luck

 

[i3abyjay25 10+ year member]

WELL, I DID BUY A HIGHER AMP aLTANATOR BUT MY LIGHTS STILL DIM.. IM RUNNIN RIGHT AT 3000 WATTS.. I ONLY HAVE 1 CAP, I KNOW I NEED 2 MORE.. BUT I WAS HOPEING I COULD DO SOMETHIN ELSE

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

well then a 2nd alt should suffice....good luck....3000 watts is a bit much for my taste...but ohh well to each their own...

 

[Jacobs 10+ year member]

How much do u guys think it would be to get my alternator rewound?? I have a 93 granbd prix with a 3.4 L engine... I really don't know how many amps it is it's a fair size car i am guessing 90-100 i wanna get it rewound to 175 amps

 

[more_spl 10+ year member]

i think it's around 90-100 ya. i think my '00GrandAm is 110amps

 

[Steven 10+ year member]

rewinding an Alternator requires opening it up and changing the number of windings in the coils. Not something a DIY can do easily.

Normally the main part of an alt that is design for specific vehicles is the chassis around it, except on gm alternators, there is an extra connection on the side of it, as far as i can tell this runs the voltmeter on the dash. A GM alternator won't fit in a ford vehicle without modifying either the alternator case, or the vehicles bracket. Changing an alternator is easy. loosen it, take the belt off, disconnect the wires, and remove. installation is the reverse of removal. Adding a second alternator or replacing yours with one that is not designed for your brand of vehicle will require designing a custom bracket to hold it in place.