A couple questions about batteries and wire (being a noob)

[alec14 10+ year member]

Okay, so I'm looking to possibly add another battery to my setup (only one I have now is stock). I'm running 2 sub amps off knukonceptz 4 gauge, and am pushing quite a bit through the wire, which is rated for around 80A, on an inline fuse. I'm thinking of adding a Kinetik 800 in the back, but have several questions.

My questions are: when I add a battery, is purely the extra battery running my amps? Because I want to add a 4 channel soon for speakers, and I'm unsure if a Kinetik 800 could handle around 1700 rms. Does the stock battery also help power them? Also, could I get away with running my 4 gauge to the extra battery, instead of upgrading to 0? I don't have my amps fused on a distro in the back, only the one fuse in the front. Could it handle the power? Or can I upgrade the fuse in front, to accommodate for the added load?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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[alec14 10+ year member]

anybody?

 

[jteske88 10+ year member]

you need better wire to get the amps to the second battery,

 

[Turboj5525 10+ year member]

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/wiring-electrical-installation-help/398527-dual-battery-wiring-tutorial-why.html

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/wiring-electrical-installation-help/152355-official-caraudio-com-big-3-thread.html

I'm def not an expert but I found these. Both of these are must reads for you. I bet most of your questions are answered in these two threads. Lots of really good info. I would think that once you have the big 3 squared away you need to run 0g from the battery with an inline fuse big enough for both amps to a distro block and then 4g to each amp at least that is how I would do it from what I have read. Anything other way and I think you will have one or more choke points for the power and have problems. Just my 2 cents...

Good luck bro.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

You want a fuse at the front by the battery, a fuse by the back battery (2 fuses between the 2 batteries). Either a run to a fused distro then to the amps, or run straight from the rear battery to the amp, but it also needs a fuse on each run. You will want to upgrade from 4ga to at least 1/0 to do what you want to do.

And yes, the big 3 would be a healthy upgrade as well.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

For reference, here's a cute little illustration of my setup... lol

Front battery >>>> ~18" >>>> fuse >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ~IDK' >>>>>>>>>> fuse >>>>> ~18" >>>>> rear battery

Rear battery >>>> fuse >>>> monoblock

Rear battery >>>> fuse >>>> 4 channel

The front battery is grounded to chassis/engine. 2 runs 1/0 (pos and neg) front to rear. Rear battery is grounded to chassis. 1/0 from alt to front battery. All wire used is 1/0, except for the pos and neg run to the 4 channel which is 4ga.

That completes my cute little illustration of my setup (dual battery with big 3).

 

[alec14 10+ year member]

you need better wire to get the amps to the second battery,

yeah, i figured as much. I just wanted to get everything figured out first before i bought anything.

 

---------- Post added at 08:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 AM ----------

 

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/wiring-electrical-installation-help/398527-dual-battery-wiring-tutorial-why.html
http://www.caraudio.com/forums/wiring-electrical-installation-help/152355-official-caraudio-com-big-3-thread.html

I'm def not an expert but I found these. Both of these are must reads for you. I bet most of your questions are answered in these two threads. Lots of really good info. I would think that once you have the big 3 squared away you need to run 0g from the battery with an inline fuse big enough for both amps to a distro block and then 4g to each amp at least that is how I would do it from what I have read. Anything other way and I think you will have one or more choke points for the power and have problems. Just my 2 cents...

Good luck bro.

Thank you, sir! I believe this will definitely help me a great deal.

 

[alec14 10+ year member]

For reference, here's a cute little illustration of my setup... lol
Front battery >>>> ~18" >>>> fuse >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ~IDK' >>>>>>>>>> fuse >>>>> ~18" >>>>> rear battery

Rear battery >>>> fuse >>>> monoblock

Rear battery >>>> fuse >>>> 4 channel

The front battery is grounded to chassis/engine. 2 runs 1/0 (pos and neg) front to rear. Rear battery is grounded to chassis. 1/0 from alt to front battery. All wire used is 1/0, except for the pos and neg run to the 4 channel which is 4ga.

That completes my cute little illustration of my setup (dual battery with big 3).

ahh, this makes sense! Except from off your first battery. Why do you have so much wire from fuse to IDK to the other fuse, to battery? and what would IDK be? lol

 

---------- Post added at 08:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 AM ----------

 

You want a fuse at the front by the battery, a fuse by the back battery (2 fuses between the 2 batteries). Either a run to a fused distro then to the amps, or run straight from the rear battery to the amp, but it also needs a fuse on each run. You will want to upgrade from 4ga to at least 1/0 to do what you want to do.
And yes, the big 3 would be a healthy upgrade as well.

Wouldn't that much fusing between batteries slow current?

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

ahh, this makes sense! Except from off your first battery. Why do you have so much wire from fuse to IDK to the other fuse, to battery? and what would IDK be? lol

The ~IDK' is the run from front to back. I don't know how long it is lol. Fuse within 18" of each battery.

 

[alec14 10+ year member]

The ~IDK' is the run from front to back. I don't know how long it is lol. Fuse within 18" of each battery.

does having a decently small rear battery matter for running 3 amps? does the front battery help it?

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

does having a decently small rear battery matter for running 3 amps? does the front battery help it?

Define 'decently small'. Yes, it all acts as a system. The 2 batteries basically act as 1. You're just adding capacity.

 

[alec14 10+ year member]

Define 'decently small'. Yes, it all acts as a system. The 2 batteries basically act as 1. You're just adding capacity.

probably something like a kinetik hc800, or 1200. most likely 800, or the shuriken equivalent

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

Fusing properly doesn't hinder current. And fyi, you fuse for the protection of the wire, not for the equipment or the power being ran. You fuse so that the fuse blows, before the wire starts a fire, in the occurrence of a short somewhere. So if you get OFC 0 gauge, you fuse for 300a; if you get CCA 0 gauge you fuse for 250a; if you get OFC 4 gauge, you fuse for 150a.

 

[husker77 10+ year member]

nvm, ******* attack.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

probably something like a kinetik hc800, or 1200. most likely 800, or the shuriken equivalent

That's a question for someone else. I don't know anything about the kinetik batteries. I have only run optima. Currently, I am running ~1700wrms on my factory alt with no front battery and one g31 blue top in the trunk. It does dim a little at idle though.

Fusing properly doesn't hinder current. And fyi, you fuse for the protection of the wire, not for the equipment or the power being ran. You fuse so that the fuse blows, before the wire starts a fire, in the occurrence of a short somewhere. So if you get OFC 0 gauge, you fuse for 300a; if you get CCA 0 gauge you fuse for 250a; if you get OFC 4 gauge, you fuse for 150a.

I'm running 350a on my 1/0 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/sneaky.gif.7189749b3a3f769e8815b47e8ae87f88.gif 150a on the 4ga