Help my electrical system

[Thedeadly1 10+ year member]

It only has one wire coming off the alt, and its a 4 gauge wire going to the starter solenoid, which is about 3 feet away right on the side of the engine bay. Then from the solenoid to the battery.

I just always heard never to ground to the unibodys

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

At some point in time you have grounds going to your unibody. Just like my truck. The body is bolted to the frame but not directly. And you can look around and see grounds coming from the frame to the body and engine to the body.

Thinking this. You might be loseing some connection at the starter there. Im going to look this up more too tomorrow at work. But seeing you have you stock battery in the back I see it as a problem. I suggest this too. Take a 4 gauge or thicker thicker being better. From alt straight back to the battery. I see that helping too. Might look into running a thinker wire from battery Or from alt to were ever your vehicles computers light soo on soo on get its power from Mabye like a 10 or 8 gauge.

 

[Thedeadly1 10+ year member]

Thanks a lot man, I appreciate your help. I think i will leave the positive going from the alt to the solenoid, but add another 4 gauge going to the battery in the back. I am going to pick up another just regular battery from pepboys for like 60 dollars, I will wire them parallel right? And then should i send the positive from the alt to the first battery or second? and which battery should i connect the amps to?

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

Thanks a lot man, I appreciate your help. I think i will leave the positive going from the alt to the solenoid, but add another 4 gauge going to the battery in the back. I am going to pick up another just regular battery from pepboys for like 60 dollars, I will wire them parallel right? And then should i send the positive from the alt to the first battery or second? and which battery should i connect the amps to?

Are they both top post batteries. I connect the alt wire to the first. Then run power wires from secound to the amps. Yeah leave that power wire from the alt to starter not saying take that off. If anything you can go bigger on that wire too. Bigger always better. More grounds to always better. Id also look into were you vehicle's computers and such get its power and do that wire bigger like 10 or 8. Your saying you have dimming lights an all. Could be from your batt being in the back now. Also ground your alt too. Grounding the case I found to help too. Just do one thing at a time and see what helps.

 

[Thedeadly1 10+ year member]

Yea they are both going to be top post. How do i connect the batt's? pos to pos neg to neg?

 

[LOW ET 10+ year member]

I know that already. Im not saying its a bad ground at all your miss reading me. You can go ahead. I have found that having each amp have its own ground just works better. It works well in my dakota Were I have grounds at the body not the frame.
I would go ahead and ground to the block like you are saying and check the thinkness of the wire as well. I can see you having this trouble with small gauge wire. In a mustange. Id have to look this up too not fully sure. Were do the power wires go first from the alt. Like my dakota Power wire comes off the alt to a main fuse at the power junction box were all the fuses are at then goes to the battery then a power wire goes to the starter. How is this in your mustange.

so how would you run big wire in this situation? just leave the factory wiring hooked up and add the big wire, fuse it, connect to final destination, bypassing the junction box?

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

so how would you run big wire in this situation? just leave the factory wiring hooked up and add the big wire, fuse it, connect to final destination, bypassing the junction box?

Well I have changed alot with my electrical. But yes What I have now is I have a 0 gauge coming off of alt to battery then to a circut breaker then back to my amp.

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

Yea they are both going to be top post. How do i connect the batt's? pos to pos neg to neg?

Yes. your right on.

 

[Thedeadly1 10+ year member]

And even with two batteries you still wouldn't ground the amps to the second battery?

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

And even with two batteries you still wouldn't ground the amps to the second battery?

Go ahead and ground the amps to the battery. Was just giving you my personal opinion and what worked well with the installs I have done. Just make sure your batteries a very well grounded. I have never ran no battery up front. May I ask why you are wanting to run just batteries in the back. Is this for weight reasons like are you drag racing.

 

[brian84corvette 10+ year member]

my vette had terrible ground wires factory ( 1984 ) and severe voltage issues at first also

I ended up making all kinds of new wiring for the car.

the best upgrade to wiring to date was the big 4.

using 2 guage wire - I made runs from the battery negative to : engine block / frame / ******

and from positive on the battery - to the alternator - using a 100a fuze near the alternator, and a electrical cut off switch near the battery ( allows me to turn off that wire - preventing battery drain thru energizing the polarity of alternator during engine not running. )

my car is made of fiberglass - so im in the uni body boat as you. our cars are terrible conductors of electricity.

when I added a second battery - I used 2 guage wire running from pos to pos - and also 2 guage running neg to neg. - I ground my amps directly on the rear battery negative, and also have a rear battery negative to ground wire I made.

so im still using the car frame to ground - while also using the battery neg to ground.

along with that 2 guage wire running up to front battery - wich then gets distributed to engine / ****** / front frame rail .

after upgrading all those wires

I find that my system sounds way cleaner. less static noise or what ever you call it

silent noise or general clarity has greatly improved.

along with me being able to blast the system while driving and not seeing below 14v