Multiple batteries and Busbars

[Buick_66]

So in my build, I will have a bank of 6 batteries in my trunk, and a seventh under the hood, all dedicated to stereo only off separate alternator. I will still have my cars electrical system, and separate alternator working off the eighth battery in factory position.

So I'm planning on having busbars in the trunk to make things easier, which I will fabricate. I'm having all six batteries in the back connected by 2/0, from terminal to busbar, not battery to battery, and I'm running power and grounds up to the front for the seventh battery to connect to the same busbars.

I believe then I'm supposed to connect the negative busbars to chassis? And I've seen people running multiple leads from the busbar to the same grounding point on the chassis. Is this the right approach? And is the front battery ok and grounded (at the common point) or should I ground the front battery on chassis aswell? It's a big car, so about 15' o 2/0. I'm reading some things that say no, but I'm not sure if that's just in the case of amps? So all amps will be going through busbars aswell and grounded in the same spot...

I have 2 Hifonics XI Zeus amps, and the XI colossus running 1 Titanium Eclipse 15" Sub, 2 JL 8's, and 2 sets of 6.5 " focal components.

Just wanted to make sure I get it right. I've done lots of installs and builds, but this is getting up there for me.

Thanks, and go easy on us newbies. Some of us have some good questions I think!

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[Buick_66]

Also, alternator will have positive feed to the positive busbar, not through the front battery? Is that more ideal?

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

I had a dedicated alternator for my rear battery bank. I ran power and ground directly to the bus bars and did not ground the rear batteries to the frame

 

[Buick_66]

So did the front battery ground to the busbar and then the engine block? Or how was the total system grounded?

 

[Buick_66]

Anyone?

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

So did the front battery ground to the busbar and then the engine block? Or how was the total system grounded?

Front battery had nothing to do with the back ones. Just ran off the stock alternator and powered the stock electrical. The second alternator charged the batteries in the back for my amp

 

[big scott]

if you do the big 3 that will take care of 1 of your questions.

as for back battery bank.. grond it to the frame.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

afaik you can run two different electrical systems on the same ground, but the entire positive part of the system must be separate.

 

[big scott]

as long as its the same voltage.

op are both alt 12v ??

or are you running a higher volt alt for your system.

i know nothing was said. i just want to make sure whats going on.

if there both 12v why are you splitting them up?

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

afaik you can run two different electrical systems on the same ground, but the entire positive part of the system must be separate.

Yes, that's completely true.

I think a run of 2/0 OFC is fine though. I don't feel like cutting another hole in my bed for a frame ground

 

[Buick_66]

Thanks for the help guys. This is not your typical daily driver, or stereo car...I'm intending on driving this car often (sunny days only and summer as I'm in Canada) , and am hoping to use the stereo often with the car shut off. So in having 2 seperate power supplies my car stereo will never impact my cars ability to start.

On the other end, if the cars battery dies I could boost myself...haha.

So here's another good question, with regards to something someone wrote about keeping the positive separate. Could I run my head unit off the cars battery, not my battery bank? Or is the remote wire thus connecting the two positive? Or would that matter at all?

On a side note...as I run wire after wire, and plan my box meticulously piece by piece I have to laugh when guys think paying someone $250 to install something is TOO much money!

***** I've got $1000 worth of wire...another $500 in building materials alone...

Batteries? Another $1500...

$3000 in - Excluding audio equipment...

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

I ran my remote wire to a relay that was connected to the rear battery bank

As a side note, I don't play my system with the truck off. I do not recommend that you do that at high volume.

If you only spent $1,500 on batteries, your bank isn't big enough to support a large amp for more than a burp, imo

 

[Buick_66]

It's OK, I do music. I'll burp this thing once in it's lifetime at best.

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

Alright. I wouldn't play a full song with my battery bank and the truck off, but good luck

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

I would tie both systems together and use a cheapo circuit breaker to take starting battery out of the loop when playing with vehicle off....