Proper 2nd battery install

[ryls 10+ year member]

Okay i have a kinetic 1400 up front and want to add a second 1400 in the trunk. My question is mainly how to do it properly. Do i just run the two batteries in parallel then run it to my amp?(as in 2 runs of 0ga off my main battery for + and - to the one on the trunk) Is it that simple? What about a battery isolator? I searched on the forums and really didnt get any awnsers so thought i would just ask.

Thanks in advance

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[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

front + to rear + (fused at front/rear)

front - to rear -

rear + to amp +

rear - (or chassis) to amp -

fuse at front AND rear batteries

as for isolator, you gonna beat the block with the car OFF? if so, you need one. if not, well....

 

[skmfkr 5,000+ posts]

yeah dont forget to put a fuse near the rear batt. i just had to order some more fuses cuz i only put one near the front. so if that run grounds out it will poped the fuse in the front and stop the connection to the front batt, but then the rear batt still has a connection

 

[silenkiller 10+ year member]

I was under the impression if you didnt put an isolator one battery will discharge the other.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

uhm.... no

they would level out. isolator lets the system use one rather than both batteries, so the other one can start the car when you need to.

 

[ryls 10+ year member]

The audio system would never be used when the car is off. Now wouldnt it be alot better to ground my amp off the chassis nice and close then to ground it off the second batter and basically have an 18' ground? Or should i also ground the second battery to the chassis in the back ?

 

[silenkiller 10+ year member]

They would level out, assuming they are exactly the same voltage, which i doubt they will be. I would say one will be trying to charge the other.

 

[pioneerpimp 5,000+ posts]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b78/tommyk90/P9290383.jpg

thats how you do it.

 

[silenkiller 10+ year member]

Hm. Actually, I guess it will be such a small amount that it'll be negligible.

 

[silenkiller 10+ year member]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b78/tommyk90/P9290383.jpg
thats how you do it.

LOL

 

[pioneerpimp 5,000+ posts]

the forums very own 10 inches of terror

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

the battery is gonna be the best ground you can get. i would go there., but if they are grounded to the chassis (they should be) then you can pull a ground off the chassis.

and when i say level out, that means the high voltage battery would charge the lower until they are the same.

 

[Got_Bass89 10+ year member]

Ground amp to back battery... Pos and neg from back battery to amp... Ground your back battery to FRAME or front battery if you wanna do another 1/0 run. Front battery is grounded to frame anyways so they would share the same common ground no matter what...

As for battery isolator... If you don't bump with car off don't use one.. Actually takes a tiny bit of your voltage... Batterys will level out together even if they don't have the same resting voltage. My advice hook the back battery up start it up for a min and let sit for a while and they will level out... If they off by too much causes a little strain on alternator but if you let it sit and settle for while be all good...

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

if you have a good ground in back for the battery you can do both (ground up to front - and a ground in back) as the system will use the path of least resistance anyway. As for the amp or amplifiers I always use a distribution block and try to ground at the best / shortest place which would be at the rear battery done this way. if the car is a unibody I would run back up front.

 

[njaykaplan 10+ year member]

the forums very own 10 inches of terror

Me? Oh your probably talking about a speaker..

Sorry, couldn't help it.. I'll try to keep the dickish comments in the lounge, literally.