Second battery...

[miker 5,000+ posts]

Alright.. 1/0 run to my alt. grounded to chassis. 90amp stock alt.

I have a smallish interstate batter right now..

Question..

Would it be wort it to get a second battery while using a stock alternator? Or would it just be pointless, and drain my batteries??

IF I get a second battery, and it is "bigger" than the current one.. Does it matter which one has the "main" wire connected, i.e the wire run from the alternator.

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[Enellz 10+ year member]

first off what are you running?

 

[Einzee 10+ year member]

Personally, I'd go ahead and install the second battery if you have a place to put it. As far as wiring it up I'd go with the old school method and install a battery isolator. The isolator would allow your system to run on the extra battery when your vehicle is not running and it would allow the alternator to charge the extra battery when the vehicle is running. Using similar sized wires throughout is recommended.

 

[mdillon 10+ year member]

isolator>relay wont see much voltage drop.

 

[miker 5,000+ posts]

first off what are you running?

PA3000d @ 2ohms.. it's rated at 1300rms.. I have it set at 49v, or 1200w...

Dual amp... rated 100x2 @ 4ohms.. so probably getting about 75 a side. lol, can't really expect much from that amp.

powering 12" Type R, and PG RSD 5.25's.

So about 1400w, not sure what to make of it, I mean the voltage reading I gets tells me I'm putting out 1200w, but in reality?? is it really? I don't know, I don't see how thats possible...

So, I'm thinking an extra battery couldn't hurt me now, and will defiantly help in the future. (once the job comes everything is being replaced..)

EDIT: Isolator, what is that?

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

before you add a second battery you might want to try putting a better one up front. A kinetik or an Optima Yellow Top would be a good start. A deep cycle battery will do much more for your system than any interstate battery.

 

[miker 5,000+ posts]

Like it would be better to "replace" my current battery? rather than add one?

 

[terra 5,000+ posts]

yes

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

You can always add one, but having a good deep cycle battery up front is the best thing to upgrade before you add a second battery and all the wiring. Doing the Big 3 upgrade is a must too.

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

you can add a second or better yet do the one under the hood then match it in the back and get the best from both front and back.

http://www.kinetikaudio.com/manuals/khccells.pdf page 8

http://www.kinetikaudio.com/faq.asp

 

[miker 5,000+ posts]

Well, my battery is in the trunk right now..

I mean, to me it seems logical to just add a second "good" battery to my current one. I mean I already have it.. why not use it? right?

So.. You have one battery for starting the car, and one for "all the rest"?

 

[SPL Blazer 10+ year member]

Not exactly. You wire the two batteries in parallel and you use both batteries for the system and the vehicle.