Should I be running 4ga wire with a aq2200?

[cdc351jeferson 10+ year member]

The AGM battery will have to wait for a while. I can't afford to drop another $250 on a battery. I mean my car is brand spankin new (12k miles). I doubt I should have any problems in the next 2 years I have it on lease.

you keep saying you shouldnt have a problem its a lease . but you are making your electrical do way mroe than it was intended .

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

0ga wire should be here on Monday/Tuesday. Then I'll be fine after Big 3 for a while. I do plan on getting a yellowtop optoma battery, but I feel for the purposes that I use this car (maybe 1 hour tops daily driving), I don't ever even put the volume past 23/40 on my headunit, and I don't do competitions.

I'm finally learning the proper way to do this, and I want to thank all of you for helping me out. The battery will just have to wait, I've already dropped way more than I thought I would on this system, and it's all my fault (I didn't do enough research on power requirements). I probably could have done with an SDC2.5 and an AQ1200 for what I need and what I have already...

 

[cdc351jeferson 10+ year member]

glad its comign together i start my build soon too

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

I'm really glad I posted this thread. I wasn't really aware of the power requirements... I was under the impression that I would need 0ga wire if I was pushing OVER 5k watts. Just a silly misconception I had. I'm glad it's been cleared up.

So to get this straight:

Run 0ga wire to distribution block from battery. Run 0ga wire to AQ2200 and MRP-F240 from distribution block. Run 0ga grounds from each amp to an independent grounding location, which I'm going to scratch off with a brush to get down to the metal.

Then for Big 3:

1) alternator positive to battery positive, 2) battery negative to chassis, and 3) engine ground to chassis.

I hear its optional, but recommended, to also ground the alternator to the chassis as well. Is that done via a terminal, or just a bolt on the alternator?

I need to buy a battery distribution block that lets me hook up multiple 0ga wires. Have any good ones I can order?

 

[av83 10+ year member]

Four gauge is more than sufficient for the dblock to alpine run, and its ground.

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

Four gauge is more than sufficient for the dblock to alpine run, and its ground.

Gotcha. I'm considering double-grounding the head-unit, is this a good idea?

 

[quackhead 10+ year member]

I'm failing so hard at the car audio game right now. but I'm learning... thanks guys. 

---------- Post added at 04:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:04 PM ----------

 

Car Audio store in my neighborhood has 25 foot rolls of OFC for $75 bucks a pop.

At least you are lucky you have not burned the amp or subs up yet. Yes a deep cycle battery is required. AGM's have more capacity and quicker charge rates than regular flooded cell deep cycle batts in a smaller case. Find you a Optima Yellow Top at a parts store for the front battery, and run some big assed wire everywhere. I ran 0ga, 240a EA alt and a Kinetiks HC2000 with my AQ2200.

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

I'm really glad I posted this thread. I wasn't really aware of the power requirements... I was under the impression that I would need 0ga wire if I was pushing OVER 5k watts. Just a silly misconception I had. I'm glad it's been cleared up.
So to get this straight:

Run 0ga wire to distribution block from battery. Run 0ga wire to AQ2200 and MRP-F240 from distribution block. Run 0ga grounds from each amp to an independent grounding location, which I'm going to scratch off with a brush to get down to the metal.

Then for Big 3:

1) alternator positive to battery positive, 2) battery negative to chassis, and 3) engine ground to chassis.

I hear its optional, but recommended, to also ground the alternator to the chassis as well. Is that done via a terminal, or just a bolt on the alternator?

I need to buy a battery distribution block that lets me hook up multiple 0ga wires. Have any good ones I can order?

you almost got it on the big three battery + to alt output post fused as close to the battery as possible if using 0g use a 300amp fuse as to not choke the flow of electricity second battery ground to (I like)the shock tower mounting bolts wire brushed down to bare metal and the last your confused on is the alt case/engine ground just make your engine ground as close to the alt as possible and if you want to take the extra few minutes you can test these spots to see whats best with a dmm on ohm setting look for the lowest numbers. be careful about it all(connections) and have fun!

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

you almost got it on the big three battery + to alt output post fused as close to the battery as possible if using 0g use a 300amp fuse as to not choke the flow of electricity second battery ground to (I like)the shock tower mounting bolts wire brushed down to bare metal and the last your confused on is the alt case/engine ground just make your engine ground as close to the alt as possible and if you want to take the extra few minutes you can test these spots to see whats best with a dmm on ohm setting look for the lowest numbers. be careful about it all(connections) and have fun!

So I should have an inline fuse between the alternator and the battery +? or is that 300amp fuse part of the inline fuse that goes from the battery to the amp? I ordered a 200amp fuse with the KnuKonceptz kit, should I have gotten a bigger one?

 

[cdc351jeferson 10+ year member]

The 300 goes between new 0gauge from alt to battery keep it six inches from battery this will protect a short from burning your car down

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

The 300 goes between new 0gauge from alt to battery keep it six inches from battery this will protect a short from burning your car down

I didn't know this. So I have to buy another fuse holder and another 300amp fuse to run between the alternator + and battery +? ARGGGG, SO MUCH WIRING

Also, I found the optima yellowtop on amazon for $150 (free shipping because I Prime). I think I'm gonna go ahead and order it.

 

[av83 10+ year member]

if you are using cca , a 300 amp fuse is too much. the wire will melt before that fuse will blow. 0 ga cca is rated at 250 amps, and i personally would use a 200 amp fuse, just to be safe.

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

I believe the KnuKonceptz kit I'm getting is OFC...

 

[goingdef 10+ year member]

if you are using cca , a 300 amp fuse is too much. the wire will melt before that fuse will blow. 0 ga cca is rated at 250 amps, and i personally would use a 200 amp fuse, just to be safe.

it's hard to find ratings charts for 0g but you can safely fuse 300amps on 2-3' of 0g wire to get the lowest impedance load in your wire if you don't fuse this way your wasting the fact your running such a large wire in the first place.

 

[clickclickw00t 10+ year member]

it's hard to find ratings charts for 0g but you can safely fuse 300amps on 2-3' of 0g wire to get the lowest impedance load in your wire if you don't fuse this way your wasting the fact your running such a large wire in the first place.

That sounds like what I plan to do. Do I have to buy another fuse hold + fuse? What's the best way to do this? I visited the forum for my car and it seems like no one used a fuse between the alternator and battery. Ultimately, with a 120amp alternator and stock battery, is there a certain RMS wattage at which I shouldn't run the amp? 1400 RMS?