Thinking of 2nd battery, will this work?

[army5 10+ year member]

I'm running a 2004 Escalade w/stock electrical. I have a 1000RMS amp. My lights dim at idle and volume cranked up. I have a nice clean setup with the amp under driver side second row seat (I have captains chairs for middle row). I've read that a second battery is a good upgrade. I'm wanting something that I can conceal as to give the appearance that the inside is stock. I was thinking of getting a Kinetik KHC600 Power Cell. I think this is slim enough that I could mount it under the passenger side second row seat. I would guess that I would have an approximately 3ft run from battery to amp.

My first concern is safety. Would this be a safe location? Do these batteries leak? Can I mount it flat on the battery's back side? Finally, do you think this would take care of the dimming lights? Would this be adequate for my power needs?

Jeff

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[BushJ311 5,000+ posts]

It is a sealed battery it will be fine there. That is a good little battery. also look into the batcap 800 and kinetik 800.( depending on price)

 

[nightshade 10+ year member]

just do a big 3 uprgade on your underhood wiring first. You really shouldnt need a extra battery for 1000rms

 

[Nut Hair Trick 10+ year member]

I have an (1)XS power D3400 under the hood and that's it, and if need be, I fully plan to get another of the same if voltage drops when the new amp comes in. How bad would it be to drop down to a smaller battery for the back, or even possibly mix batteries and buy a small batcap or small kinetik for the back? Do you have to charge additional batteries periodically? Sorry to take over OP's thread but I believe these questions are legitimate for the thread.

 

[army5 10+ year member]

just do a big 3 uprgade on your underhood wiring first. You really shouldnt need a extra battery for 1000rms

Big 3 sounds easy enough. I will start with that and go from there.

The amp is an old school RF 800a2 bridged mono. It has been in 2 different vehicles and has no problems dimming lights on either one.

Jeff

 

[hrtbrk1 5,000+ posts]

Big 3 sounds easy enough. I will start with that and go from there.
The amp is an old school RF 800a2 bridged mono. It has been in 2 different vehicles and has no problems dimming lights on either one.

Jeff

hey another oklahoman. if the big three doesnt help i have a kinetik hc800 for sale if u need it...or an optima ytg31

 

[Stalin-ohaulic]

Big 3 sounds easy enough. I will start with that and go from there.
The amp is an old school RF 800a2 bridged mono. It has been in 2 different vehicles and has no problems dimming lights on either one.

Jeff

If I were you I'd do the big 3 and look in to a class D amp. The RF800a2 was a great amp back in it's day but it's only about 50% efficient. If you're just getting some dimming at idle, getting 25% more efficiency should clear it right up. Adding a battery to the back will not help with dimming lights, it will only make that problem worse. Basic electronics will explain to everyone involved that since the dimming comes from the voltage dropping from 14.4 to 12.6 that adding another battery that will not discharge until the electrical system's voltage drops to 12.6 will not help. Then once you realize that batteries draw current at all times you realize it will make the problem slightly worse. The answer is the Big 3 and a class D amp.

 

[army5 10+ year member]

If I were you I'd do the big 3 and look in to a class D amp. The RF800a2 was a great amp back in it's day but it's only about 50% efficient. If you're just getting some dimming at idle, getting 25% more efficiency should clear it right up. Adding a battery to the back will not help with dimming lights, it will only make that problem worse. Basic electronics will explain to everyone involved that since the dimming comes from the voltage dropping from 14.4 to 12.6 that adding another battery that will not discharge until the electrical system's voltage drops to 12.6 will not help. Then once you realize that batteries draw current at all times you realize it will make the problem slightly worse. The answer is the Big 3 and a class D amp.

Interesting, I did not know this. Do people just use typical 1/0 gauge audio cable for the Big 3 upgrade? From what I've read, I would just be adding this to the existing power/ground cables.

I would love to get a class D amp. To be honest I've been using this amp for 10+ years pushing 3 8-ohm speakers. To my surprise it hasn't blown yet. I've got a couple of amps in mind if it goes or the day comes when I just get to anxious.

 

[Stalin-ohaulic]

Interesting, I did not know this. Do people just use typical 1/0 gauge audio cable for the Big 3 upgrade? From what I've read, I would just be adding this to the existing power/ground cables.
I would love to get a class D amp. To be honest I've been using this amp for 10+ years pushing 3 8-ohm speakers. To my surprise it hasn't blown yet. I've got a couple of amps in mind if it goes or the day comes when I just get to anxious.

Yeah don't replace the stock wiring. Just add the new wire from Alt + to Batt +, Alt case to chassis, and batt - to chassis. If you used a body ground, find the oem braided strap that connects the body to the chassis. Usually on tahoes and escalades there are several clamps etc but there is one in particular I'd replace. It's pretty easy. It's towards the driver's side on the firewall. It is connected to the engine and the body. I would just take some 1/0 and connect it to the same spot on the body and then run it directly to your chassis ground. This way it doesn't have to ground through the engine block. I'm just not a fan of engine block grounds. Sure the engine is a big conductor but it's also hot which creates resistance and the purpose of the big 3 is to reduce resistance... so take this for what it's worth.

Edit: I'd also like to recommend that you fuse your alt + to batt + wire and LOOM all wire added to your engine compartment. These are all very important. They improve the look of the install, the safety, and just a minimal performance boost that you will probably NEVER notice but it's good just the same //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif (by just slightly better insulation of the copper via the plastic + air you add with the loom.)

 

[Atimm693 10+ year member]

If I were you I'd do the big 3 and look in to a class D amp. The RF800a2 was a great amp back in it's day but it's only about 50% efficient. If you're just getting some dimming at idle, getting 25% more efficiency should clear it right up. Adding a battery to the back will not help with dimming lights, it will only make that problem worse. Basic electronics will explain to everyone involved that since the dimming comes from the voltage dropping from 14.4 to 12.6 that adding another battery that will not discharge until the electrical system's voltage drops to 12.6 will not help. Then once you realize that batteries draw current at all times you realize it will make the problem slightly worse. The answer is the Big 3 and a class D amp.

From what I understand a second battery adds more current. That's why competitors run multiple batts in banks to keep voltage stable, also why a jump-start is affective. Sure it takes some current from the alternator to charge up, but the current it generates makes up for it. What you're saying is true for a capacitor.

Adding a 2nd battery will only be beneficial if your alternator can charge it affectively, which it should.

 

[Stalin-ohaulic]

From what I understand a second battery adds more current. That's why competitors run multiple batts in banks to keep voltage stable, also why a jump-start is affective. Sure it takes some current from the alternator to charge up, but the current it generates makes up for it. What you're saying is true for a capacitor.
Adding a 2nd battery will only be beneficial if your alternator can charge it affectively, which it should.

Hmm... you're close but just not quite right. There is a difference between competitors and a daily setup. Competitors use JUST the bank of batteries. They are the only source of potential so the voltage will not jump around. Once they are done competing, they take their vehicle back home and charge the bank of batts on a charger.

This guy is using his alternator. The alternator puts out a voltage of 14.4v usually. It is this high to cause current to flow out of the alternator and keep the battery charged. A simple electronics class will show you that the current flows from the highest source of potential. So while the circuit's voltage is 14.4 there is NO CURRENT flowing from the battery... it is DRAWING current itself. IT NEVER discharges until the circuit voltage reaches it's float charge of 12.6v. So for this reason you can add batts til the cows come home and it will never get rid of dimming but rather make it worse.

Adding batteries DOES add extra potential for current draw but it does nothing to help dimming which is a voltage issue.

 

[Atimm693 10+ year member]

Hmm... you're close but just not quite right. There is a difference between competitors and a daily setup. Competitors use JUST the bank of batteries. They are the only source of potential so the voltage will not jump around. Once they are done competing, they take their vehicle back home and charge the bank of batts on a charger.
This guy is using his alternator. The alternator puts out a voltage of 14.4v usually. It is this high to cause current to flow out of the alternator and keep the battery charged. A simple electronics class will show you that the current flows from the highest source of potential. So while the circuit's voltage is 14.4 there is NO CURRENT flowing from the battery... it is DRAWING current itself. IT NEVER discharges until the circuit voltage reaches it's float charge of 12.6v. So for this reason you can add batts til the cows come home and it will never get rid of dimming but rather make it worse.

Adding batteries DOES add extra potential for current draw but it does nothing to help dimming which is a voltage issue.

Well, since they are related, two properly charged are going to supply more current than one, meaning that the voltage will be more stable, and help reduce dimming.

I know there are several competitors and different people on here that run several batteries and the alternator, in which the alternator couldn't possibly be the only thing supplying current.

 

[Stalin-ohaulic]

Well, since they are related, two properly charged are going to supply more current than one, meaning that the voltage will be more stable, and help reduce dimming.
I know there are several competitors and different people on here that run several batteries and the alternator, in which the alternator couldn't possibly be the only thing supplying current.

The bolded portion does not prove your point because the entire beginning of the post proved you wrong.

The OP's question was about light dimming. Adding a million batteries won't help it... PERIOD.

Adding batteries WILL help 2 scenarios... #1 Competitors that use banks of batts to run their comp systems and no alt.

#2 for a short time the dumbasses that buy a huge amp to run on stock electrical. It will help the amp at least stay on. (It would be fine without secondary batteries if they had any idea what they were doing.)

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

Hmm... you're close but just not quite right. There is a difference between competitors and a daily setup. Competitors use JUST the bank of batteries. They are the only source of potential so the voltage will not jump around. Once they are done competing, they take their vehicle back home and charge the bank of batts on a charger.
This guy is using his alternator. The alternator puts out a voltage of 14.4v usually. It is this high to cause current to flow out of the alternator and keep the battery charged. A simple electronics class will show you that the current flows from the highest source of potential. So while the circuit's voltage is 14.4 there is NO CURRENT flowing from the battery... it is DRAWING current itself. IT NEVER discharges until the circuit voltage reaches it's float charge of 12.6v. So for this reason you can add batts til the cows come home and it will never get rid of dimming but rather make it worse.

 

Adding batteries DOES add extra potential for current draw but it does nothing to help dimming which is a voltage issue.

The last part of your post is completely wrong. Voltage and current are both responsible for voltage drop. Voltage = Current x Load. So if you have more batts you have more current available. By having more current, you raise the voltage (or maintain it).

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

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