Why Run A Ground Wire From The Battery to the amp?

[notenufmods]

The only reason I could think someone would tell you to jump a car like that is because they think you are an idiot and can't handle two connections that close to each other.

actually it is industry practice to boost a battery with the negatives on the chassis ground, in the company i work for there have been many incidents of batteries exploding when boosting this way so many that they have implemented a job safety analysis on working with batteries

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

actually it is industry practice to boost a battery with the negatives on the chassis ground, in the company i work for there have been many incidents of batteries exploding when boosting this way so many that they have implemented a job safety analysis on working with batteries

I haven't did extensive research on this, but I have been around a number of batteries being charged. I have only seen 1 explode and that was when they were shoving 16vs into a 14v batt.

I see no way boosting a car directly at the terminals that it would explode, unless it was hooked up backwards.

Hooking it to the frame is no different than hooking it to the neg terminal, besides some added resistance.

 

[notenufmods]

I haven't did extensive research on this, but I have been around a number of batteries being charged. I have only seen 1 explode and that was when they were shoving 16vs into a 14v batt.
I see no way boosting a car directly at the terminals that it would explode, unless it was hooked up backwards.

Hooking it to the frame is no different than hooking it to the neg terminal, besides some added resistance.

now i know why this thread went on for so long, granted the kid was an idiot but you maniac must be on of those cool guys in high school that didnt end up so well later in life and now has to come on here and throw down with everything that doesnt fit into your little vision of reality:furious:

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

now i know why this thread went on for so long, granted the kid was an idiot but you maniac must be on of those cool guys in high school that didnt end up so well later in life and now has to come on here and throw down with everything that doesnt fit into your little vision of reality:furious:

Actually I'm just here to help. I have spent numerous hours studying DC electronics. No need to be an *** about it. Just because your company has some idiotic policy, doesn't make it fact. Jumper cables come with instructions on how to use them, and they say to use the frame ground too, but its still connected to your neg terminal.

Also I saw a guy with a dead battery on a motorcycle at the gas station 2 days ago, he was trying to jump his bike by connecting the neg to a chrome footpeg. When I approached him to tell him his error he gave me this smart *** remark saying how he knew what he was doing. I watched him struggle with it for 10 minutes, and as soon as he took my suggestion it worked. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif I gave him a smirk and went on my way.

Sorry that I tried to help, you obviously know more than me.

 

[shawn76 10+ year member]

I suddenly feel the urge to run another cable to the battery! argh //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[krouchchocolate 10+ year member]

Can anybody recommend me any good extenders? I have 2 10 ft 1/0 kicker cables, but 1 10ft wont reach. I would like to extend it so i can use it to run my ground from batt ground to my amps.

 

[king ranch 5,000+ posts]

use a dist block or a inline fuse holder or put ring terminals on both ends and connect them with washers and a bolt

 

[1dynasty 10+ year member]

Ok, that actually was very helpful and so now i must ask the stupid question of there being any drawbacks of running the power and ground wire together. Obvously when you run your RCA's/remote and power, you keep them seperate. IS there any reason to do so here? heat. interference, etc? i'm sure i know the answer but just curious.

 

[Rashaddd 5,000+ posts]

I haven't did extensive research on this, but I have been around a number of batteries being charged. I have only seen 1 explode and that was when they were shoving 16vs into a 14v batt.
I see no way boosting a car directly at the terminals that it would explode, unless it was hooked up backwards.

Hooking it to the frame is no different than hooking it to the neg terminal, besides some added resistance.

The reason it is taught that you shouldn't hook it up directly to the negative terminal for the last connection is because it may spark. In open-cell batteries (not commonly used in car audio, but regular car batteries that 99% of people have), there may be flammable gasses being emitted. It doesn't happen all the time, but why take the risk of getting a spark right in the middle of a cloud of flammable gas? This is why they will tell you to connect it to the frame 'as far away from the battery as possible'. With closed-cell batteries (which the majority of us use I think...), this is not at all a concern, as there are no gasses that can potentially escape and be ignited

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

First of all - in an attempt to TRY to get to the basics of the OP...

Conductive materials of ANY kind have "X" resistance per unit of length. Resistance in power wires is the enemy which I think we can all agree on.

Copper wire resistance of a given gauge is essentially constant.

Steel/aluminum/tin/lead/cast iron/weld etc of a car's chassis varies widely depending on the car...

BUT - the few tests that have been done indicate the AVERAGE resistance of a car's chassis between typical (-) return paths is somewhere in the range 4-1/0 awg copper wire.

SO -- If your amps require more current than 4 awg wire can supply it might be worth considering a large (-) wire directly to the battery. Larger than 1/0 and it's probably worth doing.

That's really all there is to it.

...any drawbacks of running the power and ground wire together.

None at all.

I wonder though if the EMI would at least partially cancel since you'd have current flowing in equal/opposite directions??

Obvously when you run your RCA's/remote and power, you keep them seperate.

you don't have to seperate those either. Any EMI from the low voltage low freq variances in the power wire are not going to have an audible effect on the signal. Old myth - it just doesn't happen.

The reason it is taught that you shouldn't hook it up directly to the negative terminal for the last connection is because it may spark. In open-cell batteries (not commonly used in car audio, but regular car batteries that 99% of people have), there may be flammable gasses being emitted. ...why take the risk of getting a spark right in the middle of a cloud of flammable gas? This is why they will tell you to connect it to the frame 'as far away from the battery as possible'.

Precisely -- more specifically, hydrogen. Heard of the Hindenburg?