*cough*cough* big 3 *cough*

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GreenBook
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It has been a really long time since I've been here.  Pretty stupid question really.  

Got a new car, systems all up and running.  Just waiting on some new rear fill since ones blown.  Anyways, doing the big 3 this morning because I got a small amount of dimming, not much really.

I'm piecing it together with leftover power wire.  I put 4 gauge from on the engine & battery grounds.  But the alternator positive is pretty long and the only thing I have is 8 gauge for it.  It looks like stock 4 or 8 gauge wire already in there, so I'm hoping I can get away with just a double run.  If I use my 8 gauge will it help or will the power just wanna go through whichever wire is bigger/shorter?

Also a little side question, I plan on putting in an aswc-1 at some point for my steering wheel.  The instructions talk about wire pins, they mean the pins on the factory stereo harness right? I've never done one before and don't really like the idea of splicing the factory wiring.

 
It has been a really long time since I've been here.  Pretty stupid question really.  

Got a new car, systems all up and running.  Just waiting on some new rear fill since ones blown.  Anyways, doing the big 3 this morning because I got a small amount of dimming, not much really.

I'm piecing it together with leftover power wire.  I put 4 gauge from on the engine & battery grounds.  But the alternator positive is pretty long and the only thing I have is 8 gauge for it.  It looks like stock 4 or 8 gauge wire already in there, so I'm hoping I can get away with just a double run.  If I use my 8 gauge will it help or will the power just wanna go through whichever wire is bigger/shorter?

Also a little side question, I plan on putting in an aswc-1 at some point for my steering wheel.  The instructions talk about wire pins, they mean the pins on the factory stereo harness right? I've never done one before and don't really like the idea of splicing the factory wiring.
First of all, welcome back! It might help but it depends on how much voltage drop you have. What's your gear? what wiring are you using for the main run? OFC or CCA? double run of 8 gauge is technically stronger than a single 4 gauge run. Shorter the runs, the better. 

I installed an ASWC-1 before and I recommend getting a factory harness plug for your car from ebay to connect so you don't have to split into original wiring. Don't attempt to do it without the adapter plug. It's super cheap and it'll make your install so much easier.

 
Thanks. I've got 0 gauge as my main line that splits to a 4 & 8 jumper to the amps. No clue what type of metal honestly. Running somewhere just over 1200rms on some a kicker zx1000.1 & 350.4.  The 350 is set for 4 ohm bridged.  Matching grounds. 

Brand new 2400nex in the dash that I've been having fun playing with.  I used to run an 80prs in a past car so finding out it had network mode was a nice surprise.  I don't have any plans to really use right now though.

Ill look into the eBay harness.  Unless you're talking about the metra factory harness & control module that it plugs into, I already have that installed  this is in a Dodge dart so there's not a ton of options out there as far as kits go. Aswc-1 is just the specific model of harness adapter I need since it matches the one I bought for the pioneer.  I'm just uncertian where the wires on the other end of the plug go.

 
The Big 3 reduces voltage drop due to current draw on the factory wiring.  It does not increase the output current from the alternator which inevitably determines operating voltage.  if dimming goes away when the engine RPM are around 2000 but appears at idle then the issue may be simply due to the system exceeding what the alt can provide.  A volt meter is handy for this diagnosis. 

Factory grounds are usually undersized so those are the highest priority.  The factory alt wire is likely 4awg but it will have a better insulation than most aftermarket wiring so the insulation may be thinner, thus making the wire seem smaller.  OEM wire adheres to ASTM standards while aftermarket wire does not.  

A second run of 8awg from alt to battery can improve current delivery by reducing resistance but only if the connections are really high quality.  There is usually more resistance in the connection than in the actual wire.   Adding a second alt wire usually means compromising the protective boot, letting water and dirt get at the connection.  All that is to say that adding a parallel connection cannot make the total resistance worse but gains may be minimal if not properly executed.  Additionally, connections with resistance generate heat (because resistance dissipates heat and consumes power).  Lastly, I recommend fusing the alt-batt wire at the battery, as any battery connection should be. 

 
The Big 3 reduces voltage drop due to current draw on the factory wiring.  It does not increase the output current from the alternator which inevitably determines operating voltage.  if dimming goes away when the engine RPM are around 2000 but appears at idle then the issue may be simply due to the system exceeding what the alt can provide.  A volt meter is handy for this diagnosis. 

Factory grounds are usually undersized so those are the highest priority.  The factory alt wire is likely 4awg but it will have a better insulation than most aftermarket wiring so the insulation may be thinner, thus making the wire seem smaller.  OEM wire adheres to ASTM standards while aftermarket wire does not.  

A second run of 8awg from alt to battery can improve current delivery by reducing resistance but only if the connections are really high quality.  There is usually more resistance in the connection than in the actual wire.   Adding a second alt wire usually means compromising the protective boot, letting water and dirt get at the connection.  All that is to say that adding a parallel connection cannot make the total resistance worse but gains may be minimal if not properly executed.  Additionally, connections with resistance generate heat (because resistance dissipates heat and consumes power).  Lastly, I recommend fusing the alt-batt wire at the battery, as any battery connection should be. 
Thanks for the response. I went ahead and did it anyway a couple days ago.  Like you said I figured it couldn't hurt, and I already had the material.  It made a minimal difference overall, but it helped a little bit.  The engine ground probably helped the most, that was just a insulated ribbon wire so some 4g there helped for sure.

The alternator didn't have a boot, just a plastic shield with a gap to seat the wire terminals.  I think they assume  the underbody shields would do the protecting but they break and fall apart real easy.  I need to try and find some at a junkyard, I bought my car used and they were already gone.

I was mostly asking this because I wasn't sure if the current would just ignore the new wire and follow the original since its larger.  And yeah the stock wire is way better quality.

 
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GreenBook

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