Battery Relocation..

ScoobyDoo69 · 2 Nov 2009 at 13:38

Hey all,

Thinking of moving my battery to the boot to make some space for something up front. What's involved? I've currently got 2 or 4 (can't remember..) gauge power cable running down the car for my subs, I doubt this would be thick enough? Not entirely sure though...

Would I need any fuses anywhere? I imagine distribution blocks may be necessary?

Cheers for your help.

ScoobyDoo69

needmorespeed · 2 Nov 2009 at 13:51

I would use 0 guage for battery relocation it needs to be fused before the wire goes though the bulkhead

ScoobyDoo69 · 2 Nov 2009 at 15:59

Ok, what sort of size fuse would be required?

Berger · 2 Nov 2009 at 16:15

ScoobyDoo69 said:
Ok, what sort of size fuse would be required?

I used a 150A when I did mine.

Lopéz · 2 Nov 2009 at 18:26

It's not generally considered normal practice to fuse the live when running a battery from the boot.

Amoeba · 2 Nov 2009 at 18:55

Xez · 2 Nov 2009 at 20:24

Been running mine from the boot with 25mm cable (135amp) just fine for months now. It isn't fused and it doesn't get warm. All the positives join in an electrical box. I dont have a negative lead going to the battery as i just earth it through the shell but i will be doing that when i have the chance

Lopéz · 2 Nov 2009 at 20:37

Amoeba said:
Why?

Tend to blow anything but seriously almighty fuses when cranking.

Amoeba · 2 Nov 2009 at 20:47

True - but you can get circuit breakers which allow a peak current for a number of seconds and will then open. Don't think I would fancy running a cable from the battery in the boot to the engine without it being protected somehow..

Lopéz · 2 Nov 2009 at 21:05

Amoeba said:
True - but you can get circuit breakers which allow a peak current for a number of seconds and will then open. Don't think I would fancy running a cable from the battery in the boot to the engine without it being protected somehow..

Thousands of rally cars out there with batteries in the boot and no fuse.

I've helped prep scores myself and none of them had fused lives, but I can understand your reasons for wanting to do so.

Amoeba · 2 Nov 2009 at 21:11

This is actually something I plan to do myself in due course so I can fit a FMIC to my 200sx.. Running without some sort of protection scares me - short circuits are not good!!!!

I believe DB-Power do some sort of kit which includes a circuit breaker so I think I will just go with that

.

Berger · 2 Nov 2009 at 21:13

I ran my car for ~9 months without a fuse, then decided as a safety precaution to fuse it.

I cranked my car over repeatedly with the 150A inline fuse and never had a problem. They aint cheap though, the fuse and holder set me back £30 as i wanted something semi decent!

Biohazard · 2 Nov 2009 at 21:18

Xez said:
Been running mine from the boot with 25mm cable (135amp) just fine for months now. It isn't fused and it doesn't get warm. All the positives join in an electrical box. I dont have a negative lead going to the battery as i just earth it through the shell but i will be doing that when i have the chance

Good god get it done! :/ Engine and electrical systems will miss the electrons being so close, instead of finding a path through the shell.

Dogbreath · 2 Nov 2009 at 22:11

Lopéz said:
Thousands of rally cars out there with batteries in the boot and no fuse.

I've helped prep scores myself and none of them had fused lives, but I can understand your reasons for wanting to do so.

The Mini (proper one) came from the factory like this, as did several other cars of the era.

Wicksta · 2 Nov 2009 at 22:18

Dogbreath said:
The Mini (proper one) came from the factory like this, as did several other cars of the era.

I have an awful memory of a friend of mine with a Mini who left the battery cover off and had a metal petrol can in the boot. You can imagine where the story ended up - to be fair to him he managed to put the fire out (by stupidly opening the boot and throwing the petrol can out) with the only real damage being some slightly melted 6x9s. :eek:

I dread to think what would have happened had that can been full.

ScoobyDoo69 · 2 Nov 2009 at 22:29

So I am yet to get a definite answer

BigglesPiP · 2 Nov 2009 at 22:35

Fuse wise, cranking will draw more current than most shorts will, a fuse is pretty pointless.

Just need the existing fuses where other circuits break off the hot terminal.

Biohazard · 3 Nov 2009 at 00:20

Wicksta said:
I have an awful memory of a friend of mine with a Mini who left the battery cover off and had a metal petrol can in the boot. You can imagine where the story ended up - to be fair to him he managed to put the fire out (by stupidly opening the boot and throwing the petrol can out) with the only real damage being some slightly melted 6x9s.

I dread to think what would have happened had that can been full.

Little plastic terminal caps, or a battery cover would have sorted that

Jonnycoupe · 3 Nov 2009 at 02:09

BigglesPiP said:
Fuse wise, cranking will draw more current than most shorts will, a fuse is pretty pointless.

Just need the existing fuses where other circuits break off the hot terminal.

A proper short has close to zero resistance going through the chassis and the battery goes into full discharge. Your starter wont draw anymore than 100amps.

Most the stuff I worked on had fuses, including the 12v charge output from a 24v BISG system having a 300A fuse.

BullBoyShoes · 3 Nov 2009 at 10:28

BigglesPiP said:
Fuse wise, cranking will draw more current than most shorts will, a fuse is pretty pointless.

nothing will draw more current than a short circuit