15 replies to this topic

[OG Wagon]

Hey, can someone please help me with wiring of a relocated battery to inside my Rex. I'll be making the install this week or next, and could use some major help. I have a BMW heavy-gauge positive cable, about 6.5 feet worth. Thanks to Kaymo for the cable!

That's all I have. I had read somewhere else that a fuse needs to be incorporated in the mix?

Any info. would be great. I'm more of a visual learner, so a diagram would ROCK! Pictures are cool too.

Hopefully other's could gain from this post as well.

Thanks in advance,
- Dan

[Stuckey85si]

Pretty much have a cable that goes from the battery to the main fuse block in the engine bay. That fuse block (3 fuses) splits of the load to chassis power, starter power, and charging. I would advise that you put an inline fuse in place between the battery and the fuse box. Also make sure to use High quality wire with proper sizing and connections. I am not to sure what you are going to do with 6.5 feet of cable. That will not get the battery very far back in the car.

This is the wiring I pulled from a beamer at the local junkyard. I got it all for like 20 bucks! Extremely high quality wiring and connections.



I went ahead and took the main distribution block from a beamer along with all the wiring. I did this to power my accessories mostly, it also really helped me clean things up.



I have a rear strut bar in my car. I welded it in. I have a battery box with an optima redtop in it attached to that strut bar. The box is in the place of the spare tire. Just make sure that you have a good ground where you place the battery. I went ahead and created grounding loops since I was "enlarging" the circuit. I picked up some lawn mower starting cables from walmart (2 and 4 gauge) for pretty cheap to do this. They already have crimping ends and are pretty good quality. I grounded the battery at the back. The grounded the motor top and bottom to the chassis.

It's been a few months since I did this so let me know if something does not sound right or you have any questions.

Thanks,

Joseph

[DEIVIONCRX]

The easy way to do it is with a distribution block/post. Run your single large gauge positive cable from the battery up to the engine bay, attach it to your distribution block, and then from there run your large gauge wire to the starter, and your smaller gauge wire to the fuse box. Somewhere between the distribution block and positive battery terminal you want a high amperage fuse or circuit breaker. Something in the range of 120+ amps, you want it to blow in case you ever pinch or short out the main cable going to the fuse box and it shorts to ground. For the negative cable you want to run it to the frame close to the engine. Id suggest someplace close to the factory location under the factory battery tray. Running the longer ground helps reduce ground looping which will appear as a whine in your speakers varied with engine rpm.

[TexanIdiot25]

Escalades have a nice big bolt-down fuse for their amp. They're not very common in junk yards, but keep an eye out. I used one in the CST10 for the main fuse.

[kakabox]

Hey, can someone please help me with wiring of a relocated battery to inside my Rex. I'll be making the install this week or next, and could use some major help. I have a BMW heavy-gauge positive cable, about 6.5 feet worth. Thanks to Kaymo for the cable!

That's all I have. I had read somewhere else that a fuse needs to be incorporated in the mix?

Any info. would be great. I'm more of a visual learner, so a diagram would ROCK! Pictures are cool too.

Hopefully other's could gain from this post as well.

Thanks in advance,
- Dan

Please read:
http://www.redpepper...e...st&p=352139 ...&: http://www.redpepper...e...st&p=357203

The above is from the Kakabox build index, item 51; http://www.redpepper...e...st&p=357203

Good luck,
J.

[OG Wagon]

Another question on this. Where do I get a "distribution block"? ...on the weekend. Apparently, I need one. Was thinking this was the fuse box, but now realize that the fuse box is called the "fuse box", and that I need an additional piece to complete my battery wiring.

Would NAPA have one? Anyone have a pic of a good one?

Secondly, where do I buy the larger 0 gauge lug ends?

Is it acceptable to cut off a few wires of the 0 guage BMW wire to fit into a 2 gauge lug end? Seems like this would defeat the purpose of the 0 guage wire, but I can't find a place with a 0 guage lug end in town.

[Gant]

A car stereo shop should have everything you need, It will probably be pretty expensive, but they should have it. Tell them what size wires your running, how many, and where to, and they should be able to set you up with the right dist. block. "Stinger" is a good brand, most shops should carry. Dont go to Best Buy. .

Heres a link to stingers site, just to give you some reference .
http://www.stingerel...m/products.aspx

Hope I helped
-Garrett

[Gant]

OH YEA,
Cutting off some extra wires to make them fit a smaller terminal, does kinda defeat the purpose .
I dont think you would notice a difference, but technically, youre not supposed too.

[A-Man]

i use the starter motor as a distribution block so to speak.

the battery runs to the starter then the rest run smaller gauge straight to where they need to go.
if you run a amp for your subwoofers or speakers, etc. then you use that off the battery in the boot. theres no need to buy any part except a few diff connectors.

[OG Wagon]

i use the starter motor as a distribution block so to speak.

the battery runs to the starter then the rest run smaller gauge straight to where they need to go.
if you run a amp for your subwoofers or speakers, etc. then you use that off the battery in the boot. theres no need to buy any part except a few diff connectors.

Sounds easy enough! So just run everything off of the positive post on the starter, correct? Would this cause any overdue stress to the starter unit itself?

[A-Man]

nah mate coz the starter ALWAYS has full voltage its only the solenoid/relay that lets the motor run. but at all times it has full voltage so it wont cause any problems to the car it just makes it easy to follow.

[EuphoricBlue]

I didn't read all the posts but the ones I did were vague on the placement of that big fuse for the line...

PUT THE FUSE WITHIN 6" OF THE POSITIVE TERMINAL ON THE BATERY!

The point to the fuse is not overload or serge protection for the car, it is fire protection. If that wire chafes and shrts to ground it WILL get the metal red hot and you WILL have a fire. The fuse is there to blow if such a chafe happens and avoid said fire. As for rating, ideally you'd have about 5-10 amp above max expected draw. On these cars that's not horibly lots. I'd start with a 60amp and move up if nesisarry. (doubt it will be)

Basically, if the wire is able to touch metal anywhere between the fuse and the positive terminal, you are not fully protected.

[OG Wagon]

I didn't read all the posts but the ones I did were vague on the placement of that big fuse for the line...

PUT THE FUSE WITHIN 6" OF THE POSITIVE TERMINAL ON THE BATERY!

The point to the fuse is not overload or serge protection for the car, it is fire protection. If that wire chafes and shrts to ground it WILL get the metal red hot and you WILL have a fire. The fuse is there to blow if such a chafe happens and avoid said fire. As for rating, ideally you'd have about 5-10 amp above max expected draw. On these cars that's not horibly lots. I'd start with a 60amp and move up if nesisarry. (doubt it will be)

Basically, if the wire is able to touch metal anywhere between the fuse and the positive terminal, you are not fully protected.

great info. as well. thanks!

[anjin]

I haven't added an in-line fuse, but I have made sure the wires are not rubbing anywhere. For info, I relocated the engine bay fuse box into the cabin, so that simplified the path and the bits through the firewall now have a fuse on the battery side before they go though the firewall. Kind of reverse OEM.

[prairiedog]

So I know i'm bringing up an old thread but I have a question about relocation. On the positive terminal I have the wiring running to the main fuse which I will rerun when I relocate the battery. Second on the terminal is a smaller wire that runs into the small fuse connected on the terminal. When I relocate the battery I wont need that fuse anymore correct? What happens to that small wire that runs to the fuse on the terminal.

Haha I just read my post and almost didn't understand it. Ill post up a picture.

Edited by prairiedog, 12 February 2011 - 12:08 PM.