wiring 3 amps in minivan
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=91044
Printed Date: April 29, 2024 at 4:46 AM
Topic: wiring 3 amps in minivan
Posted By: piston_hrc
Subject: wiring 3 amps in minivan
Date Posted: February 26, 2007 at 11:32 PM
Hey, new guy here... just joined and looking for input on a setup im building. Its all going in a '95 voyager with a 110a alternator, 8 ga wire directly to the battery which is new also. Amps are Infinity 611A (2) and a Infinity 7541 (1) I bought a 5 farad cap a week ago, before finding this forum and seeing how you guys "love" caps LOL!! So im thinking, sell the cap before it ever gets used, add a second battery with an isolator. Would that be the best route? would you do anything more/different if it were yours? Thanks for any input you can offer :)
Replies:
Posted By: rudydapimp
Date Posted: February 27, 2007 at 7:48 AM
I would step up to at least 4 gauge, and put a distro block in the rear at have outputs of 8 gauge for the amps (since you already have it), i personally would just run 0 gauge back and then 4 gauge to the amps. You are going to need an extra battery, and i would also upgrade the "big 3"
Posted By: piston_hrc
Date Posted: February 27, 2007 at 8:30 AM
Big 3 has been done, I've already got the amps installed and running right now. Would I want to run a 4ga wire off the isolator to the extra battery in the back, then tie each amp directly off the battery.. leaving the vehicle's electrical completely seperate?
Posted By: j_darling2007
Date Posted: February 27, 2007 at 5:52 PM
I have a 611a amplifier. It is very power hungry at 60 amps. If I were you, I would use a minimum of 0 gauge, and, if your budget allows, a high output alternator.
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There are 3 kinds of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't
Posted By: piston_hrc
Date Posted: February 27, 2007 at 8:43 PM
I think I'll go ahead and do 4 gauge from the isolator block to a Optima yellow top located in the back. Then run 0 gauge from there to a distro block. Also going to upgrade to a 180a alternator I've noticed that with these amps. They seem to do just what I want but you can tell they are starving for power at times.
Posted By: aznboi3644
Date Posted: February 27, 2007 at 11:20 PM
I'd suggest a 0 gauge run from the front battery to the rear battery
Posted By: piston_hrc
Date Posted: February 28, 2007 at 7:09 AM
If I run a isolator block, the most that will travel through the front/back cable will be 110A (alternator output). It won't be connected directly to the main front battery. Would 4ga not be enough for that? Thanks for all your help with this, I definatly want to build it right the first time.
Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: February 28, 2007 at 10:16 AM
FORGET the isolator. Run the batteries (hopefully identical) in parallel, with a #4 between them (and a 150A fuse at BOTH ends!) and then run all your power for the amplifiers from the back battery, right off the terminal. You will need an upgraded alternator, no question, and I'd suggest the biggest one you can find. If your present alternator is 110A, then you are already looking for trouble using a #8, that's not big enough. Upgrade your alternator cable to #4 to start.
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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."
Posted By: piston_hrc
Date Posted: February 28, 2007 at 7:56 PM
I was afraid of ruining a battery due to overcharging without an isolator, but with the same batteries it should be ok for a while I guess? Maybe a couple of good interstate batteries will do the trick. Not sure I can swing 400 bucks for Optima's ;)
Posted By: aznboi3644
Date Posted: February 28, 2007 at 11:37 PM
overcharging without an isolator?? why would you think that
if that were true than everyones battery under their hoods would be overcharging
Posted By: piston_hrc
Date Posted: March 01, 2007 at 7:12 AM
If you run 2 batteries in parallel, you run the risk of the weaker battery being overcharged to the point of cooking it. I'm talking about a dual battery setup not a stock single battery.
Posted By: aznboi3644
Date Posted: March 01, 2007 at 8:40 PM
piston_hrc wrote:
If you run 2 batteries in parallel, you run the risk of the weaker battery being overcharged to the point of cooking it. I'm talking about a dual battery setup not a stock single battery.
simple...use a heavy duty relay
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