Battery relocation wiring Q

[rps13_fastback]

Hi guys, I relocated my battery to the trunk a few weeks ago.. was in a rush because I was putting in my FMIC.. anyhow, I did it the super ghetto way, just put a ring terminal on some Home Depot super stiff 2 gauge wire, and hooked it up to the thing that goes on the positive on the battery. Grounded the battery to the trunk floor.

I did some searching and some people put the positive lead on the starter.. is this correct? What about all the other stuff like the black and green plug (that plugs into the big red plug) that touches the positive? Please bear with me as I have very little wiring knowledge. Thanks

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SRd240SX/Jen093.jpg

[projectRDM]

Bolt the lead from the battery to the starter.

Then either insulate the battery terminal and tuck it away, or tie it all together somehow at the terminal.

[TheTimanator]

I haven't finished mine yet. I've the battery box mounted for 6 months empty...ha!

Anyway, I'm planning on using one these things. Hopefully it will make it easier to clean things up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v307/thetimanator/000_0204.jpg

[RSP13-Sideways]

What's crazy is you didn't take out your battery box, you just cut right the sucker.

I removed my battery box and it was a biatch...

[ruthlesstyper]

Most people just cut through it buddy..

[RSP13-Sideways]

Most people just cut through it buddy..

Most people are lazy.....

[rps13_fastback]

Bolt the lead from the battery to the starter.

Then either insulate the battery terminal and tuck it away, or tie it all together somehow at the terminal.

So the battery terminal and that red connector doesn't need to be hooked up to the positive on the battery?

[rps13_fastback]

What's crazy is you didn't take out your battery box, you just cut right the sucker.

I removed my battery box and it was a biatch...

You mean the battery tray? I wanted to but didn't know how to take out the spot welds.. also looked like a big PITA. How did you do it?

[RSP13-Sideways]

You mean the battery tray? I wanted to but didn't know how to take out the spot welds.. also looked like a big PITA. How did you do it?

The spot welds are the hardest thing. Just drill them out because you're going to have to cut a hole there anyway. I made my hole a lot larger though, so when I upgrade my intercooler I have room to play with.

[projectRDM]

So the battery terminal and that red connector doesn't need to be hooked up to the positive on the battery?

Think about it for a sec.

Battery power flows to the starter terminal.
The positive terminal lead to the starter is still there as well.
Power flows through the terminals on the starter up to the battery terminal.
Power flows through the terminal to the fusebox.

[s14srpilot]

I know this is an old thread. I searched and looked at a bunch of other threads but didn't find an answer to my question. I'm just wondering about the gases that batteries emit. If I buy an optima and relocate it to the trunk without a battery box should I worry about this? My car is a daily driver. Thanks!

[the head]

with an optima you should not have a problem and as long is the car is not a hatch and has a back seat you dont need an externally vented battery box

always use a battery box shit the marine ones are under 20 at any auto parts store if you are being totally cheap use that

[alkemyst]

hatch or not, any trunk mounted battery that is not a 'dry/gel' cell needs to be vented. Your trunk is hardly air tight even in a coupe.

Regardless if you know people without problems, it's not safe.

[the head]

safe or not I am just saying that for teh drag strip if it is in hte trunk and you have a rear seat in a coupe it is legal

[s14srpilot]

So to restate the answer to be sure I understand: If I get an Optima yellow top=Dry/gel cell then I don't need a battery box, hatch or not, with a back seat, correct?

[Yoshi]

safe or not I am just saying that for teh drag strip if it is in hte trunk and you have a rear seat in a coupe it is legal

It probably depends on how strict they are at the track you go to, but it seems to me that you wouldn't pass tech inspection if they saw your trunk mounted battery w/o a box, because at that point it's a liability issue for the track management if anything goes wrong on your run.

[projectRDM]

Optimas are gel cells, they don't need to vent and you can mount them upside down if you want.
Standard sealed type batteries require venting, even if it's in the trunk.

[dekand]

easiest way to bolt the + lead to the harness is with a bolt/nut and washer. you put a washer on each side of the existing harness terminal, then send a bolt through the new + terminal and a bolt on the other side and tighten it all up, walla... done. id get a pic but im tired and lazy...

[Rusker]

Most people are lazy.....


word......

[180SXtc]

Just out of curiousity where did you ground your battery in the trunk?

[the head]

It probably depends on how strict they are at the track you go to, but it seems to me that you wouldn't pass tech inspection if they saw your trunk mounted battery w/o a box, because at that point it's a liability issue for the track management if anything goes wrong on your run.

no man I just said you dont need an externally vented box you still need a box of some sort

[the head]

So to restate the answer to be sure I understand: If I get an Optima yellow top=Dry/gel cell then I don't need a battery box, hatch or not, with a back seat, correct?

they dont need a VENTED BOX you still need a BOX of some type to pass tech get a plastic marine box and call it good like I said they are about 20 or 25 dollars

the reasoning behind this is it protects the terminals from grounding to the chassis in an accident if the batt breaks loose from its mountings electrical fires are bad and this helps to prevent them

[cinci_s14]

Bolt the lead from the battery to the starter.

Then either insulate the battery terminal and tuck it away, or tie it all together somehow at the terminal.


Is there an advantage to bolting the lead from the battery to the starter, rather than bolting it to the oem lead that was originally attached to the battery? I'm in the middle of my battery relocation and am a little confused about this recommendation...

[sncs14]

my pos. lead is rigged to the original lead for now. i'm going to either run it to the starter or pick up a distribution block. i'm not leaving it where it is now, it just doesn't look very clean

[junkilo]

Just out of curiousity where did you ground your battery in the trunk?

under the trunk mat sand it down till its bare metal and lag bolt the lead on there good n tight.

cutting out the oem battery tray is a pain. I took to it with a crowbar, sawzall and hammer. a drill is a good idea to break apart the annoying parts.

[theicecreamdan]

one of the teachers in the automotive program at my school, the teacher for electrical systems, told me that gel cells do indeed create the same gases as normal batteries, so a vented box is still a good idea.

and just to have correct terminology, power doesn't flow, current flows through wiring diagrams.

[the head]

My system is wired to the original leads using a 150 amp marine circut breaker it works great and gives me aa handy place to power down the car when i put it in storage.

[junkilo]

My system is wired to the original leads using a 150 amp marine circut breaker it works great and gives me aa handy place to power down the car when i put it in storage.

yea regular circuit breakers work for dc and ac in terms of a mock kill switch.

[SochBAT]

Damn, right thru it.

I hate electrical, so i'll give you props on one of the cleanest battery trays ever!

And I'll read to learn more.