Relocating the battery

astigracing

New Member
Feb 5, 2006
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hey guys--i need to relocate my battery due to the flush mount hedalight conversion. i searched but couldn't find info as to where to get a kit for it and all neccessary hardwares to complete it. any help is greatly appreciated. thanks!

-john-
 

born2drv

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Nov 1, 2005
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#1 you should have posted this in the general or tech sections....

#2 all you need is 0 or 2 or 4 gauge power wire run all the way to the back (whatever is your preference or within your budget... i chose 0-gauge).

#3 you'll also want to run some sort of fuse or circuit breaker on the power wire in the range of 100-150amps. i've ran 100amp fuses and they never popped, but i've heard our alternators can spike up over 100amps on occasion and plus I upgraded my alternator so now I run a 150amp fuse. you can use car audio components for an inline fuse. (see my pic below)

#4 just mount the battery in the back, get at least one very solid ground to the frame, if not 2.... and you're in business.

#5 run heavy gauge wire also to the starter and alternator

#6 for a cleaner look, you can use a car audio distribution block to split the power cable (like i did, pics below).

#7 a battery box is nice. a properly sealed and vented one with an ignition kill switch mounted outside is even better (to make the car drag strip legal) ... something i still have to do.

THATS IT my friend.


these are my pics:

IMG_3677.sized.jpg


IMG_3678.sized.jpg


IMG_3679.sized.jpg
 

theDon

The Don
Mar 31, 2005
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nice work and write up born2drv

odyssey batteries works great in my experience and are mentioned in toyohabu's link

I went with a Taylor relcoation kit sold on Summit racing .com
 
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NashMan

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Aug 5, 2005
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why did you pick 0 gauge when 4 whould have done the job just as good and why doyou have your fuse so far away form your battie. it should be as close to the batt as possible that way if it ever does ground out you will have hot buring wire going though out your hole car aka bad fire make bad mess if it does ground out

plus the money you have saved from opting for 4 gauge
 
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born2drv

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I picked 0-gauge because I had that giant wire in my car for the past 9 yrs, since I was a car audio nut highschool punk kid LOL

Plus it looks uber-kool!

And I put a MR2 100 amp alternator in there so I want as much current as possible running to the back of the car for future car audio equipment. right now I have a 4-channel amp running 6 speakers in the car ... and I plan to get one more amp to run a 12 or 13" sub later on.

As for the fuse under the hood, that's where the old one used to be at the time I had my battery in the front when my car audio was setup. I suppose you could place it in the back instead, I never thought about that. I have another fuseblock with 0-gauge in to 4-gauge out x 2 with 2 seperate fuses that I plan to hookup in the back when I get my 2 amps running.
 
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NashMan

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Aug 5, 2005
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good good fuse in the back is a must

funny thing as well i used my old staero wire for my batt recate as well
 

Sparkynutz

Sad previous supra owner
Feb 27, 2006
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ToyoHabu said:
might think of going with one of these batteries. http://www.stealth316.com/2-dynabatt.htm

nice looking battery. are these any good? with the small size of these you might not even have to relocate the battery at all. just make a smaller hold down bracket for it?
I've heard that batteryies release fumes when charged and the fumes could corrode the interior of the car as well as probably not good for your lungs. has anyone used a sealed battery box and ran a hose outside the car to vent it?
Ryan
 

joliroger4

Flying Dutchman Pilot
Apr 4, 2005
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When you relocate the battery, this is also the right time to ditch the fuel pump resistor and just run a wire right off the pos terminal of the battery to the pump with a 30A fuse and a relay.

Here is what I do:

First relocate the battery to the rear and setup a good ground to the - lug on the battery. Now that your battery is in the rear you will only need a small amount of wire to get the + lug on the battery to your fuel pump(No need to run a wire all the way to the front of the car just to run it all the way back again.) Set this wire to have a 30a fuse inline and a relay. I keep these in the box with the battery The relay will also pull a ground and the fuel pump control wire has to be run up from the front of the car(X-Man provided a diagram for this not long ago showing what wire needs to be tapped and run to the new fuel pump relay in the back for this.) While you are doing this, redo the fuel pump ground wire to a 10 or 8awg and attach it to a good ground location in the trunk, you can even use the battery ground at this point. Once this is done the factory fuel pump resistor and relay assembly on the passenger fenderwell under the hood can be removed cleaning things up a bit. Tuck the free connectors under the abs unit the best you can.

The next wire you should run back is from your alternator main hot all the way back to your positive battery lug(Only do this if you run a master disconnect switch, explained below)

I also take this opportunity to install a master disconnect switch so everything is NHRA legal for when I go drag racing(Assuming your box is NHRA legal too, like the blue moroso one), so next up is to run from the positive battery lug to your master disconnect switch(If you aren't running the switch, run this wire from the + battery lug straight to the starter stud). The other side of the switch will run all the way up to the starter. If you don't run the alternator wire back to the + on the battery, the car wont shut when you flip the master disconnect switch. It will run off the alternator, even though there is no battery + in the system. Like I said above, you only need the alternator wire if you run the disconnect switch.

Here is where I get tricky. Since you no longer have a battery up front you have this terminal end that was used to connect to your battery +. I cut this terminal end off. What you are left with is what used to be the main feed for the starter and the feed for the power distribution block. Attach these two wires together. Now hook up your main stock starter wire terminal end (the one that goes on the stud using a nut) to the starter as it was stock and also attach the terminal end I said to attach to the starter earlier to the starter that goes back to the master disconnect switch. What you have done is you have power running through the switch, up to the starter and ends at the power distribution block and you also have no more loose ends.


****One thing I should add at this point is if you found your original starter wire to be corroding after you cut the battery + terminal end off, don't use that wire, make your own that will go from the power distribution block feed to the starter stud that will be nutted down with the other wire from the master disconnect in the back.****

Be sure to use a real heavy gauge for the wires going from the positive lug, through the master disconnect switch to the starter as that is what draws a ton. The power distribution block is using the old starter wire(unless you had to replace the wire because yours was corroding. I would use 6awg or thicker if this step is needed) so that wire should be fine and the wire for the alternator I wouldnt go any smaller then 6awg. I run an 8awg for my fuel pump and another 8awg for my MSD which both comes off my + battery lug. I recommend getting one of those gold plated positive terminal ends for big car stereos for your battery so you can run a few large and small gauge wires off your postive battery lug and everything stays nice and clean looking. I got mine at autozone. You also need to fuse or breaker everything properly. Also don't forget to run a vent tube from the box to outside of the cabin.
 
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drjonez

Supramania Contributor
Mar 31, 2005
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IMNSHO, relocating the battery is retarded. here's why:

in order to be LEGAL for ANY sort of motorsports, the amount of headache, wiring, added weight and cost is outrageous. to be legal you MUST have:

-moroso battery box (only one that's NHRA approved...or build a firewall separating the hatch from the rest of the interior..)
-an externally accessable cut off switch that COMPLETELY powers down the whole car
-because of above, that means you need to run TWO 0 gauge cables front to back
-you'll need fuses or breakers on both lines

sure you can just buy any old battery box and slap it up in the rear of the car, but what happens when you crash the car? have you thought about the 60 lb missile that will be flying around the car? what about when the battery decides to gas a bit?

just my $10...
 

SySt

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Mar 30, 2005
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In order for a battery box to be approved it must be vented to the exterior of the car... So what does the battery deciding to gas a bit have to do with anything? Also, you must be running a pretty large battery if it weighs 60 lbs.
 

drjonez

Supramania Contributor
Mar 31, 2005
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SySt said:
In order for a battery box to be approved it must be vented to the exterior of the car... So what does the battery deciding to gas a bit have to do with anything? Also, you must be running a pretty large battery if it weighs 60 lbs.

nope. the box must be completely sealed as well....see the NHRA rulebook.

my comments re: gasing are for those that just use any battery box (see pic earlier in the thread).

as for weight, insert whatever weight you like....fact remains improperly mounted it poses a decent threat in an accident.