Alright, my delima currently focuses around getting power from my car battery to my amp. Perhaps someone here has some advice on this subject.
First off, I own a GM vehicle. As is typical of all GMs, it has a side mount battery. However, all the products sold on-line for connecting amps to your car battery are for top posts. The only thing I have found, the only thing, is a little post to screw into the side of your battery to make it like a vertical post. Which is all fine and well, except then you have no where to connect your factory battery cables.
At this point, I am not at all keen on the idea of cutting off the factory cables and pushing the wires into an after market connector that was never supposed to be on my battery to begin with. (As a general rule, I don't like to do anything to a car that cannot be reversed.) One day, I may up grade the negative battery cable and the engine ground. At that time, I may have the funds to upgrade all the cables to my battery. Not now though...
Which brings me to my second idea, splicing into the "Maxi Fuse and Relay Center" under the hood. This is where all the 60Amp Ignition and 40Amp A/c fuses and such hook in. There are open spaces in the block with power ready to go. However, I do not have the prongs for the other side of the fuse, the side that I would connect my load wire to. I have yet to be able to find one, but I may go junk yarding before long.
My only concern is accidently pushing too much current through the 2G (might be 4) wire running back to the battery. Which is currently unfused, and I'd have to figure out how big of a fuse to give it.
So currently my power connection is at a stand-still. Does anyone have any advice on power connections for GM vehicles? Or does anyone know where I might pick up some... more compatible parts to use on one?
-MC
First off, I own a GM vehicle. As is typical of all GMs, it has a side mount battery. However, all the products sold on-line for connecting amps to your car battery are for top posts. The only thing I have found, the only thing, is a little post to screw into the side of your battery to make it like a vertical post. Which is all fine and well, except then you have no where to connect your factory battery cables.
At this point, I am not at all keen on the idea of cutting off the factory cables and pushing the wires into an after market connector that was never supposed to be on my battery to begin with. (As a general rule, I don't like to do anything to a car that cannot be reversed.) One day, I may up grade the negative battery cable and the engine ground. At that time, I may have the funds to upgrade all the cables to my battery. Not now though...
Which brings me to my second idea, splicing into the "Maxi Fuse and Relay Center" under the hood. This is where all the 60Amp Ignition and 40Amp A/c fuses and such hook in. There are open spaces in the block with power ready to go. However, I do not have the prongs for the other side of the fuse, the side that I would connect my load wire to. I have yet to be able to find one, but I may go junk yarding before long.
My only concern is accidently pushing too much current through the 2G (might be 4) wire running back to the battery. Which is currently unfused, and I'd have to figure out how big of a fuse to give it.
So currently my power connection is at a stand-still. Does anyone have any advice on power connections for GM vehicles? Or does anyone know where I might pick up some... more compatible parts to use on one?
-MC
What have you got against a ring terminal on the end of your amps power cable? Or perhaps using the screw in post to not only act as a post, but also as a screw to hold in your factory wires? Those rubber boots on the factory wires can EASILY be trimmed with a razor knife.
The simple route is sometimes the best route.
The simple route is sometimes the best route.
Well... if I cut off the rubber boot, then I can never really go back to my factory cables. I would like to install this system with as little cutting, hitting, cussing, and modifying with duct tape as possible. (I've already had one incident in which a plastic surround had become brittle from the elements, I attempting drilling through it and a foot by boot section just crumbled.) Plus the excess metal of the contacts would be exposed to the elements... not the best for power transfer.
Beyond that, the bolt going into the battery is a double-length bolt. Meaning there is one cable for the alternator, and another one going up to the Maxi fuses, so the bolt on the back of a screw in post would not be long enough.
The problem with using a ring terminal on the end of my amp wire is that they are not long enough. To get one that is long enough to fit in there flat (without having my battery cable all cocked out of wack) is a 1/0G. My power wire is only a 6G. The do make a double-length post with a set of threads on top of it. So basically, you have to connect your factory cables, and then bolt the ring on your amp wire to the top of the bolt. Kind of a two step inconvienence, but it would work fine.
I really would like to get it wired into the Maxi power distribution block. If only the auto parts store carried the part. That way it is all concealed and neat, and I do not have to worry about connecting and mounting an in-line fuse holder. AGU fuses are expensive, Maxi's are cheap and available in the amperage I need... however most of the holders are made for 8/10G. In addition, I may spend the money to put a 180A fuse in the 4G going to the power block.
Anyway... onward.
-MC
Beyond that, the bolt going into the battery is a double-length bolt. Meaning there is one cable for the alternator, and another one going up to the Maxi fuses, so the bolt on the back of a screw in post would not be long enough.
The problem with using a ring terminal on the end of my amp wire is that they are not long enough. To get one that is long enough to fit in there flat (without having my battery cable all cocked out of wack) is a 1/0G. My power wire is only a 6G. The do make a double-length post with a set of threads on top of it. So basically, you have to connect your factory cables, and then bolt the ring on your amp wire to the top of the bolt. Kind of a two step inconvienence, but it would work fine.
I really would like to get it wired into the Maxi power distribution block. If only the auto parts store carried the part. That way it is all concealed and neat, and I do not have to worry about connecting and mounting an in-line fuse holder. AGU fuses are expensive, Maxi's are cheap and available in the amperage I need... however most of the holders are made for 8/10G. In addition, I may spend the money to put a 180A fuse in the 4G going to the power block.
Anyway... onward.
-MC
My solution has been to buy a dual terminal battery. I find it very convenient to be able to reserve my top-mount posts exclusively for audio system use.
BUT... there's another easy option. You can buy new bolts for the side-mount terminals that extend outward and have another bolt on the end that you can stack a bunch of ring terminals on. I've used it a few times and it works great. Advance Auto and any other decent autoparts store should have them, and they are only a buck or two.
BUT... there's another easy option. You can buy new bolts for the side-mount terminals that extend outward and have another bolt on the end that you can stack a bunch of ring terminals on. I've used it a few times and it works great. Advance Auto and any other decent autoparts store should have them, and they are only a buck or two.
Hello,
You have two options:
(1) You can buy a GM battery post adapter at any car audio store. It allows you to hook up your factory wiring to the battery and has a nut that allows you to hook up after market wiring that is terminated with ring terminals.
(2) Some GM batteries have unused top posts. If this is the case, you can buy a simple battery clamp and utilize your unused top post.
Common brands of these parts are Stinger, Rockford Fosgate, Scosche, Monster, Phoenix Gold etc...
Cheers
Kevin
You have two options:
(1) You can buy a GM battery post adapter at any car audio store. It allows you to hook up your factory wiring to the battery and has a nut that allows you to hook up after market wiring that is terminated with ring terminals.
(2) Some GM batteries have unused top posts. If this is the case, you can buy a simple battery clamp and utilize your unused top post.
Common brands of these parts are Stinger, Rockford Fosgate, Scosche, Monster, Phoenix Gold etc...
Cheers
Kevin
Its easier than you're thinking. There are ways around this. First, your battery cables have those annoying rubber boots that look tough. They also hold the bolt in place. Pop the bolt out through the rubber, then use a screwdriver to make a path up through that rubber boot and push your 4 ga through. Install a ring terminal on it, and pull it back through so that it lines up with the hole. Re install the bolt and you now have a factory-looking setup that is easy to un-do. I did it on my 96 Impala SS.
Poke around, too. Often times GM has a remote lug for the battery. My 91 Beretta 3.1 had one, my SS has one. Unless you have an older, carbed GM, it should have a + lug somewhere near the underhood fuse box.
A GM parts counter may have electrical connectors to install a fuse in one of your empty slots, but your problem is that it will only handle about 12 ga wire, maybe 10. You could run two 10 ga and effectively get your desired flow, but that's a pain and you would need two empty fuse slots.
There are a thousand things you can do with your current battery. You can get (if you look hard enough) just about anything to bolt on to that side post. There are side-post extenders which you bolt to the terminal and then bolt your side mount cable to the adapter. Its just like a brass block that comes with a longer bolt. The block has holes with set screws or screws for lug terminals. I had one on my Beretta. I think mine was made by lightning audio, but that was in 1993.
Poke around, too. Often times GM has a remote lug for the battery. My 91 Beretta 3.1 had one, my SS has one. Unless you have an older, carbed GM, it should have a + lug somewhere near the underhood fuse box.
A GM parts counter may have electrical connectors to install a fuse in one of your empty slots, but your problem is that it will only handle about 12 ga wire, maybe 10. You could run two 10 ga and effectively get your desired flow, but that's a pain and you would need two empty fuse slots.
There are a thousand things you can do with your current battery. You can get (if you look hard enough) just about anything to bolt on to that side post. There are side-post extenders which you bolt to the terminal and then bolt your side mount cable to the adapter. Its just like a brass block that comes with a longer bolt. The block has holes with set screws or screws for lug terminals. I had one on my Beretta. I think mine was made by lightning audio, but that was in 1993.
one more thing
I forgot my last suggestion.
Any parts store will also have replacement battery cables. I bought one for my 66 Bonneville (top terminal) that had three extra wires cast right into the lead of the terminal. They were about 6" long with shrink tubing on the ends in case you didn't need them. They also had side-terminal cables that had extra wires coming from under the boot. You could get a new cable for your car that has some extra wires.
I forgot my last suggestion.
Any parts store will also have replacement battery cables. I bought one for my 66 Bonneville (top terminal) that had three extra wires cast right into the lead of the terminal. They were about 6" long with shrink tubing on the ends in case you didn't need them. They also had side-terminal cables that had extra wires coming from under the boot. You could get a new cable for your car that has some extra wires.
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