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I added a second battery to help power my system but something isn't right. I got the main power going from the posi side of my main batt to the posi of the second batt. Then from the posi of the second batt to the amp. The second battery is grounded where my amp is. The amp had power for about a minute then it just died and now nothing power wise. I put a battery charger on the second batt and it says it has a full charge. Any suggestions?

Here is some good reading on the subject http://www.carsound.com/columns/navone/nav0003.shtml

Now that's something that makes you go HUMMMMM...

01bonne wrote:I added a second battery to help power my system but something isn't right. I got the main power going from the posi side of my main batt to the posi of the second batt. Then from the posi of the second batt to the amp. The second battery is grounded where my amp is. The amp had power for about a minute then it just died and now nothing power wise. I put a battery charger on the second batt and it says it has a full charge. Any suggestions?

i'm not exactly sure on this..... shouldn't you have ran a lead (insted of POS to POS on the batts) going from the alt to the second battery?

scratch that, think im wrong

What types are your two batteries, and did you use an isolator?

make sure you use 0 gauge wire.
do both positive and negative runs from the front.
don't mix battery types (lead and AGM)
do your underhood wiring in 0 gauge and run a new chassis ground to the shock tower
ground the batteries and amp(s) in the trunk as well

in electrical more = better... and there's no such thing as overkill.

The 2000 and newer have the battery under the seat, not under the hood. We don't know where he installed his second battery, but I'm assuming the trunk.

AGM batteries ARE lead also. And you can mix them if you use an isolator.

willwren wrote:The 2000 and newer have the battery under the seat, not under the hood. We don't know where he installed his second battery, but I'm assuming the trunk.

AGM batteries ARE lead also. And you can mix them if you use an isolator.

mkay well then update your alt +, motor ground and chassis ground with 0 gauge. and then update the chassis ground under the rear seat in 0 gauge. then it's as simple as running wire from one battery to another.

don't waste your time with an isolator, just get two (or more) of the same battery. it's advisable to fuse the positive run from bat 1 to bat 2 in 2 places, as well as the positive run up to the alternator.

kmalinich wrote:make sure you use 0 gauge wire.
do both positive and negative runs from the front.

Positive yes, negative NO. You can ground second battery in the rear. 0g is a good suggestion, but not a must.

WeeBey wrote:

kmalinich wrote:make sure you use 0 gauge wire.
do both positive and negative runs from the front.

Positive yes, negative NO. You can ground second battery in the rear. 0g is a good suggestion, but not a must.

agreeeeed.

Here's some wire you may be interested in:

4 Ga.
http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetai ... dID=KFX4BL

1/0 Ga.
http://www.knukonceptz.com/productDetai ... dID=KFX0BL

kmalinich wrote:don't waste your time with an isolator, just get two (or more) of the same battery.

As WillWren said I would isolate the battery.

kmalinich wrote:it's advisable to fuse the positive run from bat 1 to bat 2 in 2 places, as well as the positive run up to the alternator.

If I am understanding your post that would make 3 fuses. 2 fuses is all you need in the set up.

WeeBey wrote:

kmalinich wrote:it's advisable to fuse the positive run from bat 1 to bat 2 in 2 places, as well as the positive run up to the alternator.

If I am understanding your post that would make 3 fuses. 2 fuses is all you need in the set up.

Agreed. All you need is one btw the batt + alt, and btw your amp and the batt, and i'd say your good.

The advice given in this topic to not run an isolator is very poor advice. I STRONGLY encourage you to run an isolator. Any issue with one battery will cause issues with the other unless an isolator is used. This can be catastrophic in some cases. Ask anyone running pairs in a boat or RV.

willwren wrote:The advice given in this topic to not run an isolator is very poor advice. I STRONGLY encourage you to run an isolator. Any issue with one battery will cause issues with the other unless an isolator is used. This can be catastrophic in some cases. Ask anyone running pairs in a boat or RV.

I'm with wren. VERY important to use an isolator.

Although, i have heard cases of people buying multiple of the SAME batteries.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_528 ... C-200.html

If you really want to hold yourself back in audio, go ahead, waste your time getting two or more different batteries and then after that dump the money into an isolator.

Just use 0 gauge. Do it right and the best way the 1st time. 0 isn't much more. It's safe.

And use three fuses, it's safer.

If you only had two fuses, one at each battery + terminal, and your + lead going back to the 2nd battery breaks, it'll blow both fuses. Safe.

But if your + lead from the alternator happens to ground itself, it'll just keep feeding the circuit, causing lots of nasty problems...


I know my stuff with audio. I've already done all this.

But hey, I can't change other people's minds. They'll believe whatever they want.

kmalinich wrote:If you really want to hold yourself back in audio, go ahead, waste your time getting two or more different batteries and then after that dump the money into an isolator.

Just use 0 gauge. Do it right and the best way the 1st time. 0 isn't much more. It's safe.

And use three fuses, it's safer.

If you only had two fuses, one at each battery + terminal, and your + lead going back to the 2nd battery breaks, it'll blow both fuses. Safe.

But if your + lead from the alternator happens to ground itself, it'll just keep feeding the circuit, causing lots of nasty problems...


I know my stuff with audio. I've already done all this.

But hey, I can't change other people's minds. They'll believe whatever they want.

Dude. Only two fuses need to be used. From Alt to Batts, and from Batt to amp.

I can claim i know my stuff with audio too, in that matter.

kmalinich, while you may consider yourself very knowledgeable with Audio (and our world seems to be overrun by experts in the field), the isolator issue has nothing to do with Audio, and everything to do with basic electrical circuit design and electrical safety, particularly when the time bomb is sitting under the rear seat.

When you give advice that has a direct bearing on safety, I will contradict it. You are dead wrong in suggesting an isolator should not be needed. The safety of our members and their cars comes first.

honestly an isolator is not really needed unless you plan on running the system on high volume with the car turned off for more then 5 minutes at a time....

sounds like you hooked everything up right.. only thing i would change is taking thee amp ground off from the spot where the second battery is groundd to and ground the amp driectly to the negative on the battrery..

i find this the bst way..

Not too poop on anyones isolator party, But I have 4 Optimas and No isolator... I have 150 amp fuses in the right places and my setup works amazing..