What gauge wire to use?

[timlush]

Just want to make sure this setup will be safe. Here is what I plan on doing, please tell me if I should change anything. This is on an S14.

The battery will be in the trunk. The distribution block will be under the dash on the passenger side.

Red - 2ga

blue - 4ga

yellow 4ga

green - 8ga



Thanks!

[xsparc]

That should be fine, but make sure your gnd from the batt to the chasis is very short and 4ga too

[timlush]

Why should the ground be 4ga? So it's the same as the Alt?

[xsparc]

oops sorry i ment 2ga, but its also important to be short, like under 1ft if you can

[96Turbo]

perfect. that's pretty much EXACTLY how i've got mine wired

but, you really don't NEED the dist block

just wire from bat->starter->alt->fusebox

stepping up in wire gauge with each step


no need for dist block, just wire in an inline fuse and you're golden

[projectRDM]

Originally Posted by 96Turbo

perfect. that's pretty much EXACTLY how i've got mine wired

but, you really don't NEED the dist block

just wire from bat->starter->alt->fusebox

stepping up in wire gauge with each step


no need for dist block, just wire in an inline fuse and you're golden

Agreed. The block is useless. Bolt the starter lead to the M6 bolt that supplies the 100A fusible link in the fusebox. Bolt the battery wire to the starter. Done. No need for anything additional, completely clean and stealth install, retains all OE circuits.

[LA_phantom_240]

Originally Posted by projectRDM

Agreed. The block is useless. Bolt the starter lead to the M6 bolt that supplies the 100A fusible link in the fusebox. Bolt the battery wire to the starter. Done. No need for anything additional, completely clean and stealth install, retains all OE circuits.

Wait.... what? I want to relocate as well... but the way you explained it just confused me lol.

[timlush]

Originally Posted by projectRDM

Agreed. The block is useless. Bolt the starter lead to the M6 bolt that supplies the 100A fusible link in the fusebox. Bolt the battery wire to the starter. Done. No need for anything additional, completely clean and stealth install, retains all OE circuits.

Is this assuming you still have the alternator lead bolted to the stud on the fusebox?

[96Turbo]

Originally Posted by 96Turbo

save your money on the dist block and do like so:



you can see a glimpse of the fatty red wire right behind the fuel filter. It comes from the trunk and goes straight to the starter.

Then you can see the silver wire that runs from starter straight to the alternator.

The skinny red wire goes from the alternator post to that interior plug i mentioned earlier. If you rip off the plastic piece you'll be left with a ring connector lookin thing. I just bolted that ring connector to the wire i ran from the alternator. Then tape the shit out of it.

So basically it's just a long chain of (+) power. It's basically just the reverse of how it's wired stock (interior->alt->starter)

works like a charm, just need to install a circuit breaker. let me know if you have any other ?s

EDIT: the 2 other silver wire you see (above fuel filter and below alternator) are just grounds

msglengthmofo

[projectRDM]

Originally Posted by LA_phantom_240

Wait.... what? I want to relocate as well... but the way you explained it just confused me lol.

Alright, I know I've typed this before but I'll do it again as long as you fools remember it.

The OE setup has a 4ga wire coming from the battery terminal to the starter. There are also two 8ga wires coming off the terminal and going inside the main fusebox, bolting to one side of the 100A fusible link, secured with an M6 bolt. The alternator lead comes off an M8 stud just behind the 100A link and goes to the alternator.

Now, it's pretty simple to understand that the two 8ga wires supply the entire car's power from the battery, they go through the 100A link, then to the 75A, then so on and so on. So...

Remove the two 8 ga wires completely, Take the 4ga wire that comes from the starter and cut the terminal off the battery end. Crimp a ring terminal to it, now bolt that end in place of where the two 8ga wires just came off, to one side of the 100A link. You may need a longer bolt depending on the size of the ring you use, but there's a million of them on the car. I usually have to trim the ring a bit to fit flush, they're typically too wide to fit right in the box. Now, take your battery wire that will go to the trunk and bolt it directly to the starter. Leave the alternator lead untouched. You're done.

Stock it is setup like this: Battery -> starter and fusebox together.

Now it's: Battery -> starter -> fusebox.

You haven't changed anything except the order but it's all high current, single connect. Take the OE ground cable and move the chassis point from the battery tray (which is probably corroded) and bolt it to the alternator ground point, behind the fusebox. Cut the section of wire off from the chassis to battery, it's no longer needed. Now take another piece of wire, same gauge as your battery lead and ground it in the trunk. I drop the wire outside and bolt it to one of the rear towhook bolts (I took the hook off for aesthetics).

Complete. Fuse the battery lead AT the battery.

[timlush]

Originally Posted by projectRDM

Leave the alternator lead untouched. You're done.

Ok, thought so. I think I still have it laying around somewhere, if not I will have to do it 96Turbo's way.

Thanks guys.

[projectRDM]

Originally Posted by timlush

Ok, thought so. I think I still have it laying around somewhere, if not I will have to do it 96Turbo's way.

Thanks guys.

If not, just run a new wire. Same as the OE one, just bolt to the charging lead on the case and the M8 stud in the fusebox.