battery isolators

one_fast_prix · June 08, 2006, 05:50:20 PM

this if for my 93 3.1 cavy:
i'm going with two batteries in the trunk, i have a red top and yellow top d34/78 i'm relocating my red top to the trunk do to my turbo setup using the existing 4ga. ran for the system and going to connect my yellow top with it in parallel + to +, - to - for the stereo while the car is off. now i know i'm going to have to get an isolator, but when i went to research them it looks like there is many different kinds and wondering if someone knows which ones are the best to go with? also if i need to do anything else, just shoot it my way. i also believe i should get battery boxes with vents, even know these are optimas.

TurboBeretta · August 13, 2006, 04:43:13 PM

Don't use the isolator at all. Wire the batteries in parallel, connect your amps to the positive terminal of the back one.. The isolator is a power waster... Upgrade the big three and call it a day. Although usually you SHOULD use the same exact kind of battery, they are very similair so you should be fine.

GangstGP · August 16, 2006, 11:46:57 AM

Quote from: TurboBeretta on August 13, 2006, 04:43:13 PM
Don't use the isolator at all. Wire the batteries in parallel, connect your amps to the positive terminal of the back one.. The isolator is a power waster... Upgrade the big three and call it a day. Although usually you SHOULD use the same exact kind of battery, they are very similair so you should be fine.

an isolater isnt a power waster, its a power directer. It saves your alt. from trying to charge 2 batteries at the same time. why not just run your charge wire to the trunk though (2 gauge or better) to a RV battery in the trunk then run a 4 gauge from the batt. to the accessory post? 1 big one is always better than 2 smaller ones. thats what I am gonna do on my new tgp probably. you could stick a huge WAI in the battery area there if you wanted to.

oh yea, check out those lifeline rv batteries. they are f-ing bad ass. I had one years ago with a ground on it that was too long and the W-7 ate it. :icon_lol:

TurboBeretta · August 16, 2006, 09:20:22 PM

You mst not have any experience with battery isolators I take it? Don't want to sound like a jerk but you better do some real research on them. If you upgrade the big three you'll be golden. Look into SVR batteries they'll out perform any battery mentioned in this post.

GangstGP · August 17, 2006, 10:10:40 PM

Quote from: TurboBeretta on August 16, 2006, 09:20:22 PM
You mst not have any experience with battery isolators I take it? Don't want to sound like a jerk but you better do some real research on them. If you upgrade the big three you'll be golden. Look into SVR batteries they'll out perform any battery mentioned in this post.

alright , your the boss. you can see what I have done though :icon_razz:

click on my sig and see the cardomain pics. go on.....see pg. 1

TurboBeretta · August 17, 2006, 11:48:44 PM

Yeah that's some good work and some good stuff which I'm sure sounds great but the fact still remains that an isolator isn't necessary at all in his application and that they are infact power wasters. Go to any quality car audio board and the pros will all tell you what I'm telling you.

Now about that CAP.... J/K I'm not going there. :icon_biggrin:

GangstGP · August 18, 2006, 01:08:32 PM

dual batteries are a waste of power. not trying to sound like a jerk either, but I am done with the dual set-up. at least until I get a dual alt set-up ;)

1 battery is easy for a good alt to charge. no alt that fits in our cars can maintain 2 batteries with a system attached to it. I used to charge mine like twice a week. I got a 3 cap power meter that is made for my new amp (cadence) and Im sure it will help prolong the life of my new Lifeline battery. It prob wont help with the bumps, but that is not really what they are for. they ease the abuse on the battery and the alt regulater.

The reason I am going with lifeline is for the reserve power. I am assuming the SVR are like a stinger or something. a starter battery basically acting like a cap and a battery, or batt-cap? basically a red-top spiral cell agm style? the lifeline are agm too but blow away anything by optima.

TurboBeretta · August 19, 2006, 01:47:56 PM

How is having an isolator gonna change the fact that the alternator still has to charge both the batteries? It still has to do it and just wastes power. Upgrading to big three will really help the most.
kenitik and audio-force are also great batteries to use they pop up at competitions a lot.

If you upgrade the big three on your car you won't need a cap at all. If you don't know what I mean it's the wiring under the hood. The stock wring on the 3.1 is horrible. Throw some 0 gauge on and you'll see a huge difference. You only really need the cap if your doing all out Sound Quality competitions.There's nothing wrong with having 2 batteries, it will hekp if you have a lack of power system. So if say for example your headlights dim when the bass hits then thigns like a CAP is just a band aid. Upgrading your battery and wiring, and even alternator is the BEST thing to do for your system.

So what I would recommend for our original poster is get a bigger battery, do the big three upgrade, and then see if you really need more power. And yes there are infact high output alternators for your cars. I did a simple search from motor city reman on ebay and came up with these results.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/89-94-REGAL-LUMINA-CUTLASS-GRAND-PRIX-2-8-3-1L-160-AMP_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33573QQihZ019QQitemZ7933450141QQtcZphoto

If you need more power after that then you got some serious stuff in the trunk. :icon_mrgreen:

Here's a link to what the big three upgrade is incase anyoen doesn't know what it is. It's a beretta but same engines.

http://www.bstuff.com/index.php?showtopic=35256

GangstGP · August 20, 2006, 05:38:05 PM

:icon_biggrin: that alt is a POS compared to a cs 130 D. and on our cars its the big 5.

1. amp to chassis.
2. block to chassis.
3. block to battery.
4. battery to chassis.
these first 4 are all ground wires.
5. charge wires from alt-battery/aux post on back to the amp.

the big 3 is vague, everyone knows about it already but no one knows why its so famous.

TurboBeretta · August 21, 2006, 01:44:21 PM

No it IS 3. The battery to the amp and amp to chassis is your amp wiring which if you have a system will already be installed. A LOT of people don't add on to the rest of the wiring, hence the name the big 3.

Why is it so famous?!?! How can you expect those crappy small stock wires to get the right amount of power to your amp and battery when the power wire from the amp is bigger than the stock wires? Go take a look at the wires coming off your alternator and tell me their any good if you have a system?

GangstGP · August 22, 2006, 11:34:47 AM

Quote from: TurboBeretta on August 21, 2006, 01:44:21 PM
No it IS 3. The battery to the amp and amp to chassis is your amp wiring which if you have a system will already be installed. A LOT of people don't add on to the rest of the wiring, hence the name the big 3.

Why is it so famous?!?! How can you expect those crappy small stock wires to get the right amount of power to your amp and battery when the power wire from the amp is bigger than the stock wires? Go take a look at the wires coming off your alternator and tell me their any good if you have a system?

OK? Big 5 for ya!

TurboBeretta · August 22, 2006, 01:30:20 PM

:icon_rolleyes: You listed 5 runs of wire. 2 of them which are runs for the amp. Which would give you the 3 that people don't usually upgrade hence the name the big 3. You can upgrade your amp wiring, but that's just your amps wiring....

GangstGP · August 22, 2006, 03:49:08 PM

yes, I did. you are so very correct. all 5 of those wires must be 4 gauge or better or they aint shit. just like you said earlier. the big wire 5.