Advice on Installing Power Cables

SimonTALM · 08-05-2005, 06:23 AM

Hi,

I've a spare weekend this weekend and want to move a bit further forward in my CAR PC build. I want to install the Power Cabling from the battery under the bonnet (hood) to the boot (trunk) of my VW Golf.

However, i don't want (at the moment) to connect the cables to anything, I just want to leave them hanging. Provided that I wrap the ends very well in insulation tape and don't leave any bare wares showing will this be OK?

Please help I don't want to go ahead and then find my car battery dead or worse come back to a burnt out shell coz of my noob actions.

Thanks

Simon

warnockm · 08-05-2005, 07:19 AM

I purchased a 6 gauge eye socket that crimped to the end of some 6 gauge wire. i attached that to a battery and ran a few inches to a power distribution block and ran two 10 gauge wires back to the car. i put a fuse a few inches from the power dist. block w/ 20 amp fuses in them. if you run the wire, do not install a fuse and you will be fine. i would not count on taped ends to keep from shorting, but you need a fuse on every wire in the dist. block. if you only want to run one wire, just connect that straight to the battery. they also sell aux ends for your batt. cable that lets you connect another wire into the side of it. I had luck at car audio places and NAPA auto parts. not sure what they have in the U.K. though.

hope that helps.

sdashiki · 08-05-2005, 08:47 AM

Battery wires should have an fuse at most 18" from the positive terminal under the hood.

You can then run that (take the fuse out if u dont plan on using it right away) to the trunk. And if you are going to tap that wire into multiple things (like a carputer and an amp) youll need a fuse distribution block, one fuse per device.

Tape on the wires is only a good idea when you have both the + and the - ground wires near eachother and they could touch. Touching + to - would be a bad thing.

Enforcer · 08-05-2005, 09:10 AM

this should give you some idea of what's available here

http://www.speedydelivery.co.uk/car-...mponents.shtml

I'm getting a couple of these

I could get these but then I'd have to wire the cars power through them and I don't think that's a good idea. Plus I don't think I have enough room

Then on the positive side I will have this

and on the negative side this

SimonTALM · 08-05-2005, 12:16 PM

Thanks for the comments, I think what I'll do is put the wire in with a single fuse holder in the front but leave the fuse out (hadn't thought of that - Doh). I'll still probably tape the rear end up anyway purely to keep out any moisture and stop sharp ends from damaging anything.

I don't think I'll need to use a power distribution block as I only plan to use the Opus / M1 and no other devices here. If I do it will be OK to put this in the rear (provided the main cable is capable of taking to total load)?

I've a factory grounding point very close to where I want to install so I'm planning on using that rather than running a ground back to the battery, this should be OK though shouldn't it as it's the only grounding point I'm intending to use? Or will I run a risk of Ground Loop problems with the sound?

Simon

Mad Ad · 08-05-2005, 03:23 PM

insulation tape will be fine simon.. providing its wrapped all the way around of course.

If your batt > rear power wire is 8AWG or fatter, a distro block might be useful to connect the 2 different sizes of cable, if your going with 12 gauge then sheathed crimps will do.

Ground nearest the unit where you can, more likely to get noise running your signal along with power wires, youll have to try it and see.

NeckPayne · 08-05-2005, 08:41 PM

This is probably one of those "No *****" type comments, but....

There's always the option of not hooking up to the battery, or disconnecting it after you've verified that it works...no way it can drain your battery then.