Battery Kill Switch
02-04-2012, 01:41 PM
#16
That may be true but I did a run on their calculator with 12 volts, 2 feet. You are supposed to double the cable run when you run the calcuations and I did not do that. I also spec'd 125 degrees and "engine compartment" and only 1% voltage drop. 3% is probably OK for only a starter but you are also running lighting - have you solved the dim dash-light problem?
What is your point? What has VAC got to do with anything we are discussing?
Their tech page never failed me when I rewired my trawler and just as a freebie for them, their products are excellent and their customer service is the best. I had an issue with a part that failed three years after I bought it and they replaced it without even seeing it.
If you have a 'weak' starter you may see higher than 300 amps. I mis-read that the load was to be 300 amps - its only the spec of the switch that is 300 amps.
You can get pre-made cables in pretty much any length at a marine store, usually tinned, which is overkill for a car, or at pretty much any auto store, non-tinned. Hunting for a crimper - most marine stores lend them to you to attach the cable end.
What is your point? What has VAC got to do with anything we are discussing?
Their tech page never failed me when I rewired my trawler and just as a freebie for them, their products are excellent and their customer service is the best. I had an issue with a part that failed three years after I bought it and they replaced it without even seeing it.
If you have a 'weak' starter you may see higher than 300 amps. I mis-read that the load was to be 300 amps - its only the spec of the switch that is 300 amps.
You can get pre-made cables in pretty much any length at a marine store, usually tinned, which is overkill for a car, or at pretty much any auto store, non-tinned. Hunting for a crimper - most marine stores lend them to you to attach the cable end.
02-05-2012, 12:19 AM
#18
Nordschleife Master
That may be true but I did a run on their calculator with 12 volts, 2 feet. You are supposed to double the cable run when you run the calcuations and I did not do that. I also spec'd 125 degrees and "engine compartment" and only 1% voltage drop. 3% is probably OK for only a starter but you are also running lighting - have you solved the dim dash-light problem?
What is your point? What has VAC got to do with anything we are discussing?
Their tech page never failed me when I rewired my trawler and just as a freebie for them, their products are excellent and their customer service is the best. I had an issue with a part that failed three years after I bought it and they replaced it without even seeing it.
If you have a 'weak' starter you may see higher than 300 amps. I mis-read that the load was to be 300 amps - its only the spec of the switch that is 300 amps.
You can get pre-made cables in pretty much any length at a marine store, usually tinned, which is overkill for a car, or at pretty much any auto store, non-tinned. Hunting for a crimper - most marine stores lend them to you to attach the cable end.
What is your point? What has VAC got to do with anything we are discussing?
Their tech page never failed me when I rewired my trawler and just as a freebie for them, their products are excellent and their customer service is the best. I had an issue with a part that failed three years after I bought it and they replaced it without even seeing it.
If you have a 'weak' starter you may see higher than 300 amps. I mis-read that the load was to be 300 amps - its only the spec of the switch that is 300 amps.
You can get pre-made cables in pretty much any length at a marine store, usually tinned, which is overkill for a car, or at pretty much any auto store, non-tinned. Hunting for a crimper - most marine stores lend them to you to attach the cable end.
The tinned wire required for marine applications is to prevent corrosion in the wires, nothing more.
Based on their charts, and you assumption of 300A for the starter, the original 2gauge wire would have burned up LONG ago.
Based on the best guidelines available for DC circuits using stranded wire, 2ga is sufficient, 1ga would provide more room to grow, and the 1/0ga I have on both my cars, and several other cars I have fitted is overkill, having almost twice the head room needed, and FAR exceeding the ASME standards. FWIW, for an otherwise stock alternator / starter setup on one of our cars, 2ga is sufficient. I chose to go with 1/0, mainly because I can get it for virtually the same price, and in actual use it is MORE flexible than the same cable in 2ga or 1ga.
If you are referring to Blue Sea (you refer to "they" and "their"), I have used their products before, and probably would again... They know what they are doing, and definitely know how to market and sell their products.
Dim dash lights has as much to do with the reflectors in your cluster, as the old PCV clad wiring in the dash, but it has NOTHING to do with any of the wiring between the battery, starter, or alternator... cleaning grounds (or replacing the ground cables) CAN help some, but the issues on these cars go much deeper... at least on the ones I HAVE fixed the dash lights in.
As for crimping on terminals, I would rather use one of the 4 I have in my garage, than borrow one, or use pre-crimped... but to each his own!
02-05-2012, 01:42 AM
#19
Racer
Thread Starter
went to a place called Sound FX (car audio store) and got 5ft of 0awg tinned ground wire with the terminals crimped and soldered for 35 bucks. huge overkill just the way i like it
the switch is mounted and wired now i just have a gym rope laying next to my battery until my splitter comes in
the switch is mounted and wired now i just have a gym rope laying next to my battery until my splitter comes in
