Battery relocation made simple. Questions.

I still don't think 15 foot would encounter voltage drop, I can test this out though when I get home.

 

I think it would be more like 25 foot cabling. It is a game changer for sure when you are comparing it to wiring right next to the alternator.

 

25 feet of 1/0 gauge is roughly 7 pounds of copper added to the system. That's interesting to think about.

 

Its too bad that our bed is wide open other wise I would consider putting it back there. Then again I would still be in the same situation as I am in right now with the lengths of cabling.

 

I just measured, you'd come in under 20 ft with a battery all the way back to the spare tire location. I think closer to 17-ish, and that was being generous.

 

How did you account for those measurements? Did you take into account all of the twists and bends the run would have to take both up and down the frame and into the engine bay?

 

Yeah. I just started at the battery and used a tape-measure. Down to fender, back to firewall, across to passenger side, down to frame, back to spare area.

 

What does the weight of the cable have to do with voltage drop?

 

Didn't say it did.

 

If he did use the distribution block, then it would. I was just making sure that the OP realized that he would need a good ground just in case he DIDN'T use the block that was suggested.

The main power of the vehicle runs to the starter, as well as the alternator and underhood fuse box. The ground runs to the left fender, and the engine block. There are a few smaller grounds that do connect to the frame, however, as one other TW member learned fast, they are not big enough for major current draws. So if the battery is relocated to the bed area, and then grounded just to the frame, when you tried to start the truck it would begin to melt the smaller frame ground wires. Thus the need to be sure that you either use a distribution block as mentioned, and centralize it all there, or run a ground from the engine block to the frame.

 

you bastards need to stop giving me ideas.
i am suppose to be done modding my truck

 

It sounds like there are several grounds that I don't know of and may be hard to reach on the truck. Also the power wires may be no easy task to reach either. Especially the power wire at the alternator. It looks like a relatively tight fit.

 

They aren't that difficult to reach really. You just need to be sure you have both positive and ground cables properly handled to prevent excessive current and heat draw. Might be a tight fit depending on the size of your hand though.

 

I apologize for no conclusion to this thread after the work has been done. I DID end up doing the mod and I ran a negative 4 gauge wire to the frame from the battery. I eventually, say about two months later, ran two 4 guage steel braided grounds from both the frame from the side wall of the coil bucket, to the engine block over the dipstick bolt location. Then a ground from the same area of the engine block (right over the valve cover) to the body as well.

Things were largely improved after I added those additional grounds since it has been 30-50* throughout the days in California. However, I still feel weakish cranking at these temperatures.

Is there something else I am missing here? Battery is at 775 CCA, is AGM and is in good shape. I will be upgrading to a 930CCA group 65 Odyssey AGM battery in like 2 days with extra reserve capacity. All connections are tight and secure, so I don't know why the cold temps are causing my semi weak cranking when the truck is cold. The problem goes away once the engine is nice and warm.

Pictures below. Power wire is 1/0 welding cable hooked up to a 200A auto reset MP marine breaker switch. @BamaToy1997 any additional ideas?

 

Kinda sounds like your battery might be a little weak/dying. I used to have the same problem with a battery that ended up dying about a month later...cold cranking sucked, but once everything was warmed up, I could shut off and start right back up again. Battery just up and died after having to jump start it about a month later. Got it to autozone for testing, they said it was dead, took it to the dealer, they replaced it under warranty and confirmed it was a complete dead battery. (that was with zero aftermarket connections and only had the truck for a year...so perfectly good batteries to die sometimes )

 

That was initially my first thought actually. It definitely is a good thing that I am replacing it already so I have a fresh platform to start from. I did a voltage drop test on it recently on all the grounds I had in place, there was a voltage drop of less than .03V (which was most of the time .01V) from frame to grounds and noticed upon cranking it when cold with the voltmeter that the voltage drop went from 12.6V all the way down to like 10.4V if I remember correctly. Which didn't sound too correct on a healthy battery. If I stopped cranking it midway it would recover voltage but only to about 12.3-12.4V.

 

Hmmmm sounds like it could be your starter?

 

I really hope it's not. I guess it looks like I may have to do a voltage drop test on it and if it is over .6 volts than I am going to have to visit the dealer so they could replace it on the last leg of my warranty.

 

Ok. Last and final update to close this one out. I ran some leftover 1/0 gauge cable I had leftover from this project straight from the battery negative terminal to one of the transfer case bolts which adjoins it to the transmission. I never ran a cable straight from the battery to the block at all, only thr frame and because of it I was taxing my system on very cold cranking situations.

Everything is fully restored to as it was and even the stereo's odd glitch to where it didn't hold music track memory on initial turn on went away. It appears as if the long block/ starter simply needed more juice to complete the circuit.

Turns right over real strong with a 1.8V drop upon initial fire up compared to the old 2.2 volt drop (using 12.6V as a baseline). That's with a flooded wet cell acid battery. I'll see how much the new AGM will be by Monday.

Picture of where the cable was installed to the block below, that cable you see at the top of the picture is where I routed the run, I zip tied the rest to the ebrake cable to avoid driveshaft interference, because that's the last thing I need:

 

Someone say AGM battery?