DIY: Battery relocation to trunk
Scott. you should move that red one that is doing nothing. Im sure you could find a place within reach. It would only take a few min.
Yea i left those dinky wires there as well, had a starting issue. Took a short run of the radaflex from the chassis, fed behind the pullies, and up to one of the water pump bolts, and that did the trick for me.
I have a single ground in the trunk from the battery to the shock tower brace stud and then also added a ground from the chassis to the engine
with the new starter my engine fires off so fast I don't even get to hear the starter turn over
with the new starter my engine fires off so fast I don't even get to hear the starter turn over
I'm sure the warm climate helps, but I will get a clip and post here, i was expecting my starter to crank the engine over a bit quicker since i replaced the battery in the trunk with a 900cca diehard platinum (dirt cheap on sale from searz woot) to replace my AGM battery that wasn't just cutting it for DD reliability.
it was 40 degF and the engine hadn't been started for almost three months prior
I do have a mega CCA Li battery rather than one of the usual AGM racing type
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I do have a mega CCA Li battery rather than one of the usual AGM racing type
.
Last edited by TeamRX8; Feb 22, 2013 at 01:09 PM.
Nah, no Li battery. I just went with this for the sake of having a nice strong battery
DieHard Platinum Battery : Buy High-Performance Battery at Sears
My dad has a few Jeeps and he used the AGM's (optima) for a while but swears buy the Die Hard platinum now.
But I did find this review
But I did find this review
Installed in a 2004 Mazda RX8 in Oct 2010. Selected battery through the Sears web site based on recommendation by the site for this vehicle. Web site recommended a Group 35 size battery. The battery was not a great fit externally into the battery box, needed minor modification to clamps to get them to securely fasten the battery in place. Also, both of the battery terminals are significantly smaller than the tightest possible clamp fastening position on the battery cables which also required some creative work with heavy guage copper wire as a spacer to make up the gap between the terminals and the clamps.
Last edited by 9krpmrx8; Feb 22, 2013 at 02:01 PM.
It has 4x more CA, 2.5x more reserve, and 33% less weight than a Odyssey PC680, but be forewarned that I got a good deal it was still 15x more $$$
if you go with an Odyssey etc. then for street duty I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than the PC925, but its almost 2x the weight of a PC680. The equivalent size would also be good for a street driven Li battery, but again you have to pay to play. The Li version would probably only weigh around 8 lbs.
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Last edited by TeamRX8; Feb 22, 2013 at 05:39 PM.
DieHard Platinum / Odyssey / Enersys are all the same thing.
EnerSys Signs Multi-Year Contract to Provide Sears Holdings... -- re> READING, Pa. and HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
EnerSys Signs Multi-Year Contract to Provide Sears Holdings... -- re> READING, Pa. and HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Grounding from engine to chassis made no difference. I am going to go from the battery in the trunk all the way up front and see if it makes a difference. If not then I will put the battery up front to insure it is not something else causing the long cranking times.
Registered
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 425
Likes: 4
From: Whangarei, New Zealand
Do not use any shock bolts as an earth point, they are very poor points to use as an earth, as there is movement and over time can work loose.
If you are going to mount your battery in the boot, which is a good place to put a battery, due to it being far away from heat. Batteries do not like being in a hot eviroment.
Also if you mount the battery in the right place in the boot, it can help with better weight distribution. But dont mount the battery all the way in the back of the boot, as this then just becomes a swinging weight, the further to the rear of the car that you mount it. Mount it as close to the back of the rear seat as possible and run an earth point down to the chassis just under the rear seat, or some where solid that you can weld a good earth mount to the chassis.
The best earth mount is only to the chassis, and to do this properly you will probably have to have a earth mount welded onto the chassis somewhere reasonably close to the battery.
Running an earth cable all the way to the front is only a waste of money and will only lead to a greater resistance for current flow from the battery to the starter.
A good chassis mounted earth point is far better then any long run cable.
I'm sorry to say this but some of you need to go back to school and learn some of the basics of 12V systems before you start playing about with any of your cars electrical system.
With a 12V system, you need to run as big a battery cable as you can fit in your car, if you are running it from the boot. This is especially true if you are also running high powered stereo setups.
If our cars were 24v then we could get away with a battery cable of about half the size due to having twice the voltage, doesn't need to produce as much current to do the same thing.
As an example in my own car which has a large Odyssey battery and 00 gauge battery cable run to the engine bay into a handmade distribution block and then about 2gauge cable from the distribution block to the starter motor.
Also 4gauge run from the distribution block to the cars fuse compartment.
Also from the battery I have a short run of again 00 gauge earth cable down to a custom earth mount under the rear seat ( not directly under obviously ) to the chassis.
I have never had a problem starting my car and it runs a high powered stereo as well.
My car will still start first time, even with my battery down to 10volts.
This is due to a good battery and the starter motor being able to draw high current through a very high quality battery cable.
The only down side to the sort of set up my car has is the extra weight. It may not be much, but it is a bit.
This is easily overcome as my car is turboed.
I hope some of what I have written is helpful.
Rotaman
If you are going to mount your battery in the boot, which is a good place to put a battery, due to it being far away from heat. Batteries do not like being in a hot eviroment.
Also if you mount the battery in the right place in the boot, it can help with better weight distribution. But dont mount the battery all the way in the back of the boot, as this then just becomes a swinging weight, the further to the rear of the car that you mount it. Mount it as close to the back of the rear seat as possible and run an earth point down to the chassis just under the rear seat, or some where solid that you can weld a good earth mount to the chassis.
The best earth mount is only to the chassis, and to do this properly you will probably have to have a earth mount welded onto the chassis somewhere reasonably close to the battery.
Running an earth cable all the way to the front is only a waste of money and will only lead to a greater resistance for current flow from the battery to the starter.
A good chassis mounted earth point is far better then any long run cable.
I'm sorry to say this but some of you need to go back to school and learn some of the basics of 12V systems before you start playing about with any of your cars electrical system.
With a 12V system, you need to run as big a battery cable as you can fit in your car, if you are running it from the boot. This is especially true if you are also running high powered stereo setups.
If our cars were 24v then we could get away with a battery cable of about half the size due to having twice the voltage, doesn't need to produce as much current to do the same thing.
As an example in my own car which has a large Odyssey battery and 00 gauge battery cable run to the engine bay into a handmade distribution block and then about 2gauge cable from the distribution block to the starter motor.
Also 4gauge run from the distribution block to the cars fuse compartment.
Also from the battery I have a short run of again 00 gauge earth cable down to a custom earth mount under the rear seat ( not directly under obviously ) to the chassis.
I have never had a problem starting my car and it runs a high powered stereo as well.
My car will still start first time, even with my battery down to 10volts.
This is due to a good battery and the starter motor being able to draw high current through a very high quality battery cable.
The only down side to the sort of set up my car has is the extra weight. It may not be much, but it is a bit.
This is easily overcome as my car is turboed.
I hope some of what I have written is helpful.
Rotaman
Last edited by Rotaman; Feb 26, 2013 at 08:12 PM.
Not the one I bought. Most don't, but there are a few. It depends on the electrical control board package they use, or whether they actually have one or not.
It has 4x more CA, 2.5x more reserve, and 33% less weight than a Odyssey PC680, but be forewarned that I got a good deal it was still 15x more $$$
if you go with an Odyssey etc. then for street duty I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than the PC925, but its almost 2x the weight of a PC680. The equivalent size would also be good for a street driven Li battery, but again you have to pay to play. The Li version would probably only weigh around 8 lbs.
.
It has 4x more CA, 2.5x more reserve, and 33% less weight than a Odyssey PC680, but be forewarned that I got a good deal it was still 15x more $$$
if you go with an Odyssey etc. then for street duty I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than the PC925, but its almost 2x the weight of a PC680. The equivalent size would also be good for a street driven Li battery, but again you have to pay to play. The Li version would probably only weigh around 8 lbs.
.
I choose the 925
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...227_134649.jpg
Registered
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 425
Likes: 4
From: Whangarei, New Zealand
Thats good to hear.
How much voltage drop are you getting when the cars starting?
Most problems I've seen over the years, are normally caused by bad workmanship, ie, the connections are not done properly.
I believe that all battery connections should be crimped and or soldered.
Here's a question? Do you think your battery system could turn you starter motor over for 5-10mins non stop? This will put a lot of load on the starter. Best make sure you have a good one before putting it to the test.
If you can say yes , then you system is probably fine.
If you say no, then maybe you should sort it out so it can.
Try it one day, see what happens, if you have someone with you, get them to touch every join in the system from the battery to the starter motor and see if any of the connections are warm or hot to touch.
If any of them are getting hot, there will be one of your problems, that will be a bad connection.
Have fun.
Rotaman
How much voltage drop are you getting when the cars starting?
Most problems I've seen over the years, are normally caused by bad workmanship, ie, the connections are not done properly.
I believe that all battery connections should be crimped and or soldered.
Here's a question? Do you think your battery system could turn you starter motor over for 5-10mins non stop? This will put a lot of load on the starter. Best make sure you have a good one before putting it to the test.
If you can say yes , then you system is probably fine.
If you say no, then maybe you should sort it out so it can.
Try it one day, see what happens, if you have someone with you, get them to touch every join in the system from the battery to the starter motor and see if any of the connections are warm or hot to touch.
If any of them are getting hot, there will be one of your problems, that will be a bad connection.
Have fun.
Rotaman
Not sure how I got the know it all label, lol
Go back and re-read my post. It was not a shock mount attachment point. It was a chassis stud for the upper shock mount support brace. Regardless, I have never had a shock mount bolt loosen. Probably because I tighten them to the proper spec upon installation.
answer to 9krpms results for the reply below this one:
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-...8/#post4465119
Go back and re-read my post. It was not a shock mount attachment point. It was a chassis stud for the upper shock mount support brace. Regardless, I have never had a shock mount bolt loosen. Probably because I tighten them to the proper spec upon installation.
answer to 9krpms results for the reply below this one:
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-...8/#post4465119
Last edited by TeamRX8; Mar 9, 2020 at 02:17 AM.
I am seeing voltage drop while starting at the front where the positive 2 gauge (high quality) is connected to the factory Positive wiring. All of my terminals are soldered except one that will be soldered and have a new Taylor connector on it. And my main ground in the rear goes straight to the chassis in the trunk.
Sorry for the crappy night time cell pic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9krpmrx8/8510664307/
I somehow think the issues is the non soldered connector that connects to the factory positive wiring. But of course I know little about electronics. But we will find out this weekend when I fix that connector and solder it.
Sorry for the crappy night time cell pic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9krpmrx8/8510664307/
I somehow think the issues is the non soldered connector that connects to the factory positive wiring. But of course I know little about electronics. But we will find out this weekend when I fix that connector and solder it.