too many hotwires at the battery?

[DavidT]

I just installed a 100W wiring harness in my gen.3. It has 2 connections to the positive battery cable (there are also 2 relays with it). I also have a hotwire to my foglights (through a relay, too). And another hotwire to my bazooka tube in the trunk (w/ inline fuse).
All 4 are at the positive battery post.
Am I looking for trouble? Or is this OK?

 

[Slo-Sho]

Dude, I'm surprised your alternator and/or battery hasn't **** the bed yet.




















J/K..You should be OK as long as the connections are solid.

 

[DavidT]

I read the top and immediately I panicked.
I WAS having some strange symptoms the other day

 

[SHOZ123]

A good place to tap off of to get battery power is the engine compartment fuse box or the starter.

 

[RI-SHO]

A buddy of mine in his RX-7 made a POS "box" out of a spare engine fuse box where he ran one single 2AWG wire from the battery POS to the spare fuse box he put in there and made about 8 hot connection in the box with one large NEG leaving the other side, makes for a nice and neat install of a lot of components which require full battery power.

 

[SHOZ123]

The best solution is a power distribution block.

Something like this.

Del City

 

[Dave Ladely]

hot wires at battery

The best take off is as close to the battery as you can get and at the battery, fused, is therefore the best, just as in marine systems where inverters are very close to the battery. The fuse box is NOT the best, as the wires to the fuse box are not large enough and the incoming wires are unfused.
100 watts is not much. About 9 amps. Big deal. You dont need a distribution box, but it is better looking. You DO need to have fuses as close to the source, the battery, as possible.
I used a marine breaker panel, which is far superior to dinosaur fuses (are you still using fuses in your house?) and allows super organization and pro appearance.
If you note your home system, the wires begin very near the source of electricity and the breakers are mounted as close as possible, then the out wires leave the box, like the marine system. The auto fuse box is usually located a ways from the battery, which is not optimal, but convenient for the manufacturer. Note well that the wires from the battery into that fuse box are NOT fused and are vulnerable, as well as limited capacity.
It makes NO sense to install a 2 gauge wire into an auto fuse box which has maybe 8 guage max coming in. Talk about a weak link! bad advice.
I havea degree in electronics if my credibility is questions. Check out marine wiring systems, they are instructional even if you dont use their breaker boxes, the theory is sound, especially since lives at sea depend on its performance and safety/reliability. Check it out.
dave

 

[SHOZ123]

When I said at the fuse box I meant the underhood one and at the point where the alternator is connected. With proper wire size there is negligible voltage drop in the few of feet of wire that separates it from the battery.

On the GEN 3 there is a 175A fuse at this location. It then connects to the starter, then on to the battery with 6 ga wire.

The clutter and hassles of connecting everything at the battery is also a strain on the post and will weaken the clamps/connections when disconnecting things over time.