I want to install a extra battery for my stero system, to keep from draining my battery for my car. What do you suggest I do in order to put the battery in my 2001 Max, making the battery unseen.

 

Is it safe to assume you already have a capacitor? How about some pics of your current setup if that isnt going to change too much.

 

^^^^^^-----Plus one. I'd like to know wire size too.

Also, clarify....is running your stereo while the car OFF draining the battery? If so, just run the car while you're listening with it cranked. Even with a second or third battery if you're car is off, you're going to drain your system power reserves (battery), you might just have a little longer to do it.

If you're referring to the system being drained even when the car is running, eh....this comes back to what you're set up is, power consumption, number of amps, etc. Size and consumption by your system will dictate what will stablize your power issues.

My '89 Max has two huge Alpine amps (400w and 800w respectively), front amp pushing 8 speakers with the sub amp pushing two 12's. I needed a capacitor and extra battery.

My '03 max has one 200 watt Kicker amp pushing my little Kicker 8". I needed only a capacitor to address rare amp cut outs I attributed to loss of power at the amp. Stereo shop installed 10 gauge wire...IMO too small.

 

If you use Facebook, add Paul B and ask him for help. He's one of my close friends and does all of his own work.

 

I do have a Capacitor, but I wanted a stand alone battery setup in the back. I was going to set it up just for my system alone. I will befriend home boy and wait for him except mine.

 

How do you plan on charging it? You will need a larger alternator to charge a second battery.

I assume you will get a drycell battery since you don't want any leaking vapors or acid going inside your car?

 

You can follow what RV's do. But I've never done this, so this is theory.

Add a second battery in the trunk and connect your amps and sub woofer to this battery. To charge the battery, you connect it to the car's 12 volts and the alternator charges it. But to prevent the audio equipment from running down the car's main battery when the engine is not running, the wire that charges the second battery goes through a relay that is energized when the ignition switch is in ON position (not ACC).

You don't want to use the ACC position because this would connect the two batteries together with the engine off. By not having the ACC position energize the relay, then you can't turn the head unit on. Solution is to disconnect the head unit's power lead from the car's wire harness and wire the second battery to head unit's power input. As far as I know, all amplifiers and sub woofers use an internal relay to connect to power when the get a signal from the head unit so they won't be on when the head unit is off.

Wire gauge size is to be considered. When you start the car, the second battery will re-charge. If the second battery is run down, it will pull as many amps as it can. It will suck all 100+ amps from the alternator if it can, just like the car's battery will. So the wire has to be at least as big as what is on the alternator and the relay has to have contacts capable of 100+ amps.