I would like to install a second battery in my trunk for the amp. What kind of battery should I use and how do I go about hooking it up? I realize I should ground the amp and neg. battery terminal to the same spot. But, do I hook the second battery up to the original battery or run from alt.? And if I run from alt. does it put more of a strain on my alt.? Please help I would appreciate any advice

 

yes it will put extra strain on your alternator. You should use a battery isolator if you are going to add a 2nd battery.

why do you want to add a 2nd battery, the only thing it will do for you is allow you to run your stereo with the engine off for longer periods of time, when your car is running it is off of your alternator.

 

Be sure and put circuit breakers in between the two batterys.
You could jsut get a bat cap its a little bit better than a battery.

 

a cap is not better than a battery by any means. what's the reason for wanting a 2nd battery? is it for spl contests? hydraulics? if it's for a 12inch sub and maybe your lights are dimming... i'd start testing grounds and what not. also..... what type of battery do you have in the car now? if for ex.. you have an optima yellow top in the car and your lights are still dimming... i'd recommend getting a higher powered alternator. if you're running a 2nd battery.. make sure it's matched to the first battery... Ex... red top under hood, red top in trunk. yel top under hood, yel top in trunk. when running more than 1 battery you WILL need a better alternator. btw... what type of car is this?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> if you're running a 2nd battery.. make sure it's matched to the first battery... Ex... red top under hood, red top in trunk. yel top under hood, yel top in trunk. when running more than 1 battery you WILL need a better alternator. btw... what type of car is this?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Sorry friend you are incorrect. A yellow top and a red top serve different purposes.
A red top is designed to be a cold cranking battery and a yellow top is designed to be a deep cycle. The intentions of optima are for you to have a red top under the hood and a yellow top in the trunk.

 

if i'm wrong... then why does it mention that in the installation manual i have for my optima yellow top? don't call me wrong if u can't prove ur point.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">a cap is not better than a battery by any means?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Another self proclaimed genius?

By any means is pretty strong word. Each device is used for entirely different things. Each has its function that it does better then the other please explain yourself.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if I'm wrong... then why does it mention that in the installation manual i have for my optima yellow top? don't call me wrong if u can't prove ur point.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't care what your installation manual says they serve two entirely different purposes. You can stick a yellow top in the engine bay and it will work fine. But you just wasted money because it will never get used in the way it was designed. The only time you should buy a yellow top is if you intend to listen to the radio with the car off and are likely to drain the battery. Otherwise a red top battery will work just fine.

Personally I would only have one battery a cap and maybe an upgrade alternator if needed.

If I was to run two batteries I would have an upgraded alternator,battery isolator, red top engine bay and a yellow top in the trunk.

 

exactly why i said a cap is not better than a battery.... they can't be compared because they're not in the same category. oh and btw.. u don't care about Optima's install manual??? i guess u make your own batterys.
'another self proclaimed genius" lol... i think you just described yourself. 4156 posts and you still don't know your ****. btw... are you mecp certified because you sure don't sound like it. back to the OP... what make,model,and year car do you have and what's the main reason for two batteries?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> oh and btw.. u don't care about Optima's install manual???
</TD></TR></TABLE>
No I don't care about an install manual on a manufacturers battery. I can determine my own needs and dont need to spend money where its not needed. If you cant figure a battery out you need help.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> btw... are you mecp certified because you sure don't sound like it. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Nope nor do I need it. LOL

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">exactly why i said a cap is not better than a battery?</TD></TR></TABLE>
So since they are not in the same category and a cap is not better then a battery? Please explain what a capacitor is used for?

If your trying to use a cap like a battery then the battery is better.
If your trying to use a battery like a cap well duh the cap is obviously better.

No enlighten us and explain the difference.

 

I'll be the bigger person... I'll check the thread when i'm done working on jim's viper.

 

ask an interstate driver or someone that works for interstate/optima they will tell you I am right. I got that information straight from the horses mouth, the president of the interstate distributor in my state, he comes in my work quite frequently, and when the honda sized yellow tops were recalled he explained to me why they were people were using them for cranking batteries in almost every occasion that they failed. he then went on to state the difference between the two and optimas intentions.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> btw... are you mecp certified because you sure don't sound like it. </TD></TR></TABLE>
honestly MECP certification is a joke. I had an MECP first class installer from best buy come in my work last week twice and I as a salesman had to explain some of the most rudimentary car audio things to him, and guess what he is bringing his car to our shop to have his system reinstalled properly because he couldnt do it and in his words didn't feel like messing with it anymore. This isnt the first time this has happened btw. When I worked at Best Buy the regional wanted everyone in the bay to be certified so he helped them cheat.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'll be the bigger person... I'll check the thread when i'm done working on jim's viper.</TD></TR></TABLE>
ooooooohhhhh ahhhhhhhhhh Lol.

oh can I say I'll check the thread when I get done driving MY NSX? LOL

Your the prime example why I would never take my car to an audio shop. Anyone can work there and just about anyone could pass those tests.

 

u don't know me so you shouldn't down talk me like that. btw... i don't work for best buy... those guys are jokes. But yea.. i apologize to you and the op for these stupid taunts. I myself... know how to install.. and while i agree that both batteries serve different purposes... i'm only stating that the manual says to install the batteries in series among the same type of battery. it's cool you have an nsx tho. i'd get one if i could afford it... but since i can't i'll keep driving my turbo hatch.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i'm only stating that the manual says to install the batteries in series among the same type of battery.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you install the batteries in series, you will get 24v.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by perseverance &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">u don't know me so you shouldn't down talk me like that. btw... i don't work for best buy... those guys are jokes. But yea.. i apologize to you and the op for these stupid taunts. I myself... know how to install.. and while i agree that both batteries serve different purposes... i'm only stating that the manual says to install the batteries in series among the same type of battery. it's cool you have an nsx tho. i'd get one if i could afford it... but since i can't i'll keep driving my turbo hatch.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't care what car you drive, I only brought it up because it sounded like you were trying to impress us by installing in a viper. Bragging about what car you work on or drive is pretty stupid.

Someday you will learn manufacturers have a reason for advertising the way they do. To best serve your customers your job as an installer is to learn how and why a device is used. Instead of becoming a company monkey.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 02 accord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

If you install the batteries in series, you will get 24v.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Correct. I think he meant to say parallel.

 

crap u kno what... i may have meant parallel. i just hook up positive from first bat to positive on 2nd battery. and ground each battery seperately. stays around 12-14 volts depending on alt. load. but yea... no bragging about installing on cars. i'm at work and trying to help people out on h-t when it gets slow.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by incubus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ask an interstate driver or someone that works for interstate/optima they will tell you I am right. I got that information straight from the horses mouth, the president of the interstate distributor in my state, he comes in my work quite frequently, and when the honda sized yellow tops were recalled he explained to me why they were people were using them for cranking batteries in almost every occasion that they failed. he then went on to state the difference between the two and optimas intentions.</TD></TR></TABLE> IM NOT TRYING TO GET INTO THIS AUGUMENT, but did the interstate guy say what the purpose of the 51r sized yellow top is? i used to have yellow tops in two of my other cars for years with no problems and they were my only battery. i would think most people would have thought that it was an oem replacement starting battery if it was designed to fit in the oem location. also i picked up a battery from my distibutor last week and he said they were going to start producing the 51r yellow top again because interstate just signed a deal with honda, to put them in all of the new hybrid cars. i think im going to purchase a kinetik audio battery in the end anyway though............................... anyway to the op, sorry for the thread jack, and to incubus, thanks for thr interstate info........ now you can go back to arguing guys.

 

Were not going to have anymore arguing. Were going to get back to helping the op. Just facts brought to the table. As for adding two batteries. I have done a red up front with a yellow in the back. It worked fine. I also used a yellow in the front and a yellow in the back. Worked fine too. But the rule of thumb is that both batteries are suppose to be matched front and back to help with the charging. This keeps the alternator happy. I done it with a factory alternator and had no problems. But I reccommend a upgraded one. The only big problems I have had was when using a old battery with a new battery. Even thou I told the customer not to mix. It would Not charge the new battery well because the old battery was allways low and it would charge that one. If you want to add extra batteries and keep your old battery do this. Use a two alternator setup. Factory unit for the stock battery. And the second, third or even fourth alternator to the batteries in the rear.

 

The alternator does not care what battery you have. A load is a load to it. It doesn't see color.

Deep cycle batteries were made for just that deep cycle. Discharging and then recharging.

You can use a deep cycle battery for a main battery just fine, but why? What benifit are you hoping to gain other then a lighter pocket book? If your using a battery isolater and running your stereo off of the trunk battery your main battery will never deep cycle. So you wasted money on a battery you did not need.

The only way a battery will drop in voltage is if you listen to the stereo with the car off.


Modified by nsxxtreme at 5:25 PM 6/15/2007

 

honestly I have thought about having two batteries quite a bit and I think that spending the money on a ac/dc power converter would be a better use of $. most ppl that would benefit from two batteries are show cars and when you are showing a car there is almost always an AC outlet present.
Interstate has been saying for a while that they were going to bring back the 51R or whatever the honda battery pn is, but they have been saying that for over a year and nothing has changed.