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Hi Guys,
Looking at installing aftermarket 45W head unit and one of those small powered subwoofers that will lay flat under a normal car seat - I'm our case, it will go in rear of car. Where is a good spot to tap 12V for a high current draw, i.e. 12 ga wire? The battery is not a great option, due to the side mount posts. Have not found a side post adapter, and do not want to cut or f with factory battery cable. I was thinking alternator, could maybe hook something there, got any other ideas where to tap into?
I don't care if it is always on, I always power off all electronics and anything else that draws current before shutdown anyway, just a muscle memory habit.
I've messed with car audio systems since the early 90's. ALWAYS power through a fuse or breaker STRAIGHT to the battery. Anything else is asking for headaches.Grab a terminal as pictured above, piece of cake.
Pull the positive center part right out of the cable end.........install one as pictured above.........install power wire ring terminal on new extra threaded stud.
I don't know if it's there on all years/models of 3rd gen, but when I added an amp a few years ago, I pulled the power from the little distribution block behind the battery. Picks in my thread beginning HERE at post 223, and again at 237 and 242.
You can pick up those battery post terminals with the lug on them at any Autozone in the stereo section. I used them often on my S10 trucks that had the side post terminals.
I don't know if it's there on all years/models of 3rd gen, but when I added an amp a few years ago, I pulled the power from the little distribution block behind the battery. Picks in my thread beginning HERE at post 223, and again at 237 and 242.
Interesting. I don't think I have that distribution block. Have to take a closer look. This is the sort of solution I'm looking for. I'm not interested in mangling my prized factory battery cable with some rigged up spoiler thing ala Gran Tornio !!!
It appears your battery tray is on passenger size of TA. I guess by 1990 they moved it to driver side.
Last edited by LiquidBlue; Mar 15, 2024 at 02:50 PM.
The battery terminal lug DOES NOT mangle up the factory cable. You pop out the factory bolt that goes through the eye in the factory cable. You replace the factory bolt with the lug bolt!
Thanks, I will look into that as an option. That big ugly post sticking out is not going to help me win any car shows. The non-factory radio is not going to help either, but something has to give!
I have a setup that I'll send you a pic of tomorrow. I don't like those brass inserts myself. I find they don't get in deep enough and strip out. I screwed a junction block off to the side of the battery and ran a heavy gauge cable to it. It's two post so all my accessories
come off the second pot and it allows me to leave the battery alone.
My battery is in the hatch so no one will see it but I got these top post terminals off Amazon. I have the main battery cables going to the side threaded posts and will connect all the accessory stuff to these top post blocks.
I have noticed with the last battery I purchased last year, that the lead receiver is depressed furthur inside the battery or shortened. The bolts in the +ve & -ve cables are short as is & thus leave less thread sot connect to the battery. The filed the plastic about that receiver so that the bolts had a few more threads to make a good connection. The old replacement battery, ACDelco had the receiver flush with the plastic protector of the battery.
There are some brass extenders that have a longer stud. As mentioned some are kinda short, i have them. Some of those positive wires have been relocated....
...To this junction block i got off a 99 S10.
something like this appropriately sized would be perfect. slip it between the battery and battery cable.
That is close to what I was going to suggest next, is an O ring terminal and go between the battery and the cable. You're probably running a smaller amp so a 10 gauge wire to the amp would be sufficient and the yellow terminals are for 14-10 gauge if I remember correctly.
That is close to what I was going to suggest next, is an O ring terminal and go between the battery and the cable. You're probably running a smaller amp so a 10 gauge wire to the amp would be sufficient and the yellow terminals are for 14-10 gauge if I remember correctly.
That would be ideal, but I haven't found one that has the 0 portion big enough, and the leg of it long enough to clear the battery post. I would need to be about 1.5" long or so. I may just end up fabricating something from a 1/2" x 3" sheet of brass, drill a hole on one end, and bend up the other end and solder the wire on to it. Or, I could just simply put the bare wire in-between the battery post and tighten. I have similar problem with battery maintainer, so something more permanent would be better.
One fix I've used in a similar situation is to replace the battery bolt with a allen head cap screw. Then you could use a ring terminal crimped to the appropriate sized wire.
The stack up parts would be: the bolt through the eye of the battery cable end, a washer to bear against the cable end and the ring terminal between the bolt head and washer. Very discreet and hardly noticeable.
It's also handy when using the clamps on your battery maintainer. Thread the bolts in the post holes and you're set.
Another alternative, and one which is in use on my Camaro, is a battery cable that has #10 gauge pigtail along with the large gauge cable itself. It's long enough to reach the inner fender where I fastened an ATO type sealed fuse holder.
Last edited by skinny z; Mar 17, 2024 at 10:13 AM.
And somehow you think that would look BETTER than a simple extended terminal??????? YIKES!!! Next thing ya know you'll be asking about the Iroc wheels you just put on your 'bird LOL!!
Since this really does seem to be a visual originality thing for you.........get it on a lift, bolt a new cable on at the starter, run the wire in through the firewall somewhere in the trans tunnel, add a fuse or breaker, DONE AND HIDDEN. All the 'mega' audio systems I've installed through the years had all the wiring hidden except for a short section at the battery. And usually, even a fuse or breaker can be hidden INSIDE a fender or Under the battery tray. Some clever placement of wire loom and it just vanishes.
On my wife's show truck I have triple fused relays UNDER the battery tray wired to double electric fans in a polished aluminum shroud. Wiring to the fans runs under the radiator support.......all hidden. We've had MANY discussions at the shows with other folks trying to figure out what controls the fans and how do they get power HA!
