Trunk mounted battery: welding cable size?

[vraned]

What gauge welding cable are people running for their rear-mounted batteries?

 

[corsachili]

I'm using 1 ought welding cable with 1/2" ends suaged on. Works very well with the Yellow Optima.

 

[vraned]

Thanks TJ, exactly what I needed to know.

 

[velocewest]

TJ Suave actually swaged his cable ends, I reckon...

 

[Philip Slate]

At an electronics store I found what I think is called marine/boating (?) cable that is much more flexible than most other cables which makes routing under, around and through those various nooks and crannies almost easy.

 

[paul cain]

try ebay for E30 cable trunk kits

I would search ebay, there are a few sellers that remove the entire battery cable from E30's that have trunk mounted batteries. The cable is made by Kabelmetal and is very high quality and is THE appropriate gauge. Most of these also are already terminated with Crimped BMW ends. Last I looked they were selling for $35 on ebay.

 

[velocewest]

To add to Paul's response -- the U-Pull-It yard has yielded e30 battery cables and the great little factory terminal block and the starter lead for both my e9 and e12. I payed about $10 for each.

Be sure you measure your cable route before you start drilling holes. Dummy it up with some twine and measure twice -- it's hard to stretch that cable... 8)

 

[jhjacobs]

Don't forget that batteries vent hydrogen. Odorless, colorless, and very explosive. :!:

Probably a good idea to rig up a little vent tube to somewhere out of the car - I think most of the new sealed batteries have vent ports that will take a tube.

 

[velocewest]

Don't forget that batteries vent hydrogen. Odorless, colorless, and very explosive. :!:

Not the Optima battery. Which is the only battery I'd ever put in a rust-prone old BMW.