Tips on 'Big 3' upgrade

[Terrum]

I'm looking to do the 'Big 3' electrical upgrade on my 2010 Renault Clio 1.2 16V i-Music. This is where the cables for the alternator positive, alternator/engine negative and battery negative are replaced/added with higher gauge ones, for car audio and potentially better horsepower etc.

Does anyone have any tips for routing the cables, or any tips in general to help me do it faster or things I should keep in mind when doing the upgrade? I will be using 1/0 AWG (55mm²) OFC cable.

Any help and discussions are greatly appreciated. Many thanks!

 

[Terrum]

Bump! Still looking for tips, mostly for the best locations to route the wiring. I'm also struggling to find the ground cable from the engine. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Well, forget horsepower.

Do you have a very big audio install?

 

[Terrum]

Well, forget horsepower.

Forgotten. The upgrade is mostly for the car audio after all

Do you have a very big audio install?

Currently a 1kW RMS setup, planning to go up to 2kW. Also installed is a 3kW Stinger AGM battery. I guess I'm working my way up to an aftermarket alternator but just incase I can't, then well at least I've done everything else

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Ok, the wiring from your battery to the amp/system is more important than the wiring from alternator to battery by an order of magnitude. I would suggest leaving the alternator wiring alone.

What amp do you have, and what are you upgrading to?

There are very few reasons to upgrade an alternator. People do it for very big installs where the alternator is unable to maintain battery voltage normally while the car is idling.

My suggestion would be to wire the system up direct from the battery via a mega fuse, run cables for positive and negative instead of using the shell as negative because that bypasses whatever OEM ground strap solution you have going on. The minor issue is that you want the head negative to be directly referenced to your amp negative to avoid hum.

Pics of install?

 

[Terrum]

Ok, the wiring from your battery to the amp/system is more important than the wiring from alternator to battery by an order of magnitude. I would suggest leaving the alternator wiring alone.

What amp do you have, and what are you upgrading to?

There are very few reasons to upgrade an alternator. People do it for very big installs where the alternator is unable to maintain battery voltage normally while the car is idling.

My suggestion would be to wire the system up direct from the battery via a mega fuse, run cables for positive and negative instead of using the shell as negative because that bypasses whatever OEM ground strap solution you have going on. The minor issue is that you want the head negative to be directly referenced to your amp negative to avoid hum.

Pics of install?

Thanks so much, all of that is very informative

Currently my amp is a JL Audio JD1000/1 and I plan to upgrade to a Sundown SALT-2.

Can you clarify what a 'mega fuse' is? There is already a 100A ANL fuse block (this one to be precise: https://www.jlaudio.com/collections...fbu-anl-marine-audio-master-fuse-blocks-91656) for the positive cable to amp.

I'll try to get photos in the morning

 

[Matt W]

This is where the cables for the alternator positive, alternator/engine negative and battery negative are replaced/added with higher gauge ones, for car audio and potentially better horsepower etc.

Quoting for future entertainment 😂

 

[Martin_172]

World's gone mad when people are changing alternator cables for car audio quality. That's before we get to the horsepower 👀

 

[McGherkin]

World's gone mad when people are changing alternator cables for car audio quality

Errr it’s to allow for more current to pass through with a big alternator(s) but obviously with a stock alternator it’s pointless.

 

[Martin_172]

Errr it’s to allow for more current to pass through with a big alternator(s) but obviously with a stock alternator it’s pointless.

I think the acoustic properties of a car are a hell of a lot more of an issue than the current getting to the amps Haha

 

[Robbie Corbett]

There was me trying to be gentle