Low-Budget Battery Relocation
by:Kenrik
You know you want to move your battery to the trunk but you don’t want to fork over more than $50 for a kit and have to wait for it to come in the mail.
I will show you how you can put together and install your own quality kit for much less and with locally bought parts.
What you need and where to get it!
POSITIVE CABLE: Fifteen feet of 2 gauge wire – You won’t need all fifteen, but it’s nice to have a little bit of extra so you can route it the way you want. Cost me 87 cents a foot at Lowe’s and is gasoline, oil, and UV / sunlight resistant.
Thinner stand wire is better for the job! If you don’t have a Lowe’s around, then you can also pick it up from Home Depot, a stereo shop, or a welding supply store.
NEGATIVE CABLE: You can use your old negative cable but it’s better to get a new one, these cost about $4.
You can get a battery box for $12 at Autozone and most other autoparts stores.
100 amp fuse $10
total cost $30-40
Install
The Wire is run through where the ECU wires enter the car (passenger side to the left of the metal AC lines) Then down under the dash and past the ECU
First undo the screws for the door molding.
Under the molding there are white plastic clips that hold the carpet up you just pull the carpet up along the edge (it’s not glued down so it’s very easy!)
Run the wire along the edge, under the rear seats (pull the little tabs on each side and the seat lifts up), and finish running the line through the opening to the trunk.
The wire is routed behind the molding to where the battery is located in the trunk.
Put the battery on the passenger side since you want as even weight distribution as possible (offset the weight of the driver)
Clean the paint off the spare tire holder and use it as a ground I have been running with it like this for ever six months and have yet to have a issue with it. if you would like to use a different spot make sure you have clean contact with the chassis metal… a lot of people use bolts that are located in the side of the trunk.
You use six 3/4″ self-tapping self-sealing metal screws with washers to hold the box down.
If you place it as shown you will not have to worry about hitting the gas tank and it will be held in really well DO NOT put it in the car with you (behind the seat etc.) unless it is a drycell battery.
You need to install the 100A ANL fuse within one foot of the battery.
Now, on to the engine compartment hookup.
Connect the wire that used to be hooked up to the battery in the engine compartment to the new line.
To do this use two of these connectors one for each line (they are $1 each) and bolt them together.
Use outdoor rubber insulation tape and then cover that with electrical tape on all the connections. Looks like this when finished:
My battery weighs 25 pounds so it’s a total of 50 pound difference in weight distribution! -25 from the front, +25 in the back
Well that’s it! very easy and it takes less then an hour – a very worthwhile mod!
