Battery In Trunk - Remote Starter Solenoid?

[Chevelle LT1]

Out of curiosity, does anyone have any suggested vendors for a remote starter solenoid when installing a battery in the trunk? I was planning to buy the MAD kit, but after trying to get in touch with them over the last 2 weeks, and the phone just ringing without response, I am ready to move on. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Not sure if there is any fundamental difference from a Ford solenoid I could pick up at the local parts store.

Thanks,

~ Jason

[Project92rs]

I purchased the generic Summit kit. Only real advantage is the pieces to jump the starter when you remove the wires from it to the remote solenoid. Any Ford solenoid should work.

[glr0212]

Ford solenoid.

I would encourage you to keep trying with MADD. There is only one guy that answers the phone and he knows his stuff. It took me a few weeks to get through as well but I'm glad I did. He sends lots of documentation on how to wire up the car that will help you.

[72Z/28]

I bought my MAD kit from a member here. Honestly if you buy the remote. Solenoid kit from MAD you also need to buy their other kit to mount the battery in the trunk. I would suggest you buy the solenoid and get your own wires and stuff because the wires that come with the solenoid kit are short and made for the battery mounted in the engine bay

[Thumpin'66]

I spoke with Mark at MAD today and he told me he is no longer supporting the NHRA approved trunk mount kit. He basically said he was fed up with it and didn't want to deal with it anymore and was kind of grumpy about it. Sounds like he hates the fact that even with his kit there is always a hot lead "charge wire" running front to back on the car. I had ordered some relays and stuff from him last week and will still deal with him on my projects but now I am questioning if I should even keep my battery in the trunk at all. I already have the MAD NHRA style kit installed and am just working on the front of the car harness now. The power distribution to the dash is better with the battery up front and it is safer so I am torn. I have bragged about his kit and methods until now. i am going to do a lot of homework and will let you guys know if I find a better option. Were you going to run a disconnect switch?

[astroracer]

If you build your harness like Mark@Mad recommends you should be fine. The only thing I would do different is run a larger charge wire. I will be running a 4AWg wire and a 200 amp circuit breaker rather then the 8AWG provided in the kit.
As far as power distribution goes that is handled by the alternator so a 4 AWG wire from the charge stud to your Distribution block will work great! Run the rear charge lead off the same distribution block. The battery is a load when the car is running so it doesn't matter if it's in the front or the rear, the system will be maintained by the alternator (I hope you are running a three wire).
I am having 2nd thoughts on battery placement myself. I may end up with the battery up front also. If that happens I will still run a 4AWG wire to the back to supply the fuel pump. No voltage drops is a good thing.

[72Z/28]

If you build your harness like Mark@Mad recommends you should be fine. The only thing I would do different is run a larger charge wire. I will be running a 4AWg wire and a 200 amp circuit breaker rather then the 8AWG provided in the kit.
As far as power distribution goes that is handled by the alternator so a 4 AWG wire from the charge stud to your Distribution block will work great! Run the rear charge lead off the same distribution block. The battery is a load when the car is running so it doesn't matter if it's in the front or the rear, the system will be maintained by the alternator (I hope you are running a three wire).
I am having 2nd thoughts on battery placement myself. I may end up with the battery up front also. If that happens I will still run a 4AWG wire to the back to supply the fuel pump. No voltage drops is a good thing.

Is the 200 amp circuit breaker going to be used instead of the fusible link between the 4AWG charge wire and the positive post on the remote starter solenoid?

I would appreciate if you elaborate more on this point.

[astroracer]

Thanks for asking. I did mis-speak myself on that post. The 200 amp breaker will go on the 1/0 "start" cable from the remote solenoid to the starter. Even though this cable is only live during crank I didn't like the idea of having no protection on it at all. Plus, having the ability to disable the start circuit by manually turning off the breaker is something I like.
The charge wire will be fused as will any power lead I split off to the front or rear. Fuse sizes will depend on total circuit load but The rear will probably get a 50amp and the front will see a 175.
I am still on the fence with the fusible links. If a link does go it will leave you pretty well stranded unless you have wiring supplies stashed in the tool box or wire in extras as MAD recommends. Fuses or breakers are easily replaced or reset. Granted, if there is an issue, you still need to trouble shoot it but at least the car won't be dead in the water waiting for wiring...
Mark

[dontlifttoshift]

I am asking because I don't know.

So if you have to run a 4 g cable back to the battery, what is the point of the solenoid? You have two cables doing the what could be done with one. Two cables to protect as well. What am I missing.

Not sure a 200 amp circuit breaker will work on your start cable, it has been a long time since I played with a VAT40 but I seem to remember cranking amperage pretty close to that number on V8s.

[astroracer]

I am asking because I don't know.

So if you have to run a 4 g cable back to the battery, what is the point of the solenoid? You have two cables doing the what could be done with one. Two cables to protect as well. What am I missing.

Not sure a 200 amp circuit breaker will work on your start cable, it has been a long time since I played with a VAT40 but I seem to remember cranking amperage pretty close to that number on V8s.

The remote solenoid isolates the start circuit. With the GM solenoid "on the starter" all of the battery current runs through the solenoid. The Ford style solenoid separates the start circuit from the charge circuit. The big 1/0 cable is live only during crank so it can't act as the charge cable after the engine fires and the key goes to the run side of the switch. Now you need a charge wire to run back to the battery and act as power distribution when the engine is running.

Getting into details now. The 200 amp breaker will actually be two, wired in parallel. I was trying to keep things simple initially. Glad you are thinking about this...
Mark

[dontlifttoshift]

Hmmmm, seems complicated. The job of the alternator is to run the car and on a much lesser scale charge the battery. The most important thing is to get the 8 ga or larger wire from the alternator to the fuse panel to feed the car. I just don't see a reason to run a separate wire back to the battery for charging along with your start circuit all the way back to the solenoid from your neutral switch. Certainly a 1/0 cable will charge back better than a 4 ga would. It's not wrong, just more complicated than I care for it to be.

If we are trying to prevent the dreaded "hot start" issue. I have had luck using a simple bosch style 30/40 amp relay to take the start load off of the ignition/neutral switch to ensure full voltage to the solenoid on the starter.

Chrysler's LX platform has the battery mounted in the trunk. I don't remember what was on there for circuit protection on the positive cable.....not sure if there was anything. Might be worth looking into.

[astroracer]

I guess that's the necessary evils of a trunk mounted battery. The solenoid wants to back near the battery so it has to be hooked up somehow. If the battery is in the front and you use the ford style solenoid you have to do the same thing because the battery is no longer in direct contact with the "BAT" terminal on the GM solenoid. It just requires less wire and the start circuit doesn't have to go all the way back.

[chuckd71]

Hmmmm, seems complicated. The job of the alternator is to run the car and on a much lesser scale charge the battery. The most important thing is to get the 8 ga or larger wire from the alternator to the fuse panel to feed the car. I just don't see a reason to run a separate wire back to the battery for charging along with your start circuit all the way back to the solenoid from your neutral switch. Certainly a 1/0 cable will charge back better than a 4 ga would. It's not wrong, just more complicated than I care for it to be.

If we are trying to prevent the dreaded "hot start" issue. I have had luck using a simple bosch style 30/40 amp relay to take the start load off of the ignition/neutral switch to ensure full voltage to the solenoid on the starter.


It's not complicated really, and the charge wire doesn't need to be huge because as you said the alternator should be powering everything from a distribution point up front. Keeping the battery charged between starts shouldn't be a huge deal. I put the battery in the trunk as part of adding the remote solenoid and relay to fix the hot start problem you mentioned. Wasn't a huge deal, and I learned a lot about how relays work and got better at soldering, so it was worth it for me.

[dontlifttoshift]

I don't mean complicated, like "that's hard to figure out" it is more like "that's a lot of stuff to do something that is simple." If it works for you, that's cool.