Moving battery to trunk

[Jim Streib]

My question what size wire do I need to move my battery to the trunk of my car?

The gauge of the wire will depend on how much current you are wanting to get through it.

One might be able to run a front to back 4 gauge cable on a high torque starter turning over a low compression motor but that wire will not be enough if a stock old style starter is used on a high compression motor.

I've seen cars with 4 gauge and others with 1/0 and it depends on what is needed. You can go to the 1/0 even though you might need a 4 gauge though.

Also be aware there is copper clad aluminum wire out there (CCA for short) and then there is oxygen free copper wire (OFC).

A 1/0 OFC wire is close to being like a 2/0 CCA wire. The aluminum wire needs to be larger in gauge than copper for the same ampacity.



In other words the 1/0 CCA wire is cheaper than 1/0 OFC but the ampacity is lower.

Oh, and if you can, properly protect the cable with the proper sized fuse and even if it's a sealed AGM battery, still put it in an enclosure vented to the exterior of the vehicle. AGM batteries can vent explosive fumes just like flooded cell batteries.

Info I've put together through the years:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/121766...57656656084141

Jim