im trying to get my system set up to be effecient and clean. im running a mtx 1501d amp for my subs and an eclipse 3242 (200watt) amp for my mids. so far i have a buschur minibattery upfront and an optima yellowtop (larger one than the standard square one) in the trunk. most of my wiring is running to my minibattery, which i plan on moving to the optima battery to make things cleaner in the engine bay.

also, i am going to install a irragi 180amp alternator. i believe this should be everything i need to have my electrical system run efficient, unless you guys can recommend anything else. btw, i also have the oem ground wire kit. my main concern is should i leave the mini battery upfront or just run one battery in the trunk and take the minibattery out? appreciate the help!

 

I would personally just run one battery, but you can get a battery isolator to run two batteries.

 

I agree with biggie... I havn't personally run a second battery but if your running that big of an alternator, I wouldn't bother with a second battery. personally, just for purpose, I would probably run the yellow top instead of the mini, though.

 

well the thing is, i think the yellowtop should be good for my system but not sure if it can run the whole car. from what ive been told, the yellowtops are not meant to be the main battery but rather a secondary battery to run systems. i figured that it might be best to just leave the mini battery for start up and basic electric use from the car and have the yellowtop strictly for the system. do you guys think this is a good idea of should i just eliminate the mini battery and have the car and system run off the yellowtop?

 

Who ever told you that doesn't seem to know what they're talking about. I've ran yellowtops in a few different vehicles as the only battery and they do just fine. Like 06WWMR said above, especially with that alternator, there's no reason for 2 batteries. I would sell the mini.

 

Agreed with Biggie. Your car will run fine on just the Yellowtop. You've made the right choice in upgrading the alternator. Alternator and Yellowtop will be a perfect combo for your system/car electrical needs.

One other thing to consider doing while installing the alternator is to upgrade the Big 3 wiring. Go with 2ga or 0ga wire. That will help with electrical transfer from the alternator to the battery and your entire electrical system will run more efficiently.

This link isn't specific to the Evo, but will guide you on how to upgrade the big 3. http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...TID~73496~PN~1

Good luck!

 

I kinda find it hard to believe that a battery wouldnt be meant to run a vehicle... unless it was too small or something of that nature. I think the only difference, I believe, and correct me if im wrong, is that the yellow top is a deep cycle battery and its just designed so it will put out constant amperage until it is totally dead, and can also be almost totally dead and then recharged without hurting it. you should be just fine with the yellow top.

 

ok, so it seems like its best to just run one battery in the trunk. so when my alternator is installed, do i need to run the wire all the way to the trunk or can i just run it to a distribution block or something in the engine bay?

secondly, is there anyway i can install some type of terminal in the engine bay that can be used to jump start the car? for instance, oem vehicles like bmw's that have the battery in the trunk have a terminal in the engine bay that you can use to jump start the car.

finally, what is the most watts in amp power can i run with this type of set up? most say the power of the alternator (180amp) times the voltage of the battery (13.2) so is around 2400 watts the most i can run? i know amps doing always run at full power but i do listen to my system at full volume quite a bit. thanks for all the help so far!

 

Yes, yes (probably take some sort of custom bracketing or jankiness)

As far as power, it's a little bit more complicated than just alternator current x alternator voltage (should be around 14.4v). By upgrading to a yellowtop you are increasing your power capacity right there. You also need to subtract the power requirements of the car itself. Other things to consider are making sure you have the best connections possible (like upgrading the big 3, grinding paint off grounds, etc.) and not cheaping out on wiring.

 

thats what im not sure of, how much power the car itself is taking. i dont really have much electronics other than my system, just a shift light, aem serial gauge, and an alarm. i did use the best wire for each part of the car and my system so thats no worry. im thinking about upgrading my sub amp to one thats either 2k watts or probably one thats 3k watts.