Should I connect new stereo to auxiliary battery
Submitted: Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 10:24
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Rick troopie
I have a 1991 toyota 1hz troop carrier with professionally installed isolated dual battery system. I've just purchased a new stereo to replace the tuner/tape player stereo I previously installed a few years ago which runs off main battery and acc circuit (as per standard) with no problems.
The new stereo is nothing fancy and will be installed as is. Its just a pretty ordinary CD/tuner with USB drive input (the USB is why I got it - so we can carry all our music without needing tapes, cds, etc - and no moving parts to play music). There are no additional amplifiers or anything like that.
I have two questions:
First, is it worth considering connecting the new stereo to the auxiliary battery so I can run it with the engine off without risking draining the main battery (rather than simply, and far more easily, switching the units over without having to do any changes to existing wiring)?
Second, if I did attach the tuner to the auxiliary battery is it ok to simply connect both the constant power (yellow) and the acc power (red) wires to the auxiliary power (i.e. splice both to the same (fused) hot wire)?
Thanks
Reply By: Member - John L G - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:15
Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 11:15
No reason why you shouldn't wire it direct to the battery, however I'm not sure why you wouldn't just rewire as per the original off the Acc on the ignition. At least that way when its time to turn in for the night and you shut down the vehicle, you can be sure everything, bar perhaps the fridge, is isloated with no unpleasant surprises in the morning.
It will also be drawing power from the battery of your choosing rather than a single source depending on your battery set up.
As to the two wires, power and auxilliary, it will be fine to connect both to a positive. The auxillary is to obviopusly allow power to switch the unit on and off whilst the red provides the actual running power for the unit and also maintains all the station, volume etc etc presets that you have programmed into the unit. As per usual they should incorporate a fuse in the line.
I am a great believer in being able to totally isolate the battery supply from any or all things that require electical power. If then an appliance shorts, fuses fail, battery has a meltdown etc etc and an electrical fire gets under way, there a few chances of terminating the feed if you are surrounded by flames. I have seen a vehicle go up like this with the battery providing the current to fuel a faulty installation. What we forget is that once the insulation is melted off the wiring, fused or not, those wires can contact the body finding an earth and then all hell breaks loose.
Hope this helps.
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Reply By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 22:47
Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 22:47
Yeah great idea, I did that with
mine. Most people don't realise but a reasonable stereo can draw more than your fridge!
Mine _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx about 5-6 amps when it's turned up at a reasonable volume. Enough to flattern your starter quite easily if you leave it going all day.
Yes, you can connect both the power wires together no problem.
What I did to get "the best of both worlds" was connected the Direct Battery connection to the auxilary battery (so it runs off the aux all the time) but still connected the ignition power to the normal ignition connection. I just run it through a two way switch first so I can run it like a normal stereo round town, but at the flick of a switch it runs without the keys in the ignition off the aux. Simple as to do and
well worth it IMHO.
AnswerID:
173874
Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 23:04
Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 23:04
struth 5 or 6 amps would be enough to make me very grumpy especially if it's going all day.
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Follow Up By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 23:07
Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 23:07
That's at about 50% volume with factory speakers, it's really not that loud. Besides, you'd never here it, cos if you or anyone else were within coo-ee of me I'd be goin somewhere else ;-)
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