What did you do to the X today?
09-30-2016, 09:21 AM
I did it because both the starter and glow plugs are hard-wired to the passenger side battery and the higher amp altenator. My pass side battery was always weaker and the first to go. It also allows the driver battery to play an active role in helping the passenger side battery absorb these loads. You cant see it but both the power and ground are upgraded. FICMRepair has a great explanation and cables already made up if you dont have access to cables,connectors and crimp tool for wire this big. Not cheap though!!
09-30-2016, 09:28 AM
Elder User
09-30-2016, 11:40 AM
It is a reroute, larger positives and a ground upgrade all to handle the extra output and help distribute the load between both batteries instead of the passenger side battery getting bogged down with the glow plugs and starter load. There is another ground upgrade I am going to do that uses a 72" 1/0 ground cable to also help distribute the load. I am headed to the mail box to get it now.
09-30-2016, 11:44 AM
Elder User
09-30-2016, 11:50 AM
09-30-2016, 11:54 AM
Elder User
09-30-2016, 01:02 PM
Diesel engines need more juice to start, which is why there are two batteries wired in parallel to each other.
I suck at electrical so take this following with a grain of salt, but I believe the reason the upgraded wire kit works better than OEM is due to less resistance through the wire and better grounding, which the diesels electrical system respond to really well, longevity wise and performance wise.
Stewart
09-30-2016, 02:14 PM
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09-30-2016, 02:49 PM
Elder User
So simply installing another bigger wire between the batteries helps them share the load better? Why not just move one of those big consumers, either the ficm or the starter, to the driver side battery so that there's less stress on the passenger battery? Wouldn't that work, if the original smaller gauge interconnect wire is still installed?
09-30-2016, 02:51 PM
) but I do believe when he asked, "because the truck didn't originally have that wire? Is that correct?" he wasn't asking about the size wire that was there from the factory. He was asking if there was ever a wire there at all, connecting them in parallel.Stewart
09-30-2016, 02:52 PM
Elder User
I think you're both saying the same thing actually. The bigger cable has less resistance and can carry more amperage thus allowing equal sharing of the load.
09-30-2016, 02:52 PM
Elder User
09-30-2016, 02:56 PM
Elder User
Well, there's always the possibility I read his post wrong (not like that's NEVER happened to me before ) but I do believe when he asked, "because the truck didn't originally have that wire? Is that correct?" he wasn't asking about the size wire that was there from the factory. He was asking if there was ever a wire there at all, connecting them in parallel.
Stewart
) but I do believe when he asked, "because the truck didn't originally have that wire? Is that correct?" he wasn't asking about the size wire that was there from the factory. He was asking if there was ever a wire there at all, connecting them in parallel.Stewart
09-30-2016, 02:59 PM
Why not just move one of those big consumers, either the ficm or the starter, to the driver side battery so that there's less stress on the passenger battery?
Also, that idea you've posited doesn't include better grounding for the electrical system of the truck, like the cable kit does.
Stewart
Last edited by Stewart_H; 09-30-2016 at 03:04 PM. Reason: Added clarification thought