Battery Wire Guage.

[1010Maitland]

So I've read alot online and I've tried my best to search here for something more helpful about the battery wire size. If I've missed a post about it, please don't crush me for asking about it here. Apologies in advance.

My 13 CC Precedent has all stock wires. Assumingly they are 4-6g wires. I've heard alot of people talking about going to 2g wires. I know they conduct more electricity better being a thicker wire. Can someone in detail explain what the benefit is and if I need to do all wired between just the batteries or throughout the cart to the solenoid and motor and controller, etc. Im just having a new motor and controller installed and hopefully be getting it back today or tomorrow and I don't know if they are putting all new wires on or not yet.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[R&TBabich]

Originally Posted by 1010Maitland

.... Assuming they are 4-6g wires. I've heard alot of people talking about going to 2g wires. I know they conduct more electricity better being a thicker wire. Can someone in detail explain what the benefit is and if I need to do all wired between just the batteries or throughout the cart to the solenoid and motor and controller, etc. I'm just having a new motor and controller installed and hopefully be getting it back today or tomorrow and I don't know if they are putting all new wires on or not yet. ....

The cables are like a garden hose. A 5/8" hose will only flow so much water.
A 3/4" hose will flow more.
The OEM cables are sized for the amps of the OEM motor.
A more powerful motor will draw more amps.
Any restriction point will limit the flow.
All the cables in the circuit , batteries, solenoid, controller, etc. should all be upgraded to handle the amps expected to run the mew motor.
The batteries can handle the draw, they just won't last as long.
You said "new motor and controller", the solenoid needs to be upgraded, too, or it will become a restriction point.

[jakesnake27]

The stock cables are 6 gauge. If you are installing a higher amperage controller, you definitely need larger cables. 4 gauge cables are needed for anything up to 500 amps, and 2 gauge are needed for anything larger than that.

[R&TBabich]

Originally Posted by jakesnake27

The stock cables are 6 gauge. If you are installing a higher amperage controller, you definitely need larger cables. 4 gauge cables are needed for anything up to 500 amps, and 2 gauge are needed for anything larger than that.

Our 2003 DS looks like it has stock 6 gauge cables from the solenoid to the batteries and controller.
The previous owner upgraded the battery cables to 2 gauge.
I'll be installing a 400A solenoid, Alltrax 400A controller and a Bandit.
The cables from the solenoid to the batteries and controller will be upgraded.
I'm new to sepex systems, will the motor cables need to be upgraded, too?

[Hkspwrsche]

Cables are like fuel line. Controller, maybe like a carburetor, and if you want to feed a big motor, you need to eliminate bottle necks. Electrical bottle necks are resistance. 2g wire has less resistance than 6g wire.

[WalterM6]

And when you replace the A1 & A2 motor cables don't throw them away. Use them for the F1 & F2 motor connections.

[yawood]

A couple of things to be aware of:

You have a cart with an OBC; if you replace the cable between the No 6 battery negative and the controller with a thicker cable it still needs to go through the OBC hole like the original cable did (so that the charger works correctly). The hole will be too small but DO NOT drill it out or you will ruin the OBC. Some cables will fit if you take a terminal off and replace it after the cable is through the hole. Otherwise you can get a stud to go through the hole and you will have a cable from battery to stud then another cable from the other end of the stud to the controller.

The other thing is that if you change the cables to the motor do not allow the studs in the motor to turn. Use two spanners to keep the stud still while you undo the nut. If you don't do this you can tear the wire out inside the motor.

[R&TBabich]

Originally Posted by WalterM6

And when you replace the A1 & A2 motor cables don't throw them away. Use them for the F1 & F2 motor connections.

When the battery & solenoid cables are upgraded to 2 gauge, the A1 & A2 motor-controller cables should be 2 gauge, also?

[mrgolf]

F1 and F2 don’t need to be heavy cables.

[1010Maitland]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't know if the shop that's putting on the motor and controller are going to replace the cables or not. From what the shop told me, I'm going from the 3.3HP stock motor to a D&D Model 170-502-0002 11.4hp motor. The controller is going to be, from what they said, an AXE-4865P (Alltrax) controller. Although the shops been a bit wishy-washy about the part numbers. Invoice and Estimate were generic in specifics but when asked that's what they told me. I installed the biggest/baddest 48V solenoid I could find. It was 2.5 times the size of the original one I took off. Something like that. I'm hoping these upgrades make a noticeable difference in the power performance.