Battery Move to the Rear Compartment
in the Mitsubishi 3000GT/Dodge Stealth

by Jeff Lucius

Introduction

Moving the car battery from the engine bay to the rear compartment in the Mitsubishi 3000GT or Dodge Stealth is a project that is conceptually simple but time consuming to implement. This project took me longer than any other I have completed for my car. I spent considerable time in the design and planning phase. Many of the materials and supplies I wanted were not available locally. Also, many components of the car must be removed in order to route the battery cables out of sight. However, the time and expense were worth the space gained in the engine bay and the slight improvement in the front to rear weight distribution of the car.

The instructions below show how I moved the battery from the engine bay to just behind the rear seat. For those of you that want to mount the battery in a different location and in a different manner, these instructions will still be useful because they address the general requirements in moving the battery in addition to my specific implementation of the process. Hopefully, these instructions and tips will considerably reduce your project time from the over 40 hours it took me to complete this task.

The tools needed will vary depending on where you end up placing the battery, how you route the battery cables, and the interface you design for connecting the new cables to the old wires in the engine bay. I found the following tools to be useful in this project: Phillips screwdrivers, slotted screwdrivers, pliers, a set of metric open/boxed-end wrenches, wire cutter and crimping tool, hacksaw, a table saw (to cut the ABS sheet), utility knife, pocket knife, electrical tape, military-grade duct tape, masking tape, scissors, a set of metric sockets and socket wrench with extensions, a set of metric hex keys, blocks of wood, blocks of steel, a hammer, a punch, a strip of rubber (like a piece of tire inner tube), a bench vise, a drill and drill bits, safety glasses, and leather gloves.

DISCLAIMER. I make no warranty and accept no liability that the methods and components illustrated here are safe to use in your car. I am showing you the design I used only. It is your responsibility to insure that your battery is securely mounted inside your car. You do not want your battery flying about the cabin in case of an accident. You do not want battery acid fumes inside your car.

Also please note that NHRA rules require any battery mounted inside the cabin to be contained inside a metal box that vents to the outside of the vehicle and that an external battery switch be installed on the car. The IHRA rules I have seen seem to be a bit more lenient, requiring only that a sealed lead acid battery in the cabin be securely fastened. Flooded lead acid batteries inside the cabin are a bad idea regardless of any racing association rules. If you are a racer, please check your track and club rules concerning batteries mounted inside the cabin before proceeding with this work.

Preparation

1. Plan the work. I cannot stress enough the importance of planning in this project. There are three major tasks you will have to accomplish. This is the general order you want to perform each task because you need to know where the ends of the new cables will go before you decide on a route for them (don't worry too much about the route; it is there) and cut the final length.

Install the battery in the rear compartment with protection and precautions
This part of the project took the most time for me. Some owners have simply placed a full-sized battery between the rear seat back and the short "wall" in front of the spare tire or in the storage bin area to the right or left of the spare tire. I wanted something a little more sophisticated and safer than that.

First, the battery had to be a sealed lead acid (SLA) battery. If for some reason you want to use a flooded lead acid battery, then a metal, sealed, vented-to-the-outside battery box bolted to the body (a containment system) must be used for your and your passenger's safety and to prevent acid vapor from entering the cabin. Sealed lead-acid batteries contain no free liquid (they cannot spill if turned over or if broken open) and emit virtually no oxygen gas or acid vapor (they vent only if overcharged). I also wanted to use a battery smaller and lighter than the stock-sized battery. I chose the Odyssey PC 925 with the metal jacket made by Hawker Energy. This battery weighs 26 lbs (11.8 kg) and measures 6.7" long, 7" high, and 5" wide (the side with the terminals). It can deliver 470 CCA (925 PCA) and has a reserve capacity of 53 minutes. It also can be deep discharged 400 times, giving it deep-cycle capabilities. There are even built-in "handles" to make moving the battery easier. For more information on this particular battery and sealed lead-acid batteries in general, please take a look at my web page 2-dynabatt.htm.

Hawker Energy Odyssey PC 925 battery

Second, I wanted the battery in some sort of "shelf" on which I could mount other components such as fuses, relays, a battery charger, and a transformer. The material for this shelf had to be lightweight, strong, easy to work with, and have an attractive appearance. After considering products such as wood composites, acrylic (Plexiglas), and polycarbonate (Lexan), black ABS plastic sheet textured on one side turned out be the perfect material. ABS is extremely easy to work with being strong yet slightly flexible, easily cut and drilled, and readily cemented. The "deflection" temperature of ABS is about 180ºF so it can be heated and shaped if required. The texture on one side of the black ABS sheet matches well with the stock "charcoal gray" plastic interior panels. White ABS is also available.

Regardless of the specific battery and mounting location you choose, you will need to securely fasten the battery to the body so that it cannot move about the cabin in case of an accident. In addition, you should add a fuse to protect the battery and car from any potential problem (for example, a short) in the new battery cable. Two power wires connect to the stock battery: one directly to the starter and the other to the alternator through a 120-amp fusible link. The starter is rated at 90 amps but can draw much more than that when the starter first attempts to rotate the stationary engine. It is important to note that there is no fuse between the starter motor and the battery. The diagram below shows the stock connections to the battery and the stock cable sizes.
Diagram of stock battery connections

A fuse is not a requirement (the stock wire to the starter is not fused) but it is a worthwhile safety precaution in my opinion. ANL fuses (like most fuses) are designed not to trip at the rated current but at a higher current after some time period. Generally, figure that the fuse will not blow below 150% of its rated current or at any current up to 600% of the rating for 0.1 seconds. Fuses generally trip at 150% to 300% of their rated capacity after 1 to 5 seconds exposure.

The fuse I suggest installing is to protect the car and battery from a battery cable short circuit. The trip current must be high enough to allow the starter motor to work but low enough to prevent a short circuit disaster. A starter motor can draw between 500 and 800 amps for 0.05 to 0.1 seconds as it struggles to overcome the static friction inside a stationary engine. Once the engine begins to rotate, starter current usually drops to the 100 to 300 amp range. A battery's short circuit current in amps is determined by dividing the battery's voltage by its internal resistance in ohms. The Odyssey PC 925 battery has an internal resistance of 0.005 ohm and short circuit amps of 2400 at 12 volts (12 / 0.005 = 2400). I installed a 300-amp ANL fuse before I researched fuse performance. In retrospect, a 150-A or 200-A fuse would probably be sufficient. A 150-A fuse should be able to handle 900 amps for 0.1 seconds and a constant draw of 225 amps. A 200-A fuse would leave a little more margin for the starter. The ANL (or wafer) fuse holder I chose (see picture below) is designed to mount on the battery shelf I made to fit behind the rear seat.

Update 7-26-02: I replaced the 300-A fuse with a 200-A and have not encountered problems. When it gets colder, I will also try a 150-A fuse then a 100-A fuse to see how they work and update this web page.

Update 12-26-02: I replaced the 200-A fuse with a 150-A and have not encountered problems. Later this winter I will try the 100-A fuse.

Interface the battery cables to the existing wiring in the engine bay
There are two reasons I moved the battery out of the engine bay: to make room for the water injection (WI) components and to remove the SLA battery from the engine bay heat. My solution for connecting to the starter and alternator wires reflects my need to also mount the WI parts in the same area. I decided to mount a "plate" (two pieces of 3/16-inch ABS sheet glued together) to the stock battery tray. The new power (positive) battery cable and the starter and alternator wires attach to a distribution block mounted on this plate. The distribution block is solid brass plated in platinum and is insulated by an acrylic high-temperature case. The new ground (negative) battery cable attaches to the firewall where the old battery ground cable attached.

Route two thick cables from the engine bay to the rear compartment
There are only two decisions to make here: how to get the cable into the cabin and where to route the cable inside the cabin. There are two access holes in the firewall (called the dash panel by Mitsubishi) you can use, one near the battery and one near the steering column (see my web page 2-dashpanelaccess.htm for locations and pictures). If you prefer not to use either of these openings, then you might be able to bring the cable under the car and into the cabin through either the shifter cable access or a new hole you cut somewhere. I found the harness access near the stock battery location to be the simplest and most convenient solution. Two 0-ga cables fit through that access hole along with the factory harness.

The new cable length from the stock battery location to the rear compartment is between 10 and 16 feet depending on the route you choose and the battery location. Voltage will drop along this cable depending on the current draw and the actual length. As mentioned, the starter is rated at 90 amps, but may draw twice that in some situations. The alternator circuit is already fused at 120 amps. Because of the high current draw on this new cable and its length, the cable must be as thick as practical.

My web page 2-wire-resistance.htm shows the resistance per 1000 feet for wire gauges commonly found in automobiles and provides a calculator for determining voltage drop along a length of wire for a given amperage draw. For a cable 12 feet long and a current draw of 120 amps, voltage will drop about 0.36 volts using a 4-ga cable, about 0.23 volts using a 2-ga cable, about 0.18 volts using a 1-ga cable, and 0.14 volts using a 0-ga cable. Because I wanted less than 1 percent voltage drop (less than 0.135 v) along the new cable, which was 10.5 feet long, during starter operation, a 0-ga cable was the best choice. If your battery choice and design specification can permit a higher voltage loss, then you might consider a smaller (higher gauge) cable.

Once you have selected your cables and the cabin access location, you need to route them through the cabin. Again, there are basically two choices: near the door sill or near the floor console. There is room at both places. Because I brought the wire through the firewall near the passenger's door, I routed the cables under the carpet near the passenger's door sill. I have read warnings concerned with routing power cables near stereo speaker wires. I did not worry about this because I feel there are minimal electromagnetic fields generated by slowly and slightly varying direct currents (like in our 12-volt power circuit). If you are an audio purist though, you will probably want to consider where the speaker wires are routed with respect to your new power cables. In any case, you need to remove panels and lift the carpet early in the project to be sure you have room to route the cables where you want them and to measure the length of cable needed. Insulated, heavy-gauge, multi-strand cable is expensive ($3 to $7 per foot) and you may not want to order a lot more than what you need (add maybe 10% to the measured length to be safe); and definitely do not order less than you need.

2. Purchase the materials. The specific supplies, products, and materials you need depend on your battery selection and the rest of your project's design. Below are listed the materials I used for this project and their cost (about $450 total including a new battery, battery charger, and additional items like fasteners, glue, and tape). I bought my components from Nexxon, SoundDomain, Hosfelt, AAA Metric, and RMI Plastics. I found out about PartsExpress too late to take advantage of their great prices. Of course, gold- or platinum-plated items are not required so alternatives will be much cheaper.

Products Used for Battery Move To Rear Compartment
Stinger power distribution block	SDB1PT	$16
Stinger 0 ga to 4 ga adapter	S04ADAPTPT	$8
Stinger 4 ga to 8 ga adapter	S48ADAPTPT	$8
Stinger ANL (wafer) fuse holder	SANLFH0W	$34
Stinger 300A ANL fuse	GANL300PT	$12
Stinger 0 ga ring connectors (2)	S0PRG	$4
EFX battery terminals	PBCSN, PBCS	$52
American Bass 0-ga, ~3300-strand, insulated cables (13' each)	-	$77
3/16"-thick ABS sheets, black, textured one side	-	~$30
Odyssey PC925MJT battery	-	$106
Deltran lightweight on-board battery charger	-	$90

Stinger Distribution block and cable adapters

The materials you need for this project may not be available at the local stores. If you need to, or prefer to, buy on-line, the components can be purchased from the following companies on their web site or by phone.

http://www.partsexpress.com - electric and electronic components
http://www.sounddomain.com - electric and electronic components
http://nexxon.com - electric and electronic components
http://www.hosfelt.com - electric and electronic components
http://www.aaametric.com/ - metric fasteners
http://www.rmiplastics.com/ - ABS plastic sheet
http://www.selectproducts.com/product/abslaminates.html - ABS plastic sheet
http://www.ridoutplastics.com/ - ABS plastic sheet
http://www.batterymart.com/ - batteries
http://www.batterytender.com/ - Deltran battery chargers

Install the battery in the rear compartment

The instructions and tips here show how I installed the battery in the rear compartment. Your choice of battery and the mounting location will probably be different, so I will not go into too much detail concerning the battery shelf. I do show several pictures so you can build something similar if you want to. The shelf incorporated the battery hold-down bracket so there is no separate discussion of that topic.

1. Design the shelf and build it. Start out by folding down the seat backs and lifting the rear compartment carpet that lays behind the seat. Two push-in plastic plugs hold the carpet in. Next use a piece of cardboard cut to fit the area as a template; 7-1/8" wide and 35-5/8" long worked for me. Place the battery and other objects you want to install there on the cardboard to figure out a good arrangement. Also place the seat backs upright again to check for interference. The carpet on the back of the seats remains folded up in my design. The carpet from the rear compartment gets folded under itself. No alteration to the stock carpet was needed.

In the picture below I have removed the rear seat cushion and one seat back to make it easier for me to work back there. I traced the outline of the trim panels onto the cardboard, which was cut for the final shelf base length, and noted the location of the two bolt holes I planned to use to fasten the shelf to the body. Those two bolts (actually cap screws) hold the brackets used to attach the factory straps that hold stuff down in the rear compartment. I have never used those straps so I just removed the brackets.

Designing and building the shelf 1

I used 3/16"-thick sheets of black ABS plastic to construct the shelf. These sheets are finished on one side with a texture. It turned out that two pieces glued together (3/8" of thickness) fit nicely between the bottom of the rear compartment side trim panels and the metal "floor". I also think the color and texture match well with the plastic trim.

Battery shelf installed 2

Using the carboard template and hand-drawn designs I cut the bottom piece of the shelf base. I then cut two notches in the base (smooth side goes up) for the angle brackets that will attach the shelf to the car. The smaller rectangular pieces in the picture below are glued onto the base to make the base two pieces thick and to provide structural support for the platform "walls". There are other pieces not shown that form the walls and platforms on the completed shelf. After I cut the bottom piece (with notches) and the all the other smaller rectangular pieces, I started glueing them together with ABS cement (the same stuff you get at the hardware store to cement ABS plumbing pipe).

Do not get cement anywhere else on the sheets except the surfaces you want to glue together. The cement literally melts the ABS. Any cement on the finished surfaces will mar them. If cement does squish out at a joint just let it dry for 5 or 10 minutes. Then you can use a pocket knife to easily scrape it off without making a mess. You can also use a pocket knife to trim or smooth the edges of the ABS, to enlarge or bevel holes, and to remove all sharp edges.

Work on a flat surface. Test fit all the pieces first and make any adjustments or corrections required. Place the long base on the work area with the smooth side up. Spread ABS cement (not too thick or it will squish out) over the entire smooth surface of the first piece to get glued onto the base. Place the piece on the end of the base sheet. You have perhaps one minute to get the smaller piece positioned correctly before the cement sets up. During that minute, keep the pieces aligned and pressed together by hand. Then place a heavy block of steel, or phone book or car battery, on the piece to hold it in place while the cement cures (maybe for an hour or so).

Don't wait that hour for every piece, though. I took the first vertical piece and glued it to the base up against that first piece I just glued down. Then I glued down the next bottom piece up against that vertical piece and added a weight. Another vertical piece went against that "flat" piece. Then I glued on the platform part of the shelf on top of the two vertical pieces, using a plumber's square to keep right angles. You get the idea. In this manner I made the shelf base two layers thick and constructed the platforms. The vertical pieces always butted up against one of the base top layer pieces. I gave some thought as to how I lapped pieces for the best appearance. The two platforms on the battery shelf are open front and back (required for access to the mounting angle brackets). Only the battery is surrounded on four sides by ABS. The opening for the battery is maybe 3/32" wider in both directions to make it easier to get the battery in and out. I inserted pieces of rubber (truck tire inner tube) on two sides to make fit tighter. Design and assemble this shelf carefully and you will end up building it only once.

After the shelf was constructed I made sure it fit and then drilled the holes needed for mounting components. I needed to bend the angle brackets to fit the contours of the car body. Plus I had to shorten the brackets and drill a new hole to match the location of the existing mounting holes. I attached the angle brackets to the shelf using M6x20 flat-head machine screws and nylon lock nuts in holes drilled in the base of the shelf. I used a M6x20 flat-head cap screw on the passenger's side shelf mounting bracket, which also had the new ground wire attached to it. For the driver's side mounting bracket a M6x16 cap screw was long enough. The other items on the shelf were attached using 8x32 machine screws and standard nuts and lock washers (flat washer goes on first, then lock washer, then nut). Note that the shorter platform on which the charger is mounted does not extend to the back edge of the base. In the initial design on carboard I noted that the driver's side trim panel required this platform to be narrower than the base.

Designing and building the shelf 2

2. New ground cable. Even though I ran a 0-ga ground cable forward to the engine bay, I decided to run another 0-ga ground cable to the frame near the battery. I measured the length and crimped on a 0-ga ring connector to one end. This is fairly easy to do. Just remove some insulation and insert the bare wire strands into the connector. I wrapped the gold plated connector with a rubber strip (a piece of an old truck tire inner tube I had laying around; but leather or thick cloth might work also) and placed this on a steel block. I then crushed the crimp part of the connector using a hammer. I sanded off the paint near the passenger's side mounting bracket hole to be sure the bracket and ring connector makes good contact with the body.

New ground cable

3. Battery bracket. This bracket design is really simple. I used some aluminum sheet I had laying around for the top and bottom pieces. The bottom piece goes under the ABS shelf and the 1/4-20x6" bolts go through the plate and through holes drilled in the shelf. The top piece goes on top of the battery. The 1/4-20 bolt threads start just below the top of the battery. So I added a few washers to bring the surface that the top plate presses against to just about the same height as the top of the battery. I bead plasted the upper surface of the top plate to give it a "rough" appearance. A person could also polish the surface for a shiny appearance. Some day I would like to replace this top plate with a milled piece of aluminum for a classier look. Before you perform the final installaion of the shelf, you want to place a layer of rubber or very thin plastic or other electrically insulating material under the lower bracket. This will isolate the bracket from making electrical contact with the "negative" or grounded body. If you do not isolate the bracket, you must be careful when working around the positive terminal that you do not short the terminal or a tool across the bracket.

Battery bracket

4. Shelf installation. After the mounting brackets were made and attached to the shelf, and after the battery fuse, the new fuel pump circuit fuse and relay (2-fuelpump-rewire.htm), and the battery charger were attached, I added the bottom of the battery bracket and slid the shelf into place. I attached the new (short) ground cable using the bolt for the passenger's side mounting bracket. But I did not attach the cable to the battery. I put the battery in place and secured it with the top battery bracket. I made short power cables to go to each fuse holder (0-ga wire to the battery fuse and 8-ga wire to the fuel pump fuse). Unlike the picture below, do not put the fuses in the fuse holders yet. The picture below shows the arrangement after I had later attached the long power and ground cables. But before you go attaching the cables to the battery, finish the other work first.

Battery shelf installed 1

Interface to the engine compartment wires

Some of the components I used in the engine bay are made of ABS or acrylic plastic. ABS and acrylic have a maximum continuous use temperature of about 180ºF (82ºC). This limit has not been a problem so far. I will have to see how the plastic holds up after extended driving sessions.

1. Access through the firewall. Inside the cabin, remove the undercover below the glovebox. There are three Phillips screws in the front of it (near you in the cabin) and one plastic push-in pin farther forward. As you lower the undercover, disconnect the harness from the Air Conditioner Compressor Lock controller that is attached to the undercover. Back in the engine bay (with the battery removed), use pliers then your fingers to peel back the rubber boot that covers the harness to expose the white plastic grommet that protects the the harness from the firewall metal.

Before you slide the cables through this opening, you can attach the connectors to the "front" ends of the cables, as described in steps 3 and 4 below; or you can wait until later. Push one of the new 0-ga cables through the opening until it goes into the passenger's footwell. Alternately pull the cable from the cabin side and push from the engine bay side until there are a few feet of cable left on the engine bay side. Now push the other cable through the opening from the engine bay side. It took me about 15 minutes trying different approaches until I got the cable started through the opening. Do not give up; both cables do fit. The second cable will not slide through as easy as the first one. If you have not attached the connectors to the cables leave a few feet on the engine bay side. Otherwise shorten them up until they are close to the final length needed (see below).

Dash panel access - engine bay passenger's side

Dash panel access - engine bay passenger's side

2. ABS plate. As with the battery shelf, I made a template using cardboard for the ABS plate that attaches to the stock battery tray. The ABS plate follows the outline of the stock battery tray but does not cover the two outboard cap screws that secure the tray to the body. Like the battery shelf, this plate is two pieces thick (3/8" total). I cut the pieces square first using a table saw then traced the outline of the cardboard template onto the textured side of one piece. I held the two pieces together by hand, smooth sides touching, and used a band saw to radius the inboard two corners. After I glued the pieces together and the cement cured, I used a pocket knife to smooth and trim the edges, removing all sharp edges. I clamped the ABS plate to the battery tray and drilled the two inboard 5/16" holes. At this point you have an ABS tray that can be modified for a variety of uses. My design included attaching a vertical panel using two angle brackets. The water injection components will mount to this panel. The location of the distribution block on the plate was determined in part by the location of the WI components on that vertical panel (I made three vertical panels, the temparary one shown here plus a practice and final one for the WI). The screws through the ABS base plate are all countersunk so that the plate lies flat on the battery tray.

ABS plate 1

3. Power distribution block. The power distribution block connects the new 0-ga power (positive) cable from the battery in the rear compartment to the factory starter and alternator cables that were attached directly to the battery when it was in the engine bay. Wearing leather gloves and using a utility knife, I removed about 3/4" of insulation from the end of the 0-ga power cable. A 0 ga to 4 ga adapter attaches to it. As shown in the pictures below and using leather gloves, wire cutters, and a utility knife, I cut the connectors off the starter and alternator cables and stripped back the insulation. A 4 ga to 8 ga adapter attaches to the 5-ga starter cable. The 11-ga alternator cable inserts directly into the distribution block. Wrap the cables and the adapters with electrical tape to protect against dirt and water and to prevent grounding of the cables. Pull the 0-ga power cable into the cabin so that there is not much slack in the engine bay.

Power distribution block 1

ABS plate and distribution block completed

4. Ground wires. Two ground wires originally connected to the battery in the engine bay: one to the firewall and one to the engine. Remove the one that grounded the battery to the firewall; it is not needed anymore. Also remove the plastic harness support on the bolt that is close to it. I cut the plastic harness support off the harness; you could re-attach it to the firewall but it really is not needed. I wrapped sandpaper around the eraser end of a pencil and removed the paint around both holes as shown in the pictures below. Because I had already ran the cables through the car, I placed a chair next to the fender and attached the crimp-on ring connector to the new 0-ga negative cable. Wrapping a strip of rubber around the gold-plated connector to protect it, I crushed the connector against a steel block using a hammer. The new 0-ga cable then attaches to the upper hole using the stock bolt. Attach the old engine ground cable and the harness ground connector to the lower holes using the stock bolt. Pull the 0-ga ground cable into the cabin so that there is not much slack in the engine bay.

Engine bay ground wires 1

Route the cables

The insulated 0-gauge cable I used is about 9/16" (0.5625" or 14.29 mm) thick (outside the insulation) and contains approximately 3300 strands, allowing it to be coiled into a loop as small as 3 inches across. This flexibility makes it easy to route the cable through the cabin. If you are going to use the same route I did, you need to remove the following items before you get started: the plastic scuff plate that protects the bottom of the door opening and the curved plastic trim piece at the front end of that scuff plate, the passenger's seat (2-pass-seat.htm), the rear seat cushion (pull out on the two levers and lift the seat up and forward), the rear seat backs (remove three bolts and release the levers at the top), and the quarter panel trim near the sill (2-qtr-panel.htm). Removing these items allows you to lift the carpet up off the floor. I assume you have already removed the undercover below the glovebox and have two coils of cable in the footwell area with their front ends attached in the engine bay.

1. Routing along door sill. Remove the two 10-mm nuts that attach the forward side sill floor harness cover to the body. As shown in the pictures below, route the wires over the Cruise Control Speed control unit and inside the front plastic harness cover. The cables have to be "led through" the harness cover end first to route them as shown. Position the cables near the control unit with a little bit of slack. Close the harness cover and attach the two nuts. The two cables then continue across the floor under the carpet. Be sure to keep them a few inches away from where the rear seat belt mounts. Practice putting the carpet back in place and installing the seat belt mounting bolt to see if it still fits.

cables along door sill 1

2. Beneath the rear seat. Route the cables across the rear seat base being sure to stay a few inches away from the hole that the front of the seat cushion slides into. You can test fit the rear seat cushion to be sure the cables are located properly. Before you tape the cables to the floor and the seat base to hold them in place, cut the cables for length and attach the end connectors (if needed). Now tape the cables down and put the carpet back in place. Tape down the insulation that goes under the seat cushion being sure to leave the bolt holes clear for the seat backs. At this point you can re-install the quarter panel trim, the two trim pieces over the door sill, the undercover below the glovebox, the rear seat backs, and the rear seat cushion.

cables under rear seat 1

The final connections

Now you can make the final connections of the battery cables to the battery and fuse. I usually always remove the battery negative cable first and connect it last. But in my design, I connected all the cables and installed the 300A wafer fuse last. Pay attention as you make the last connection for any sign that you installed something improperly. Look and listen for any problems. If a fuse blows or there are any sparks or unusual noises, smells, or smoke, immediately (if not sooner) disconnect either battery cable. Find the problem, correct it, and try again.

The pictures below show the final results of my battery move to the rear compartment and my fuel pump re-wire (2-fuelpump-rewire.htm).

Shelf completed 1

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Page last updated January 9, 2003.