Starter issues...

[1sikrex]

Ya got a good case with the smaller battery in the front, Im pretty sure an optima wont fit under the hood next to my cold air intake and the interstate battery is much smaller, thanks for not being a dick by the way just want to get my car up and running. So right now since I have a smaller battery up front, and bigger ones in the back, when I go to start my car, it isnt pulling any power from the rear ones at all? If thats the case then going to be royally pissed off cuz I yold stereo garage I was having starting issues and was the point to adding the two batteries. Would make sense though because if my car hasnt been running for a good 4 or 5 hours, after a couple key turns itll start, but if I try to start it righ after its been running for a while it wont start... I hear the fan running when I try to turn it over right after I turn it off so figure maybe the fan running was sucking enough juice from the battery to make it so it didnt have enough charge to get the starter to turn over

[FrodoGT]

Yeah, the back batteries are just too far away too give the kind of juice that a starter requires...and running through a smaller battery is a very indirect way to get it there.

[1sikrex]

Ahhhh ok thanks so much, I would think my assumption that a red top will not fit under my hood next to the cold air intake is correct eh? That would be option one scrappin the interstate and putting one of the optimas under my hood and having the other one in the back... option 2 would be still scrapping the interstate and installing a power distribution block on the side of my engine bay and terminating the ground and power to that, and having the setup that I wanted of the car starting from the two batteries in the back... would I still have the issue of the batteries being too far away to engage the starter?

[FrodoGT]

With 4 gauge, I would sure hope not..and i think a red top just might fit under the hood, They arent nearly as large as the yellow tops..but everyones CAI is different.

[bambam89lx]

And you're using a stock alternator to charge 3 batteries? you may need a higher output alternator to charge all of your batteries. That tiny output alternator isn't meant to charge 3 separate batteries...that's why you have starting problems directly after driving for a few hours...makes sense to me. Sorry if I come off as a dick...don't take it personal homie.

[1sikrex]

Its cool man, if ya check out my signature got the 150 amp alternator noted on there, have had that for about a year and a half and been through two starters since then. I think with a little help from frodo I have figured out the problem. The little interstate battery is where the starter is looking for power.. and it just doesnt have it. If the stereo place would have done what I told them to the stock battery would have been taken out of there and the car would start off of the two optimas. Thats why I bought them to make sure had enough juice to start the car after all the accessories memory and alarm and LED's etc. Here is a question for the well informed... if I cut off the battery terminal connection, on the end of the positive wire going to the stock battery, and connected it to the 4 gauge power wire running to my car, and toss the stock ground from the engine going to the battery terminal under the hood (the two batteries are grounded in the rear of the car)... it should start right up then correct? (Right now if car doesnt start up after a few keyturns jump starting the car causes it to fire up right away)

[FrodoGT]

Yeah that should do it.. just connect the positive to the optimas...thall run them straight to the alternator, shouldnt really need to do anything with the ground though, its already connected to everything...

[1sikrex]

Well FINALLY figured out what the problem was, sure as shit the ground wire from the engine to the battery was not only 16 years old but it connects in a splice that appears factory at a little bolt that screws into the front part of the car, once I took the ground completely off and inspected it, replaced it with a 4 gauge brand new wire. Also tossed the interstate battery and with some delicate surgery put in one of my optimas that I had in the back, the starter still needs to be replaced, but it does turnover after a couple of tries. Anybody know how in the hell to get the second bolt off of the starter, that is UNDER the starter? Me and about 3 friends tried like a mofo with socket extensions etc, and for the life of us could not get that bad boy off, so now have to spend 75 bucks labor for one damn bolt Also one thing Im curious is, I have seen a voltage regulator installed in some cars with multiple batteries... do I need this? I can tell one thing, even with the optima installed under my hood, it still isnt using the 2nd battery in the back to assist in starting. Thanks for all your help peeps! Oh and frodo if ya get back to me before I bring my car into the shop... would gladly pay you the money instead of my auto repaair shop did the IACV myself was a breeze, just need to adjust my clutch cable, and install the windshield wiper motor and the rex will be healthy once again yayyyy!

[FrodoGT]

Yeah the wiper motor is a snap...literally, all of theinterior pieces on thes cars pretty much snap in and out in a few minutes. Clutch cable is easy as well, and Id be glad to help get that starter offa there. I love working on my rex because it is so easy and Ive pretty much got it down to a science when it comes to tearing stuff out of it.