How to Choose The Right Wire Size - Auto Electric Dos and Don'ts - Episode 3

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Episode 03 of the Auto Electric Dos and Don'ts Video Series! In this episode we discuss How to Choose The Right Wire Size for your wiring project!
Have you ever wondered how to choose the right wire size for your car? Well watch this video for a basic explanation of the decision making process.
Skip to 5:45 if you don't care about the important information you should know about your electrical system.
NOTE: I am not an electrical engineer. The information in this video is a broad and basic explanation of D.C. Electrical circuits in a car. The topic is far more complex than my explanations and some of the terms I use are slightly misplaced from their proper usages. It is just my goal to acclimate folks that are unfamiliar with the topics. Enjoy!
LINKS:
Wiring Chart: tinyurl.com/y8f2589c
Wiring Voltage Drop Calculator: tinyurl.com/c8cnadf
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Parts Discussed:
*** Aeromotive A1000 Pump: amzn.to/2J5GzS2
*** American Autowire Highway 15: amzn.to/2H00WQd
*** American Autowire Highway 22: amzn.to/2Gm7uv7
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Filmed with:
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*** Primary Lighting: amzn.to/2jHROnW
***Additional Lighting: amzn.to/2DImspx
*** Lav Mic: amzn.to/2DFwgR5
*** Shotgun Mic: amzn.to/2hLODi9
*** Mini Tripod: amzn.to/2Eok8Fw
*** Monopod - amzn.to/2C1YEMU
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Follow Me on Instagram: @ MandicReally - / mandicreally
Follow Me on Twitter: @ Hotrod_Hippie - / hotrod_hippie
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The opinions expressed in this video are my own, from my personal experience. This is not a paid product advertisement. Please feel free to let me know what you think of this tool, or suggest alternatives I should check out.
Disclaimer: This is not a paid advertisement. This video is solely my opinions from the use of these products and based on the specifications of them.
#wiring #12volt #carwiring

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30 мар 2018

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Комментарии : 148

@aberjaylopdollar1074 4 года назад

Nearly 50 years ago, an old mechanic told me, use bigger wires and cables on that Jeep! I asked why ... he said ... The bigger the hose, the more water goes thru it! Now, I'm an old mechanic. That made sense then, you make sense now. Good Job!

@Vani77aThund3r 4 года назад

Awesome awesome video man. Really love the in depth explanation, especially to summarize a fairly complex concept in less that 15 min. Provides enthusiasts with a great baseline, with a great classic water power analogy. Hell, I'm watching this as an engineer for a refresh! Keep it up.

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

Thank you, I really appreciate that. It's never easy to balance helping out beginners and not being boring to those in the know as well. 👍

@stangroves1130 Год назад

Absolutely one of the BEST 12V wiring videos available! Thank you.

@JustKingAdrian 2 года назад

Such a good video! I am in the middle of relocating my battery and I am going to be adding a fuse box for a few accessories. This helped solidify some of my decisions but also helped me understand it a little better. Thanks!

@dylanlucas3397 3 года назад

Okay I know this wasn't meant to be a dissertation on basic electrical units of measurement, but after hearing your explanation of voltage, ohms, and amperage, my understanding of these concepts is SOO much clearer. This is the illustration that helps me remember it: Electricity is water, cables are pipes. Voltage is the volume of water in the entire system, amperage is the water pressure, ohms are the friction working against the movement of the water, and wattage is the speed at which the water travels through the pipe. Gauge is the size of the pipe. (Please correct me if I got any of this wrong)

@jameslangford4748 10 месяцев назад

Thank you very much. I am a novice and want to learn and do things correctly. Your video and chart will help keep me safe. Thank you again.

@stephen271 3 года назад

Thanks for this info you done well with your explanation. 👍👍👍

@SAXONWARLORD1000AD 5 лет назад

GREAT INFO AS USUAL - Thanks

@salifyanjimalama7313 3 года назад

Awesome explanation..understood without any issues.thanks!!

@asd67lkj Год назад

LOL...at 4:49, I had the same grille in my '62 Morris Mini Minor. Bought back some memories....Explained very well......Liked and subscribed.

@Findmylimit 13 дней назад

Self teaching myself. Great explanation thanks

@fordcasino2932 Год назад

THANK YOU...!!! Explained clearly and straight to the point, visual explanation was a bonus. I'm subscribed.

@charlesjohn8378 2 года назад

Great video! definitely learned a bunch since im new to the wiring aspect of cars, only thing i would have liked was how to calculate based on length and amps but looking forward to watching more

@kelzgarage8108 2 года назад

Beautiful content!! Comming from an electrician in training and hot rodder myself!!!

@alwayzn01 4 года назад

Nicely explained...thanks

@timjmartin 3 года назад

Excellent video sir, dug the blooper at the end also. Thanks for the info.

@bertvanstrander5311 2 года назад

GREAT TUTORIAL KEEP UP THE GOOD JOB YOUR DOING. THANKS

@BostLabs 3 года назад

Thank you sir! Awesome info.

@RX7GSLSEowner 3 года назад

Great video, thanks!

@PBS-nm1uu 3 года назад

great presentation.

@RUFFFHOUSE 2 года назад

Very informative thank you

@johnrtrucker 2 года назад

It's all very straight forward once you understand the basics I'm still trying to get my boss to allow me to rewire an older semi we got in the terminal, the shop says it needs all new cab, chassis and engine harness costing roughly 12,000 bucks but looking at it I'm pretty sure I can fix the tom foolery in the harness for under 500 bucks not counting busted sensors and whatnot ecm is good but no communication so its something in the harness I call it "the canary challenge"

@atruefreethinker1944 3 года назад

Great info!

@trailhellboss6892 2 года назад

Wow awesome explanation. I just bought an aeroskin lightshield, I’m connecting it to the fuse box using an 15A mini fuse., using my parking lights fuse to power it. What type of wire should I use. The fuse box is on the right side of my truck.

@5harp3y 9 месяцев назад

Great video, thanks

@michaelkruger7392 3 года назад

Hi Alan. Awesome channel and series! Will you be doing more of these? Thank you!

@HotRodHippie 3 года назад

Michael Kruger I want to and should. I don’t do as many electrical videos as I’d like because people seem to never fully listen to what I said before they start commenting that I’m wrong. I will write up some ideas for more episodes though. Thank you.

@michaelkruger7392 3 года назад

I hope you do, the first 3 were great! Just ignore the comments for a while 😋 Keep up the good work and thank you, very helpful and interesting. All the best 👍

@paulelideperio9004 5 лет назад

Good day sir, i got 2 150watts (300watts total) led lights to be installed on my motorcycle. The distance between the battery and the position of the led light is just 2 meter. I already installed a 12volt relay and a 10 ampere fuse box. The question is, what wire should i use for that? Because my old wire sometimes getting hot whenever i turn on the lights. What size of wire is the best and any donts and dos? Thank you.

@henryserrano6510 Год назад

Excellent video

@locotico71 2 месяца назад

Great video

@apatel0011 3 года назад

Good explanation 👏👍👌

@mystre71 2 года назад

This is some good information. Thanks for sharing. You mentioned at the time of this video you was wiring an LS3. I've installed an LS3 (2012 Camaro) into my 78 Malibu. The ECU (E38) harness is too short to mount it where I'd like. I want to cut and splice all the wires. They look to be either 20 or 22 gauge wire. Would it be wise to use all 16g wire to spice in ? If not, how can I find out the exact size of each wire ? Thank you!

@Joel83M 3 года назад

Explained well

@leh3827 3 года назад

I've got an old 3 way rv fridge, 12V and 12A rating, running 25-30 ft. I was going to splice some cheap old jumper cables (10 AWG) together to reach back under the truck to the camper fridge (or fuse box/terminal junction). I might have a few Amps more draw on it at times, so maybe (if possible) a total of 15A. Sound like it will work with AWG 10, or will this require AWG 8?

@JuniorBillBexo 3 месяца назад

Fair enough love it

@thelastchance6113 3 года назад

Eyes open or closed this kat is a dead ringer for Owen Wilson. Great video it was incredibly helpful

@desert4seat 17 дней назад

I don’t want bright headlights. But good video bro! Thanks!

@jeremyfeliciano7595 3 года назад

Good shit man

@nowahd5912 7 месяцев назад

You are the bast man ✌️

@gaboaaa23 Год назад

hi, can i savely operate a 24V COB LED strip on 20-22AWG wires? The AC adapter puts out 24V 1,5A. The lenght of the wire is about 2 meter long. Ive cutted 6 pieces of 85 cm The COB Led Strip in paralel connection to it. Is this save or can it be that the wire starts to melt or burn? Thanks

@larsturner310 6 лет назад

Nice.

@carnutmerc Год назад

What gauge wire should one use on the aftermarket door poppers for the hot rod shaped door guys? 10 gauge 14 gauge? What do you recommend?

@troyboy9308 3 года назад

Hi, I really like your video's and pretty much understand everything you talk about but I have a 87 Ford f150 lariat xlt 4x4 with a carburetor and so on. My problem is the wiring has been hacked to pieces and has to be replaced, no one makes a replacement any suggestions? "I really don't know what I should do!"

@peewee007654321 4 года назад

Nice explanation 👏👍. Ok, a question for you..... I plan to run an aux power( cigarette lighter socket) to the rear of my Isuzu Trooper. I’m going to run at max a 300W inverter (occasionally)...... I plan to run directly from the battery ( car has two batteries under the hood 🤷‍♂️) I’ll obviously have a fuse in the circuit too. What would be the ideal gauge of cable for it? I was thinking 8 or 10 gauge. Would 12 gauge be a bad idea? I could do with some advice please 😉

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

300w inverter has the potential to pull 25A on that circuit. I'd guess you are routing 12-15 feet with the twists and bends a cable may have to take. So if it was me I'd use 10ga. 8ga wouldn't be crazy at all. Maybe slightly overkill but I'm always a fan of overkill personally. Realistically if it was me I would wire up the inverter hardwired and permanently mounted instead of using the socket. I'd maybe piggyback the socket off of the wiring to the inverter for smaller loads. 25A is a lot to pull through a aux power socket. I'd used something like some insulated junction blocks for power and ground then wire the inverter direct to that. And the socket as well if you still wanted it. (For like cellphone charging, small lights, etc)

@edmarquez7514 9 месяцев назад

I bought a new dash gauge unit for my 1955 chevy. The unit comes with 22 awg coming off the connector. Should I use 22 awg or is 18awg better to use?

@jasonbuben2708 3 года назад

I’m needing to fix my wiring harness in my cars engine bay. I’ve planned on just getting the same wire size but do I need to get a certain type of wire since I’ll be using it in the engine bay. Most of the wires are about 12 or 14 gauge used for turning signals and sensors.

@HotRodHippie 3 года назад

Short Answer: Yes. Cross Link wire is generally preferrred as it is intended for Automotive Applications. Long: TXL is a commonly used Cross Link wire as it is thinner overall diameter so it is great for Engine harnesses. The Smaller diameter helps with routing and keeping the overall diameter of an engine harness down. Any Cross-Link wires specifically stated for Automotive use are good choices generally. That said, you can get away with using non-Cross Link wire. Some "Primary" wires are designed to hold up to the conditions a car presents just fine. However they are usually stiffer and thicker making them more difficult to neatly route and harness up. Here is one of the Suppliers I get wire and wiring parts from: www.delcity.net/store/Cross!Link-Wire/p_804928 Another: www.eficonnection.com/home/category/wire/txl-wire-by-the-foot

@losmoore3358 11 месяцев назад

Is silicone awg electrical wire any better and why ?

@TERRORoftheLORD Год назад

I appreciate you keeping your video clean of foul language. 🙂

@jameslangford4748 10 месяцев назад

What gauge wire is use for the solenoid or the fan please ? Thank you

@MWDAdventures 2 года назад

ok, so now I need to know AWG , or oxgen free. Aluminum core or all aluminum cooper core or all copper? 12 gauge isn't 12 gauge I am finding on amazon. What is the best automotive brand wire to buy off amazon. I need 12 gauge for a light bar?

@toddhanthorn8200 Год назад

I have a 31 ford model A with Chevy 350 . Battery is going in back trunk. What size battery cables would you run? No A/C,HEAT,RADIO. This hot rod is just Bare minimum. Fuel pump is Mechanical.

@basejumperdx4573 3 года назад

Can we use any wire for led 3amp. 12v 36watt

@gentlerowdy 2 года назад

hi can some one pls explain teh terminal of saying as 10 guage is 10 gauge = to 10 mm thats the diameter of the wire, or its the thickness of teh copper inside the wire, what is the unit of calculation of 10 guage & how do you measure that ? thanks for explaining

@cguetler750 2 года назад

Excellent video…hooking up a Compressor in the bed of my truck. Calls for a 45 amp draw. I’m thinking my run will be about 15 feet what are your thoughts on wire size. Thinking 4 even thou the compressor came wired with alligator clip on 8 gauge.

@HotRodHippie 2 года назад

Honestly I think 6 or 8ga should be sufficient for that purpose. I'd likely go for 8ga. The compressor may draw UP TO 45A, but it likely won't be that high all the time. Probably just peak at that when the compressor kicks on (the highest draw time usually).

@reperik5646 2 года назад

What if you took a zero Gauge wire and split it into four separate smaller wires. Would you then cause a voltage drop just by dispersing the strands?

@Adel_Volks Год назад

Hi, I can’t find the Typical Low Voltage Wire Size Guide , in your links🥺 Would you share it with us? Please

@user-kx1xd9nt2r 5 месяцев назад

I can't find the chart that tells the size wire for the parts of the car like u said

@danielalmendarez1878 2 года назад

I have a ‘46 Chevy truck w/a 6 volt system. Once it gets hot it’s hard to start or it’s sounds like the battery is going dead. What size cable wires should I use.

@HotRodHippie 2 года назад

Cable size? 12 volt conversion. 😅😅 Seriously though, that’s a thing about 6V vehicles and one of the main reasons people convert / cars moved away from 6V. 12v just packs more power for those situations. Upsizing your battery cable a hit may help but it’s not gonna be the overall fix when the battery feeding it and then starting motor it’s cranking are still just the old 6V units.

@Cesar-xy6fd 5 лет назад

Hi. Really great video. I check the link with wire chart. It show up to 200 amp only. My friend advise me not to buy booster/jumper cable on eBay (with various rating from 100 up to 1000amp) because they are undersized most of the time. So now I plan to make my own jumper cable set and length is 25 feet for each wires (total is 50 ft). So I plan to use welding cable. There is 35, 50, 70mm2 size available. For SUV 4 or 6 cyl engine. Which size would you recommend as maybe voltage drop might be reason that the engine won’t start. Thank

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

25 Foot is an awfully long distance to go with jumper cables. I can't really recommend running cables that long unless you have to. Are you saying the Positive is 25 feet and the negative is 25 feet or is the overall length 50 feet for both cables? For a minimal voltage drop you will need something like 4/0 cable. Which is 107mm. If you are actually going 50 feet, no battery cable is going to carry 200+ Amps that distance without a decent voltage drop. I'd recommend running shorter cables and going with the 70mm cable. I use 00ga (67.5mm) when doing trunk mount battery setups on cars. That averages about 10-12 feet of cable. Here are two pages with information on Battery cable sizing. enerdrive.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/How-to-connect-batteries-correctly.pdf www.wiringproducts.com/battery-cable

@Cesar-xy6fd 5 лет назад

Hi. Thanks for the link and advise and appreciate your prompt reply (within 2 hours...wow). Yes total length is 50 ft [25ft (+) and 25ft(-) ]. Shopping mall parking is usually front facing the wall and my old 12 ft jumper cable could not reach when I was trying to make jump connection from front(my car) thru rear (another car at my rear end... the 12 feet cable is too short. I measured my car length it is already around 17 ft (5 meter). So I calculated some allowance for the downward sag and cable running thru the floor and up to the other car....a length of 25 ft would be just nice. I did viewed some RU-vid video measuring the starter cranking ampere and it was like 270ampere on a 2.2 liter cylinder car Diesel engine and measured voltage drop from 12.6 volt DC to like 9,6 volt DC. So with a 3 liter or higher diesel size engine....I guess a starter motor might need more higher ampere and I am not sure what is minimum voltage drop will be acceptable. I did find in internet an certifies USA manufacturer 25 ft booster cable (100% copper wire and 100% copper clamp) which is really nice it cost like USD 230.00. But shipping cost to Asia approx usd 700.00 in addition...so it’s too expensive. I guess that the entire booster cable is really heavy like 20 lbs because it has correct size. It just mentioned AWG 2 and did not mentioned the cross sectioned area mm2. I am not sure about How AWG gauge and welding cable gauge...maybe there is differences in their sizing and in their wire strands. In Asia, there are so many jumper cable available like 600 ampere have tiny wire diameter (4mm) and they are just Copper clad aluminum wire and copper-coated steel clamp I am not confident with these Your stronger emphasis on voltage drop is what make me realize to consider the length and wire size I like to help others in need when their battery goes dead but I do not like to burn their car (including mine) by using the wrong /undersize jumper cable. So hoping that to get help and advice.

@rogerkillsnight2898 Год назад

What size fuse do I use for 14 gauge

@Nodnarb69 4 месяца назад

So going bigger than needed on wiring is ok? Just make sure not to be too close to being small?

@asoorlin 8 месяцев назад

damn this was good

@cajunman7389 4 года назад

I am trying to install a hidden kill switch on my starter solenoid wire. It looks to be a 10 gauge wire. Would a 10 amp rocker switch work? I cant seem to find a 20 amp rocker type without the LED light on it and the toggle type don't hide very well

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

If it was me, I'd use whatever small discrete switch I could find and wire a relay. Use the switch to engage the relay, which then connects the signal wire to your solenoid. Then you can use a 1A switch, or whatever. That said, you MAY get away with a 10A switch. That is around what many solenoids can pull while cranking, though they can spike momentarily above that. A switch may handle that spike ok. I wouldn't be afraid to try a 10A switch in a pinch, but given the choice I'd use a relay personally.

@petermalloy1216 2 года назад

What size wire for a 3000 amp inverter, wire length 4ft.please?

@brennan686 4 года назад

I have a 2008 Buick lacrosse super 5.3 liter engine I want to rewire my map sensor wiring what is the best size wire for this part

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

The original wires are 20ga. Unless you plan to greatly extend them I would just use the same size. Sensor wires can be slightly trickier as sometimes the resistance of the wire can play into the sensors readings. So using too large or small of a wire can slightly change things enough to be an issue. It's best to just reuse the original size. www.eficonnection.com/ sells the proper type of wire for GM EFI jobs. I just hand wired a full LS3 Engine harness with their products.

@sureshthyckadavil6240 2 года назад

Hai Sir,I Sureh from Kerala India,need your help to do the wiring of my car. Basically I am a automobile mechanic too and restoring my Morris Minor 1952. May I get a wiring diagram, and it's wire gauge.

@akosilotzkie617 3 года назад

Best size of wire for motorcycle?? Tnc

@julioaviles5006 5 лет назад

Let's say I want to add a fuse box with relay for multiple accessories like light bars, light cubes, radio with amp. This is for a side x side (can am defender). What's the wire gauge from the battery to the fuse box?. Thank you 😊

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

If I was doing it I'd do the math to figure out the actual load. But a safe answer would probably be around a 8 or 6ga wire. It's likely overkill but I'd rather that than undersizing. Each of those items has the potential to be both a large or small load so it's hard for me to just pick a size.

@julioaviles5006 5 лет назад

Thank you sir

@ryanreynolds8209 4 года назад

What if I want to wire a battery cut off switch, will 8 gague be too small?

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

As the main battery cable or a car? Yes that is too small. What is the car, engine, and where is the battery located? I never use less than 2ga for battery cable on my custom projects.

@mickholgate3347 6 лет назад

Correction: Current is the correct term where you are saying amperage mate. Ampere is the measure of current, like voltage is. Similarly, power is the correct term for wattage. Wattage is the measurement of power. Hope this helps

@HotRodHippie 6 лет назад

Mick Holgate you are correct. As I was editing I realized the error but didn't feel it ruined the point. Thanks for the input.

@mickholgate3347 6 лет назад

Great video though

@mickholgate3347 6 лет назад

HotRodHippie I think it will be fine

@walterk1221 5 лет назад

That's kind of a razor-fine distinction as amperage is defined as "the strength of an electric current in amperes". I am not really sure the usage was incorrect. Cumbersome, perhaps, but not technically incorrect. Anyway, I agree the hair-splitting over semantics does not detract from the points made in the video. 👍

@jasonbuben2708 3 года назад

Can you ever use to big of a wire? Will this allow your battery to run out quicker

@HotRodHippie 3 года назад

Can wire be too large? No and Yes. For the most part "Too large" is just a waste of money and space. Making it more difficult to wire something neatly or fit into areas required. For many things however, "Too Large" won't hurt anything if those factors don't matter for you. If you don't mind spending more money and using the space, then it doesn't usually matter. The exception to this is sensor wires in engine harnesses. Some (not all) sensors and computers are expecting specific parameters for the readings the sensors are producing. Too large of a wire COULD throw those expected variables out of whack enough to cause issue. As such I try my best to match original size or only go up a 1 or 2 sizes at most on ECM / Sensor wiring.

@mr.technician2638 4 месяца назад

Sir still you didn't said on this video how to select or calculate wire size in relation to wattage or amps as you said , you only tell base on your experience how about us doesn't know enough from our experience? For example I haved a 100w light component, with 12v source and 8.33amps then how am I gonna calculate specific wire size to use...its not like I will choose this 12 cause like this and that...why? How?

@steveclujhawkins8063 2 года назад

04/26/2022 I am lost. How do i find the " link" that he talks about ?

@HotRodHippie 2 года назад

They are in the description of the video, just as I said they are. www.cycleterminal.com/wire-current-for-length-and-thickness.jpg www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html

@MrKiet76 4 года назад

Ok I'm trying to upgrade and relocate my dome light with something else but Since I dont have the proper size wires to hook them two together can I use a couple size bigger? Will it burn the fuse or anything?

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

Over sized wires are almost always fine. It won't cause any problems. Adding a second dome lights however could. It heavily depends on what design your dome lights are. LEDs would likely be brighter AND less power draw. What size fuse is feeding the dome light now and what size bulbs are you using?

@MrKiet76 4 года назад

@@HotRodHippie I'm replacing the dome lights with those remote control rgb el lights from eBay. I'm hoping it's the same wattage so I can run the existing dome wires to it but I don't have the proper size wires to extend to relocate for the module!

@MrKiet76 4 года назад

@@HotRodHippie and trying to use the same dome fuse

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

@@MrKiet76 could you post a link to the RGB kit? Those can vary wildly in Wattage. And what is the vehicle?

@MrKiet76 4 года назад

@@HotRodHippie 01 accord is what I'm putting it in. And as far as voltage goes it's dc 12v!

@RobinTheMini 4 года назад

Love that blue Mini!

@ghu_makkar_saurabh 5 лет назад

If budget is no issue, then just to be on the safer side is it simpler to just go with let's say 12 gauge wire instead of 16 gauge (calculated using charts)?

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

In general yes. I generally go bigger than I necessarily think I need to. The only issue I see is if you run a bunch of 12ga wires instead of smaller ones it may make routing and packaging more difficult.

@ghu_makkar_saurabh 5 лет назад

@@HotRodHippie Someone told me using bigger wires will mess up the current flowing and spoil the devices being powered... So safe to assume they didn't know what they were talking about?

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

If you are talking about something like an EFI sensor wiring, that would be an issue as it expects to see specific things. If you are talking like powering a radio, lights, fan, etc then no that is just wrong. I could see if you were using a 1ga wire where you only need 16ga sure I could see some issue. But oversizinf to 12-14ga wouldn't be an issue. Usually when I do that I just go one size larger. If I NEED 16ga but want to be safe I go 14ga.

@ghu_makkar_saurabh 5 лет назад

@@HotRodHippie Perfect... Thank you so much for the explanation :)

@MikeWolf-427 4 года назад

Thanks for the video! I’m trunk mounting an agm battery in the trunk of my ‘16 mustang. I’m going to do the big 3 wire upgrade at the same time. 200amp alternator, 15’ of 2/0awg I think should be enough but what do you think? Where should I terminate the ground, near the battery or up closer to the engine? Thank!

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

With Trunk Mounts I always recommend running your ground to your engine. Frames aren't nearly as good of conductors as copper cable. That said I usually run one from battery to the frame and one from battery to the engine. Then I ground the engine to the frame at least once if not two or three times. Those engine grounds can be smaller diameter cable I feel. It never hurts to get excessive with grounds, the only downside is a minimal addition of weight.

@MikeWolf-427 4 года назад

@@HotRodHippie Awesome, thanks for the help.

@gardentools2553 3 года назад

Why does my relay box have such a small wire direct from the factory ....

@fudk_off1312 5 лет назад

what size wire would be good for a 12 volt car horn ?

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

That really depends on the horns. Many old horns on classic cars pull a fair amount of amperage. Original harnesses on many cars had horn relays and 10-14GA wire. Newer horns or motorcycle horns don't generally pull nearly as much. So it is hard to say. Though you could just err on the side of caution and run say a 12ga wire of a horn relay.

@fudk_off1312 5 лет назад

the horns off of a 2015 Harley. it says it requires 12 volts. I got some red and black wire spools that are similar in size to the wires going to the horn, you think it would be fine without a fuse?

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

Motorcycle horns are usually quieter and pull less power. So you should be fine to match the oirignal wire thickness. Just make sure the wire you are using actually matches. A lot of factory wiring has thinner sheathing on it than the stuff you buy at auto parts stores so the outside diameter is a bad indicator. Also yiiu should use a relay if the vehicle doesn't already have one. Last thing you want is a short to burn up the wires in your steering column. Even a fused circuit can risk this from time to time. So the more isolation you can get for the wiring in the column the better.

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

@fudk_off1312 5 лет назад

oh yeah... didn't mention that its going on a bicycle...

@fun_with_tan 5 лет назад

Chart link is not working

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

I will update it when I get a chance. It is hard to keep up with folks changing their pages all the time. Thank you.

@Fuckoff-1 5 лет назад

@@HotRodHippie currently all pages on the whole internet are readdressing to IPv6 instead of IPv4. A website used to be 'www.example.com' or '174.534.342.432'. On IPV6 this changes to 'www.example.com' or hf73n:f783hnf:jf387cm:f838hjfk:jhf83nh This new IPv6 system allows billions more domain name availabilities but makes things tricky whilst swapping over.

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

@@Fuckoff-1 Good information, in this case it looks like the company who had the chart has changed their market direction. Wiring seems to be a very minor part of their business now so they probably tossed some online resources. It is not easy to keep up with all the links I post in videos, I'll have to audit them from time to time now.

@HotRodHippie 6 лет назад

If you don't want to hear the background information about how to pick your wire size and understanding voltage, then skip to 5:45 for the more basic and direct answer.

@Michael-it6gb 3 года назад

You know. This is a testament how old this volt technology is. We need an upgrade. For simplicity's sake.

@tallldarkandhandsome216 3 года назад

Hello, HotRodHippie. I believe you did not state if the wiring chart is for copper wire or for aluminum copper clad wire. Those differences are important.

@HotRodHippie 3 года назад

I only use and recommend full copper wiring so I took for granted that would be evident. I realize clad wire has been becoming far more common from retailers but I really don’t endorse using it. It’s purely about cost savings and not being a better product.

@tallldarkandhandsome216 3 года назад

Thanks for letting us now. I use copper only and not that cheap economical aluminum wire. I was not sure if I could use that chart but now I know I can... thanks... GREAT VIDEO BY THE WAY...

@VastCNC 2 года назад

This is cool and all, but how about the right sized wire for my 3d printer components? Do you know a guy?

@jenniferhicks508 4 года назад

So basically the longer the distance the larger the wire needs to be?

@HotRodHippie 4 года назад

Also factoring in the size of the load, but yes that's a fundamental part of it.

@Junfanfrankiejess 3 года назад

👍👌☝️👏

@russelosborne246 5 лет назад

Hope this is ok, if not feel free to delete it. Here's a link to a page that includes a wiring size chart and some other information. I'm not associated with them in any way, just a site I have saved to my favorites. www.offroaders.com/technical/12-volt-wiring-tech-gauge-to-amps/

@russelosborne246 5 лет назад

And I agree, I feel better going the next size larger in most cases.

@HotRodHippie 5 лет назад

That's good by me. I'll look at it later and see about updating the description links. The original links I started with aren't working anymore.

@hooddaddy2318 2 года назад

Big dawg! You look like a tatted @dougdemuro

@MrKiet76 4 года назад

Watt thuh........

@truestory3307 2 года назад

Why is he moving his hips while talking Wow!!

@andrewhirst8403 2 года назад

LOSE THE MUSIC! I was interested in listening to this, but but the silly, repetitive guitar riff in my left ear was driving me mad! I know it was only soft, but it was still far too distracting. -Totally unnecessary.

@speedtuff 3 года назад

Needs more info on battery cables... the biggest single battery is around 1250 cranking amps, running under the hood the max run would be 10 feet. This is so far off your chart that its not even rational.

@HotRodHippie 3 года назад

Starters don’t actually draw the amperage that the battery lists as the cranking amperage. An average starter draws between 100-250A at their peak. And that is a short load, not a sustained continuous load. It’s part of why you should not crank a start constantly when a vehicle is having trouble starting. So no, it isn’t off the charts. You are just thinking about it incorrectly. Even the spikes of amperage draw over what the charts list isn’t a terribly important thing as it’s usually quite brief.

@DA-bp8lf 10 месяцев назад

I don’t know anything about gauge size wires. You keep saying “6 gauge wire might not be enough, so you might wanna go a little bigger.”What does that mean?? Couldn’t you at least tell us what size is going to be bigger? Common sense says 8 gauge is bigger? But your making it sound like 4 gauge would be bigger? Very confusing! Next time explain gauges as if the listener knows nothing about gauges! 🥵😖