Wire upgrade Cobalt

[LoudPursuit]

Sorry, why cant you upgrade your alt?

[dfoland93]

You don't take the current wiring out when doing the big three. It just adds with the current flow.

0/1 gauge will not strain your factory alternator at all. Think of it this way, if you have a bucket of water and a small hose, the amount of water coming though the small hose is limited. But, upgrade your hose, and the water runs much more freely.

Lmfao...you sound like my college professor when he was teaching about voltage, current, and resistance.

Im in an electronics class and i wish my teacher had awesome analogies like that

[Cardboardcat15]

You don't take the current wiring out when doing the big three. It just adds with the current flow.

0/1 gauge will not strain your factory alternator at all. Think of it this way, if you have a bucket of water and a small hose, the amount of water coming though the small hose is limited. But, upgrade your hose, and the water runs much more freely.

Lmfao...you sound like my college professor when he was teaching about voltage, current, and resistance.

Im in an electronics class and i wish my teacher had awesome analogies like that

I always used the drinking soda through a small/big straw one

Edited January 25, 2012 by Cardboardcat15

[sprkn_ranger]

If you add a agm battery make sure you get a battery isolator cause your not suppose to mix types of batterys. And about the big 3 if your battery his in the trunk then yes you will need to run a 1/0 to the altenator from the battery +. As far as the other 2 wires I would imagine you could just run upgraded grounds from the engine block to the chassis and the neg post on the battery to the chassis. But if you have enough wire I would also run a negative 1/0 from the alt bracket back to the neg post on the battery.

[darksoul187]

I had trouble upgrading mine but since awhile ago now DC power and mechman makes h/o Alts i had to get mine from ohiogen also make sure to leave your headlights on when your banging around or else the alt wont put out all its power it will stop charging, matter of fact i did not believe this until i got some voltage meters i was sitting at 12.3 while lights was off once i turned them on few seconds later i was up at 14.5 i dont know if this is just a "cobalt" thing but i have heard of other new gm cars with the same thing just a heads up

[lotus]

I have a similar problem. A relative purchased a new 2012 camaro rs and the battery is in the trunk. For a basic big 3 upgrade you need to run a wire from the alt in the engine bay to the battery in the trunk?!? When you do the big 3 are you going to run the new wire with the stock (+) wire?

yeah i was planning on leaving the stock

[carshateme]

I had trouble upgrading mine but since awhile ago now DC power and mechman makes h/o Alts i had to get mine from ohiogen also make sure to leave your headlights on when your banging around or else the alt wont put out all its power it will stop charging, matter of fact i did not believe this until i got some voltage meters i was sitting at 12.3 while lights was off once i turned them on few seconds later i was up at 14.5 i dont know if this is just a "cobalt" thing but i have heard of other new gm cars with the same thing just a heads up

That's umm..weird. I get a voltage drop of .12 when I turn my lights on. Goes from 14.7v to 13.4v - 12.9v...depends on the day. I have neglected on upgraded my ground on my alternator...so I'm pretty sure that's probably the reason behind it.

[darksoul187]

I had trouble upgrading mine but since awhile ago now DC power and mechman makes h/o Alts i had to get mine from ohiogen also make sure to leave your headlights on when your banging around or else the alt wont put out all its power it will stop charging, matter of fact i did not believe this until i got some voltage meters i was sitting at 12.3 while lights was off once i turned them on few seconds later i was up at 14.5 i dont know if this is just a "cobalt" thing but i have heard of other new gm cars with the same thing just a heads up

That's umm..weird. I get a voltage drop of .12 when I turn my lights on. Goes from 14.7v to 13.4v - 12.9v...depends on the day. I have neglected on upgraded my ground on my alternator...so I'm pretty sure that's probably the reason behind it.

yeah idk i heard other people talking about it with different gm vehicles that's how i found out about it. they have computer controlled voltage regulator that shuts of the alternator at different times but having the headlights on keeps the alternator charging

Edited January 25, 2012 by darksoul187

[carshateme]

You don't take the current wiring out when doing the big three. It just adds with the current flow.

0/1 gauge will not strain your factory alternator at all. Think of it this way, if you have a bucket of water and a small hose, the amount of water coming though the small hose is limited. But, upgrade your hose, and the water runs much more freely.

Lmfao...you sound like my college professor when he was teaching about voltage, current, and resistance.

Im in an electronics class and i wish my teacher had awesome analogies like that

I always used the drinking soda through a small/big straw one

Lmao, so am I. Electrical Fundamentals. Something like a hose, bigger the hose, bigger the current...bending the hose...causes resistances...etc