Mikeysheff12 Posted March 1, 2022 Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 I’m having trouble finding anything on how to install and wire a lithium bank to my car. I have a stock battery and stock alternator that I want to keep. It’s a 64ah bank. I’m not sure if you install it and wire it just like you would a secondary battery and just run a wire from positive and negative straight to the bank (fused of course) and then to the amplifier. I’ve seen a website that said three options, wire the battery straight to the alternator but then where do you put the negative wire for the bank and would I need a battery management system or a battery charger. The second option is to get an isolator and I don’t want to spend any extra money than I already am building the lithium bank, and the third option is to do a stock battery delete and I don’t really want to do that either so I’m at a loss as of right now. I’m still very new to lithium and all I’ve learned is how to build one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafaseles Posted March 1, 2022 Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 First, is it an LTO bank or LifePo4? LifePo4 you can run with an AGM battery, but like you stated, they recommend an isolator. I wouldn't mix LTO and any other battery chemistry. But I'm sure people have. I still would never run one without an isolator. The reason you want an isolator is because the resting voltage of lithium is different than an AGM or led acid battery. LifePo4 is much closer though. So while the batteries are at rest, they will constantly be leaching of each other, trying to regulate their voltages. It will severely shorten the lifespan of both batteries. You can run a positive from your stock alternator straight to your lithium, then just ground your lithium to the frame. Make sure you do the big 3 upgrade. Problem with that is splitting the duty of your stock alternator can shorten the lifespan of that. Your best, least expensive option in my opinion is do a battery delete. It's very easy. I was a little nervous about doing mine, but it turned out just fine and was actually quite easy. 2011 Chevy Silverado under construction My build log here. Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeysheff12 Posted March 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 It is a lifepo4 bank with headway cells. I’m going to add a balancer onto it. It connects the four positives and one negative. I’ll link it below. I still have my stock battery, it’s not an agm. My stock car battery positive terminal is quite odd as it has about two fuses I think in the line leading to the positive terminal that came from factory. I’ve done the big three already. I’ll Link a picture below of that as well. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Li-ion-Lifepo4-LFP-Battery-Active-Equalizer-BMS-1-2A-Balance-3S-4S-6S-7S-13S-17S-/264538084775?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafaseles Posted March 1, 2022 Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 If I'm not mistaken, on your negative battery terminal, I think you have a sensor that is used for the vehicle controlling voltage. That doesn't mean you can't do a battery delete though 2011 Chevy Silverado under construction My build log here. Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeysheff12 Posted March 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 I’m not sure if I do. If I do, there’s nothing that’s obvious like sticking out, it’s just a wire leading to the negative and then a ground leading to it as well. But for all of the wires on the positive terminal, those fuses are in the terminal. How would I go about running all five wires (including my power for sub) all the way to my trunk for my lithium bank. I’ll have to lengthen my battery positive to later at or wire as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafaseles Posted March 1, 2022 Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 So, there's different ways to do a battery delete. Some people, in the place where the stock battery would be, they use a fused distributing block, or solid distributing block, I used actual battery terminals bolted to a piece of wood, and some have gotten empty battery cases and just hooked the terminals up like normal. Basically, you keep all the stock wiring in the same place. No need to extend anything. Say you're going to use a solid distribution block. You would connect all the stock wiring up to that distro block, along with your alternator positive run. Then another run from the distribution block, back to the battery (fusing it for safety). The lithium in the rear will still feed your starter, and your alternator will still handle the majority of the load while the vehicle is on. I hope that made sense. If not, let me know, and I'll try to explain it better. Look into it and see if you have a vehicle voltage madmen l management system. On the Fords, I've seen it as a ring or harness around the negative cable going from the battery negative to the engine block, but I've also seen it as a case looking thing directly connected to the negative battery terminal. If your vehicle has one, it might change how you have to do things. 2011 Chevy Silverado under construction My build log here. Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeysheff12 Posted March 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 That makes a ton of sense. I don’t want to mess with the stock fuses on my positive terminal because they’re mounted onto the terminal pretty much. I might do a distribution block but my only worry is that since the terminal is curved, wouldn’t it arc on the distribution block if it touches it. I could wrap it in electrical tape if need be. A battery case is a great idea as well. I’ll look at prices and see which one would be my best. I don’t believe I have a voltage management system mainly because I just replaced my negative terminal so I could fit a 1/0 lug on the terminal for my ground but I haven’t seen anything remotely close to what you’re describing but I will look closer tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafaseles Posted March 1, 2022 Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 Can you see what size fuses those are? You could always use a fused distribution block and just replace those fuses with others the same size. I wish I could see better how that terminal is, I could come up with a better method. 2011 Chevy Silverado under construction My build log here. Check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeysheff12 Posted March 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 I’ll take some pictures of it tomorrow and add them in here and figure out the size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeysheff12 Posted March 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2022 So I found a couple things out. There’s no voltage management system between the negative terminal and anywhere else that I can see but there is a voltage regulator on my alternator, well inside my alternator pretty much. i believe the fuses are between 200a and 120a from what I’ve seen online. I’m going to look further when I get back to my car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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