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Old 05-06-2014, 06:42 AM   #1
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Jump starting car from 6v

I thought I might have to jump the car from the 6v batteries, but I realized the small connecting wire between the batteries might not survive the electrical surge.

Any problem with replacing the connecting wire with a battery cable? Any problem with leaving the cable there permanently? Any other problems?
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Old 05-06-2014, 09:20 AM   #2
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The "wire" connecting the two 6 volt batteries in my 19 is as heavy as many jumper cables I have seen. I don't think I would make a habit of it, but in a crunch I would first disconnect the batteries from the trailer cables and then attach my jumper cables. Shouldn't be any reason you couldn't replace the wire between the batteries with a full sized battery cable as long as it's heavier than the original.
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Old 05-06-2014, 10:24 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Viajante View Post
Any problem with replacing the connecting wire with a battery cable? Any problem with leaving the cable there permanently? Any other problems?
There's certainly no problem with a larger-gauge properly installed cable connecting the two 6V batteries. Even a clipped-on booster cable would help during boosting.

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Shouldn't be any reason you couldn't replace the wire between the batteries with a full sized battery cable as long as it's heavier than the original.
I agree.

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Originally Posted by lefttee View Post
The "wire" connecting the two 6 volt batteries in my 19 is as heavy as many jumper cables I have seen.
Interesting. I have seen the single-battery cabling, but not the interconnecting cable on the dual battery setup. Do you know what gauge this is? The positive cable I've seen for single-battery Escape is 8 AWG, which would be the size of some lightweight booster cables. For this purpose, I would likely use an automotive starter cable (example), which would often be quite a bit heavier. It really only needs to be as large as the positive and negative cables connected to the batteries.
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Old 05-06-2014, 11:08 AM   #4
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See: http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f9...html#post44138
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Old 05-06-2014, 02:13 PM   #5
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I don't know the gauge. For comparison, the cable that runs to the trailer is .25" including the casing. The wire connecting the batteries together is 5/32", including the casing. The connecting wire is also thinner than the solar cables which I believe are 10 gauge. The connecting wire is much thinner than the jumper cables I was using.

I don't know if this helps determine the gauge. I am definitely going to change the connecting wire to a larger size cable.
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Old 05-06-2014, 02:24 PM   #6
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Jamman, thanks for the reference. From that thread it appears the cables from the batteries to the trailer are 8ga, which makes sense from what I see on my trailer. The connecting wire should be the same, but I will go a size larger for the jump start scenario.
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Old 05-06-2014, 03:45 PM   #7
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When I went from two to four 6 volt batteries in the storage box on my 19' I built a custom set of 4 gauge SAE J1127 battery cables to connect the four batteries together. 4 gauge cables are a standard cable size for batteries and will easily handle the high current developed when jumping another vehicle. The cable and brass ends are available at most automotive part supply stores. Here is a picture of my setup.



Steve
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Old 05-06-2014, 11:21 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Viajante View Post
For comparison, the cable that runs to the trailer is .25" including the casing. The wire connecting the batteries together is 5/32", including the casing. The connecting wire is also thinner than the solar cables which I believe are 10 gauge. The connecting wire is much thinner than the jumper cables I was using.

I don't know if this helps determine the gauge.
Insulation thickness can vary, but this does give a general indication that the connecting cable is likely much smaller gauge than the 8 AWG cable to the trailer, and perhaps similar gauge (maybe with thinner insulation) than the 10 AWG solar wiring.

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I am definitely going to change the connecting wire to a larger size cable.
That seems like a good idea to me.
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