battery cut off switch
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
battery cut off switch
so, i have 2 battery cutoff switches...one for car one for audio.... does it really matter if i splice the positive or the negative.... it says the negative but i have my positive wires already cut to lenght and all that jazz..... i always thought the positive was the one to cut in case of a short/fire
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
two cutoffs... one to the motor and one to my audio...... there are alot of car fires due to audio failure so i figure with a cutoff i can help avoid that..... question.... does the ground have the same amperes as the positive side..... reason for asking is that my audio setup has two fuses at 80amps each...now my cutoff switch is rated at 50amps so i would cook the switch b4 the fuse..... but if i splice the ground then would that be any better.... i'm afraid of power being in route if the ground is cut and therefore the power would find the quickest route to ground out therefore leading to possible meltdowns........
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
a freind told me that a marina shop will have high amp switches that are nice... i'll check it out tomorrow and see if i find anything that might be worthy to the c3 people.... i also need to find some cool window switches but the ones i fund were like 120 for a pair.....
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
1. They always recommend using the cutoff on the negative side, for a reason.
2. 99% of the time it wont make any difference. Positive side will work fine.
3. But....This is a little contrived - you cut the positive cable, then try this: Splice a wire from the positive terminal to the frame and see what happens! (hint: zzzzzzzzzzaaap!!)
Now, cut the negative cable and try the same thing. If you splice a wire from the pos cable to the frame nothing happens because the circuit is not complete.
2. 99% of the time it wont make any difference. Positive side will work fine.
3. But....This is a little contrived - you cut the positive cable, then try this: Splice a wire from the positive terminal to the frame and see what happens! (hint: zzzzzzzzzzaaap!!)
Now, cut the negative cable and try the same thing. If you splice a wire from the pos cable to the frame nothing happens because the circuit is not complete.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,165
Likes: 950
From: Keizer Oregon
Originally Posted by comp
do the Neg. 
Definitely the negative......If you interupt the positive, you have a short just waiting to happen....and a 12V/600 Amp short is not something you want to happen inside your car....think arc welder....(you have a fire extinguisher right??)......
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
yeah, i have a fire extinguisher.... my reasoning for splicing the hott is that the splice is only 12" from the battery, the only real live wire will be that 12"er now if i do the ground, won't there be a load sort of waiting to go somewhere if the ground is off...... maybe i'm reading into it too much here..... once there is a load in a wire and it is connected to other wires, i.e. fuse panel,wire harness, and a short happens, the load in the wire will find a way to ground out...... my dad told me how he had two batteries in his camero back in the 60's/70's and one day he came out and his emergency brake cable was on fire/burning..... come to find out, there was a short and the power found the easiest way to ground...... so case in point....kill the power before is trails through or just cut off the ground...... man, this is tricky.....
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
but now the question is, if i have say 80amps running through a hott, will i have 80amps running through the ground...i.e. audio setup.... if i splice the negative, i will still have to find a switch to operate under that same load?
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,165
Likes: 950
From: Keizer Oregon
Originally Posted by onaqwst
but now the question is, if i have say 80amps running through a hott, will i have 80amps running through the ground...i.e. audio setup.... if i splice the negative, i will still have to find a switch to operate under that same load?
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If you have the positve wire from the battery connected to your "equipment" whatever that may be, there is of couse a potential between the positive an ground, but if your battery is disconnected ( with a cutoff switch ) your frame is no longer at ground.....the only way to short your load at that point would be to physically connect it back to the negative side of the battery ) or wherever the cutoff switch is at....good luck.
