Well, Over the next few days I will be attempting the "Big 3" upgrade to my electrical in order to cope with the extra amount of strain caused by my new sound system.
For people who don't know what it is, The "Big 3" upgrade is upgrading the following:

1. Battery Negative to Chassis
2. Alternator Negative to Chassis
3. Alternator Positive to Battery Positive

Now, because the battery is in the trunk i needed quite a bit of wire, I calculated that i'd need about 2AWG wire to handle the current from the engine to battery for the least resistance with my power levels, but i found 0/0AWG for cheap, so I compromised.

This is a legendary upgrade for people with High Current Audio Setups (I'm running about 100amps continuous in the trunk). It should dramatically reduce voltage drops related to car audio amplifiers.

Will update this thread with my results. For all of you who dont know waht 0/0AWG is, here is a pic with a penny for reference, its some nasty stuff!

 

are you gunna fuse it?

 

good luck running that wire....it can be a pain some times becasue it is so thick

 

Pull the back seats off and run it under the carpet into the center consol out through the firewall.

 

Keep us posted man. You should do a how to for the Cobalt as you do it.

 

whaaaaa...

 

Battery Ground to Chassis will be easy, it's right there in the trunk

 

what kind of wire did you get? how much did you pay a foot?

 

That KnuKonceptz KLM Cable, it's $1.75 a foot

I'm going to route it directly next to the stock wiring and keep the stock wiring intact as well.

You can never have too much wire IMO

 

ive always liked their wire because its real flexable, and cheap i wish i would have waited to buy their wire instead of my streetwire at 5 bucks a foot for 50 feet

 

I paid $50 shipped for enough to dop the "big 3" mod

They shipped fast as hell, I ordered monday morning, and it got here the afternoon

 

Yeah, knukonceptz is great. My 4ga from batt - fuse holder - distro block - 8 ga to each amp - 8 ga grounds to ground distro block - 4ga to ground is all knukonceptz. 4 channel and 2 channel RCA interconnects are as well. Nice products at a good prices.

 

Currently I have Rockford 1/0AWG from battery to distro/fuse to dual 4AWG to amps and back

 

Will you be able to fit it through the firewall w/o removing the stock wiring?

I've considered doing this myself, but I'll probably only end up doing the "Big 2/3", and skip running the big ass wire through the cabin/firewall.

 

thats the most important step if you dont do this then its just not worth it

 

Go to your local welding shop and get some real wire if you are going to go big go big plus it will be half price and a better conductor.

 

Well, I spent the last two hours routing that wire from the trunk, under the carpet, thru the center console, under the dash, about out the firewall. Lemme tell you, it's NOT for the faint hearted.

I got the wire all the way to the engine, then started poking aroundd the alternator to see how it works, and what do i find?

Now lets think logically here, why would GM put a really nice 105/115amp alternator in our cars, when the power lead on the alternator is 10 ******* Gauge Wire?!?!? I looked over the alternator about five times before I accepted that it was the power lead, since there are only 3 wires coming out of the alternator (2 are for some sort of sensor).

I am currently waiting on ring terminals so i can finish the whole thing.

I think sometime soon, i will probably also add a 4 gauge wire from the alternator to the fuse box, because IMO 10 gauge does NOT cut it for the needs of an entire vehicle.

Updates to come...

 

10 guage I wonder why gm is going bankrupt cheap mother f==kers

 

did you take your carpet out or just do it the hard way pushing and pulling? i did mine the hard way and it was apain its almost one of those things thats soo time consuming that i would pay to get it done(im also tired of working on my car)

 

I displaced the carpet by a inch or so, then ran the wire, then returned the carpet

 

I displaced the carpet by a inch or so, then ran the wire, then returned the carpet

 

I email the company you mentioned and they have not replied did you do the big three
before you got your h.o. alt if so any gains even with the 10 gauge coming out of alt.
Shop here in Chico qouted me 70 dollers for install.
Did they send you the braket as well

 

Cobalts come stock with 105amp alternators..

Some cobalts have 115amp alternators as a hidden option

 

Well 115 amps is just about enough for one amp what about the other 4 and my cars
regular ****

 

115amps at 14.4 volts is 1600 watts continuous, which is quite a bit of energy, what kinda of amps are you running?
My system takes approx 1500 continuous at full blast