Car Battery Cable Size Calculator

The following maximum amps versus cable size awg come from the nec version 2011.

Car battery cable size calculator. Going up a size or 2 is worth it in the long run. Too large and you ll be wasting money on copper you don t need. The battery cable is among the most important cables in a battery management system. The required battery size b lead acid for lead acid batteries is calculated by the battery size calculator as.

For very long cables for example 15 foot long battery cables to relocate your battery go one size larger. Typically most automotive systems run at 13 8v but you can select 6 12 13 8 default or 24 volts. As far as i know these values are valid as of today. If the wire gauge is ok to use it will have a check mark on the same line.

2 gauge battery cable can be used as power cabling for small cars. 1 awg gauge battery cable 1 gauge awg battery cable is designed for higher power applications and can comfortably handle 200 amps at a cable length of 9 4 feet. Below we reference the two things you must double check when sizing your battery cables. Too small a cable size and you ll run the risk of generating heat in the cable.

But to enable this you need to make sure the sizing is correct. Most of the cost is the ends and labor. Cable size ampacity chart. Actually for my current installation i ve sized all of my dc cables to meet the 175 amp worst case scenario.

2 gauge awg battery cable has an amperage capacity of 150 amps at a cable length of 10 feet. Choosing the correct gauge automotive wire depends on the acceptable voltage drop length of the feeder branch circuit conductor load amperage and the ambient temperature of the compartment where the primary wire will pass through. Cable sizing selection. I recommend building cables larger than stock.

The manufacturers make stock battery cables as small as possible but still get the job done. It ensures you have power stay on task and avoid battery drain. In summary when selecting the correct size of battery cable you need to take into account the total maximum amperage your electrical system requires the voltage of your system usually 12 volts the total length that your cables need to be and the amount of voltage drop you are willing to accept versus the amount you want to spend. One of the most important aspects of designing and building any part of a vehicle electrical system is determining the correct size and type of cable to use for each circuit.

Choose a higher ambient temperature when conductors are expected to pass through. So all interconnecting cables are 2 0 based on the chart below.