Car Battery Cable Size Calculator

Cable sizing selection.

Car battery cable size calculator.

Below we reference the two things you must double check when sizing your battery cables. Going up a size or 2 is worth it in the long run. 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. 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.

I recommend building cables larger than stock. If the wire gauge is ok to use it will have a check mark on the same line. Most of the cost is the ends and labor. The battery cable is among the most important cables in a battery management system.

The manufacturers make stock battery cables as small as possible but still get the job done. Too small a cable size and you ll run the risk of generating heat in the cable. Too large and you ll be wasting money on copper you don t need. 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.

The following maximum amps versus cable size awg come from the nec version 2011. Outside engine compartments the ambient temperature should generally be 20 c. Typically most automotive systems run at 13 8v but you can select 6 12 13 8 default or 24 volts. Cable size ampacity chart.

So all interconnecting cables are 2 0 based on the chart below. But to enable this you need to make sure the sizing is correct. Choose a higher ambient temperature when conductors are expected to pass through. B lead acid dfrac 100 cdot i cdot t 100 q cdot 0 02 cdot t 0 6 where i is current in ampere t is the duration in hours and q is the required remaining charge in percentage.

To use the calculator enter the maximum current in amps of the circuit and the length of the wire and operating voltage. It ensures you have power stay on task and avoid battery drain. 2 gauge battery cable can be used as power cabling for small cars. For very long cables for example 15 foot long battery cables to relocate your battery go one size larger.

As far as i know these values are valid as of today. The required battery size b lead acid for lead acid batteries is calculated by the battery size calculator as.