6:59 When connecting to an aftermarket battery terminal such as shown, it's best to first put the bare wire into a wire ferrule and then clamp it down inside the terminal block with the Allen set screw. This keeps the individual wire filaments from fraying and makes a better overall connection.

I've done all of these things..It works.. Excellent tutorial for those un savvy in automotive electrical.

Definitely the best and clearest explanation that i could find, thank you very much, even 7 years later 👍🏻

And additional 'tip' is before you crimp the terminal end, is to dip the freshly stripped wire into some light oil (PB blaster, WD-40 etc) because the wound wire will 'wick' the oil back up under the rest of the wire insulation to help prevent corrosion seeping up into wire after time. And then if you decide to use heat shrinking sleeves, it will protect just that much better. (ESPECIALLY for the Northern states that use salt etc on the roadways)

Sir, you are the very first (v1st) vehicle mechanic that I see working under the hood seating down. Excellent ... absolutely nothing wrong in working in a "comfy" style! Sir, thank you for your great video on "The big three (3).

This is the best Big 3 Upgrade videos that I've seen. The camera work is stable. You can see almost everything mentioned. The presentation is organized and features graphics. The presenter is knowledgeable, smooth, and easy to understand. The presenter is wearing a lav mic so the viewer can hear him clearly. The video presents more than one vehicle to illustrate differences in vehicle designs and challenges they may present. I give a big thumbs up on this very informative video!

Always disconnect the battery negative before starting any electrical service. It is safety & protects electronics! Best practices are good. Purchase a digital multi meter (DMM) to have the ability to do “Voltage Drop” test and (OCV) open circuit voltage at the battery. There are good videos on both. The battery stored energy to start the car, un-lock, lock and power lights plus many other duties like certain memory functions & clock. Yours will vary. The alternator uses diodes to direct energy to negative (Back Case of Alternator) and the B+. Negative to the battery completes a DC circuit and most cars don’t have a “Full” dedicated frame. Negative wire to the battery (As his Example) have a “Tee” inline, that bolts to chassis but to the engine. Rebuilding or modifying can be fun but a good cable for negative should attach from the back of the alternator and continue on to the battery. You need grounds everywhere to chassis, engine, battery, frame (If applicable) but the littles ones found on intakes, cylinder head or rocker arm cover to the firewall (Bulkhead) are required but the battery to the block is the big one. After all, you want it to crank to start. A good battery tested at 100% state of health and (OCV) at 12.6-12.8 Vdc is correct. The alternator will charge a good battery at less than 1/2 an amp while driving. OEM alternators sense B+ but also temperature. Cold batteries take as much as 14.2 volts as hot batteries take 13.2. The Marine industry + some auto’s with the battery under the rear seat has temp sensors to adjust the rate of charge. Use wire that is quality with “Star Washers” inside or out that dig into both metals, the connector & car. Yes, remove paint to a minimum but protect your connections with a $6 tube of dielectric grease. Adding amps, DSP, and other aftermarket components need a single large fuse that totals the added load. Placed next to the battery as close as one can. Route using existing rubber grommet and avoid all pinch points to avoid fire. Amp clamps w / direct readout are reasonably priced and with the loads on, measure each. Write this down and purchase a distribution fuse center. Sizing wire for unknown amps is guessing and boxes lye about amperage requirements. You can never use “OutPut” for calculation of picking the correct fuse. Start with only the size indicated by the component then the system on at full, the amp clamp will show the correct fuse by 28.6 amps, get a 30 amp fuse, not a 50 amp. The fuse protects the wire and not the component. Voltage drop is measuring the loss of voltage across point “A” to point “B” while on at maximum. The higher the circuit amps, the higher the voltage drop, so a 120 amp circuit voltage drop is 0.500 Vdc. 1/2 of a volt is lost! Normal. 16 amp circuit will show 0.050 Vdc loss. Like headlights or blower fan. These are series circuits, therefore the component uses all the voltage in the circuit. A new switch, wires, connectors, fuse and ground will add up losses when on and new. Measure with DMM on volts, turn on circuit and measure B+ side, ground side both to battery, the component gets the rest. Anything kissing high volts is resistance due the ground, connector, switch, wire or even a fuse. Follow these suggestions and you will have no problems and it works well in diagnosing. Amps to a fuel pump are about 7.0 - 8.5 Amps. Higher than this, plugged filter, pinched line, etc. Lower means the pump is worn and will fail. A simple fuse jumper wire plugged in at the fuel pump fuse w / Amp clamp will show. Voltage drop? If the black or red meter leads are backward, the reading is the same only with a (-) sign in front of it.

This tutorial provides clear and concise instructions on how to install the big three upgrade for your vehicle's electrical charging system. The steps are easy to follow and the explanations are helpful. I appreciate the time and effort that went into creating this content. It has been very informative and useful. Keep up the good work!

I actually upgraded, and added a few more grounding points to my 1985 Corolla GT-S, along with the battery ground, over a decade ago. I thought of the alternator charging wire to the battery but wasn't sure how to do it. I will be definitely be upgrading the charging wire today which will compliment my upgraded alternator (OEM was a mere 60 amperes) with a 100 amperes unit for a 1993 MR2 (w-p/s), which happens to be Plug & Play. Thanks a lot for this informative video, very helpful!

This video was extremely helpful. Thank you!

My brother had a '69 Camaro, California car with very little rust. Constant electrical problems, too many to list. Ended up running heavy gage wire replacing factory positive and negative battery cables. Helped! Added heavy ground wires to several spots of front body panels. Helped more! Ran ground terminals with connections to each other. Much better! Then, ran heavy Ground to engine block, both cylinder heads, and front frame. It made a world of difference. Was amazed how much resistance there was between metal on car...

Al, you did a great job and the visual was excellent , thank you.

This is a great idea for preventing the dreaded - rusty and falling off wires that are burnt and rubbed through and sparking when it rains and there is road salt. Up my way - this kind of stuff is for diesels, like the old or new TDI or old Mech pumps. Winter requires a 1000 COLD CRANK AMPS. And then you have to get all that power to the starter and not melt off the connections, so dont forget to keep going with the upgrades. Best regards - you did a great job explaining and including solder use. Cheers!

I gotta say heaven, in car audio for 20 for almost 25 years and I have to say your guy’s video at SONIC Electronics is the best on KZfaq!

BEST VIDEOS YOU CAN FIND TO IMPROVE THE “HEALTH” OF YOUR CAR, BETTER ELECTRICITY CURRENT DEFINITELY WILL MAKE YOUR CARS PERFORMANCE WAY BETTER, THANKS

Excellent video using 4 gauge wire on stock cars👍. Saw some other videos where guys were using huge 0 (zero) gauge. Some great tips in the comments about dipping in a lube BEFORE crimping ends to prevent corrosion.

I have done this upgrade to a dozen different cars. but why? you will not gain any horsepower. but your car will start faster, your battery will last a little longer, reduce chances of shorts and check engine lights, and your interior lights and gouge will be slightly brighter. to the engineers that say don't do it. the car manufactures especially imports use the bare minimum metal and materials to get by to maximize profit on quantity of cars sold. we live in a world where quality is rare and quantity dominates. just look at the food Mcdonald's sells.

The secondary ground that you see on the other vehicles shown are for the cylinder head which might be isolated from the block ground by the head gasket. The studs holding the head on might be covered in locktite and thus the need for that ground as a precaution. It might have been wise to find the block ground instead as this is the one the alternator is attached to.

Great video. I haven't had beat for a decade, and I'm doing all of this tomorrow afternoon as I drive a 4 banger. Thanks bro!

Great video. Very explanatory and to the point ! Full marks ! Trinidad % Tobago. West Indies.

This is truly and excellent idea to do. Especially if you have a vehicle that mounts it’s battery under the passenger seat or back in the trunk.

I did the big 3 today and it made a big improvement!!

Thanks guys for the valuable information and your time making it.

I wasnt going to comment but man i respect that he gave different examples for different vehicles at the end. Very nice.

Quick tips- The nuts/bolts on the strut towers which hold the strut mount to the chassis work extremely well as ground points because they are nice and large, the metal on the strut towers is thick, and you can tighten them down tight without stripping it or causing damage because they are large and sturdy. Just don't ground to the strut/mount itself since it's usually isolated by rubber bushings. I would also suggest finding a large bolt on a sturdy part of the engine block or head to connect the ground to instead of connecting it to a small bolt on a valve cover, bracket, or something similar. That way the cable is connected to a thick piece of metal that can handle current well, and you can tighten the bolt down nice and tight for a solid connection. Also, as he said, make absolutely sure to sand/wire brush all connections to clean, shiny metal since paint and oxidized metal are very poor conductors. I hope that this information helps someone

All done on the Saab 900. Put 4ga from the alternator to the battery and went from 12 volts to 13.1 no load and much more stable when adding load. Thanks Sonic

I've seen some weird shit when I've googled "Big 3 Upgrade", so thanks a TON for this straightforward vid. Much appreciated!!

nice, simple explanation without complicating it using big words thank you

For the charging wire any additional wire you add smaller or larger than the original wire size you'll see an improvement.

This video is ESSENTIAL!!!

Thanks for this video! I will working with this upgrade tomorrow.

Thanks for the email with the link from Sonic. I had no idea to check this. The wires do look under sized for big systems on some of the cars shown. My 91 Saab 900 has surprisingly large wires from battery to ground and the engine to the battery. The wire from the alternator is not big but it's short going to the starter. It doubles on a stud to the battle and the cable to the battery is large. I'm going to make a new wire from the alternators and see if I get better voltage readings. I'm planning on changing the 85 amp alternator to a 120amp which is all I can find that fits this car so the bigger wire would be a good idea.

LOL "have fun" that jeep patriot had me dying.

Huh, never knew you can upgrade that part

Thanx bro definitely the best diy video on the tube. Great attention to detail and the best explanation to understand. Thanx again

Thank you for this video, very detailed & precise.

Thank you for the video. I have an 02 dodge stratus and I stay having electrical issues. I've replaced my alternator and bought an expensive battery for it. Now I think I see what I need to change. Thanks man!

The Big Three Upgrade is a great insurance for a trouble free starting system for the life of the vehicle. If you don't have a wiring kit, any welding shop can provide very high quality DC cables, sold by the foot and a variety of quality connectors. Total upgrade cost is about $50 and a little driveway labor.

Great video Allen.Thank you,I learned a lot!

Great idea. Those three connections are prob. the most neglected major connections on a car. Gonna do my '92 EG Civic this weekend. Greetings from sunny Jamaica.

the engine ground on my jeep grand,has broken right off. i never knew a thing. until i fixed it. everything got better.

"Improve Your Vehicle's Electrical Charging" Good stuff

Your explanation is very clear bro....thanks so much....I'll do that Big 3 Upgrade to my Toyota Vios soon...

👍👍 That's a GREAT video bro!!! Thank you for your work! 👍👍

some people dont know how much of an improvement the big 3 is, great video!!

would love you guys to do an amp dyno test before the big 3 & after to see what the difference is 👌 Love your guys videos....great info

Awesome tips . thanks for this very useful big 3 upgrade 👍

Hey thank yall for this video. watched this video probably 5 years ago and I was such a noob I didn’t even understand but now that I have had more cars and abilities have grown this is so awesome lmaooo

Can you do a Big 3 upgrade on early 2000's Silverado it would really help out a lot I've seen other videos but don't trust how they are doing their set up

Would of liked to see the calculations for this upgrade, also depending on how old the original wire are, the old wires could be causing underlining issues for the charging system!

I'm going to do this. I have basic toos but a fair amount of mechanical engineering knowledge. Thank you 💪👍🇳🇿

Ty for this walk throw. Grate job keep them coming

I'm a big fan of a crimp for the mechanical connection, and soldering to make a more solid, permanent electrical connection. It's how I've always made welding cables, and it's always worked great. I also use closed end terminal lugs (100% copper) and adhesive lined shrink wrap where the lug meets the insulation to create more long term resistance in wire degradation from age and oxidation.

What about a fuse on the ALT CHARGING WIRE To the terminal? They usually go to the fuse box to prevent any issues that could happen. Running it straight to the battery could give you issues and damage your components.

Love the you go in depth also THE HAT IS GROOVY!!!

This video helped me alot after whatching 30 video before it. I couldn't understand but this video made my life alot less stressful and I got to learn in a way I understood and will always remember

, Another Tip............ if you cannot find or get to the original engine block ground, don't worry about it. Just run an entirely NEW GROUND and leave the factory ground. Nothing wrong with doing that. After all, it's a factory ground anyways. so leave it for you do it yourself kind of people.

Could you show us how to add an inline fuse for the positive wire? Or would you route through the fuse box following the original wire?

Thank you so much Sonic, I appreciate the info. I will do mine camry 2001 in the future.

Hi there, Thank you so much for a great Video, I learned a lot. Thanks again and god bless, Mike/ Canada

For the grounds, should you use the existing grounding spots that factory used or make new grounds? I heard talk of having shorter grounds because that's how grounds are meant to be.

I'd be more worried about those fogged headlights than the big 3

this video is so so old, but i couldn’t find a video on how to wire a big 3 on a celica ANYWHERE. this jus made my day

Great video and ill be doing the big 3 sooner than later. And what he means by adding a fuse holder you would cut the wire in a spot that you can easily get to if it pops now make sure you get a fuse holder up to 150 amp because it will blow every 2 days and make sure you do a battery test so you know ur pushing at least 114 volts

First time I've seen the Big 3 done incorporating the original wiring with the new wiring. Interesting.

Why don’t you replace the stock wires?

Men you explain everything very understandable thanks for your time it saved me so much money

nice video ....i have done use that method in my car ....by using 300amp cable for grounding

2:33. Leave the factory ground. Upgrade ground between altenator and ground in chassi at the same point as the battery/ground.

"..now THIS is one of the ones where I'd say.... ueghhhhh... Have fun." lol

Love a bro. I appreciate it I’ll be doing mine this week soon my alternator shipped in.

Good call on twisting the wire brush on the drill, I'm personally embarrassed that I didn't think of that. I'm always brushing way too big of an area, thanks for the idea dude.

I thought the big 3 included a bigger alternator to power extra sound system amps and such

If the alternator goes directly to the fuse box, should i run a new wire from the alternator directly to the battery or replace the wire from the alternator to the fuse box and also the one going from the fuse box to the battery? Sorry if the question is worded confusing.

This video was so thorough and complete. I greatly appreciate it. I do have a question though, about the engine ground, where you install a wire from the engine block to the chassis. Is there a specific place you have to ground it to, or does it not matter ?

Awesome thanks for your tutorial I learned a lot about this detail, now I can discuss the subject with the automotive mechanic, no more doubts and my car no more failures for not knowing what they are going to do to it

My 2005 Honda element has an alternator that has 105 amps. Which kit would you recommend?

*Doing this improve my battery charging voltage by 0.2 volt. Nice share...*

Thanks for this video.. I am planning on upgrading because i want to add a few subwoofers 🔊 and I thought upgrading was gonna cost crazy amount of money...

Smart, really basic safe steps.Thanks ,audiosz.

2:40 because there should be quite a few of them, hidden all throughout. My v6 has like 4 about that size

i think the battery to chassis ground upgrade is a good idea. stock alternator already has good wiring and the block is already grounded to chassis via motor mounts

Years ago I bought a sub system package from you guys and the amp that was in the package was not the right one, I had to buy another at the shop I was getting my system installed at. The sub was pretty good, 10inch Kenwood had good bass, later down the road the sub tore

Thank you very much for the education I greatly appreciated.

You know why that "OEM block ground" is such a thin wire? Because it's not the block ground, it's the head ground that makes sure the spark plugs work despite there being a gasket between the head (that houses the plugs) and the block (to which the alternator and real block ground is attached)! So on that Celica, you only did 2/3 and gave the plugs mad ground! The real engine block ground is usually an uninsulated flat strip of woven copper/aluminium wires. Do you guys really think Toyota would pull the current for the starter trough that thin wire?

love how the little green cloth is on the battery 😂

best explanation and very good (understandable) pronunciation. thank you Sir greetings from Switzerland

I did a big 3 without a HO alternator and it made a big difference.

For the small increase in driving performance, is the inclusion of the Alternator necessary? Mine is buried at the bottom. If the Alt. is left out, wear is a good location for wire #3 to go, along with a 4th wire? I hope this is still being watched. I would greatly appreciate any help.

Be cautious on this advice. You need a fuseable link (or fuse or breaker) on the alternator wire. The ground should be two single point connections. One to the block and one to the chassis. All other devices should ground to the chassis. The dual ground he just created between the battery and the chassis made a ground loop. This is not good for system noise on the ecus or stereo. On the block side, most newer engines have a large ground near the starter and a small braided ground near the coils. This too is important as the braid reduces rfi created by the high voltage coils. It's not simply bigger is better. Done properly this will be more efficient, but it is not going keep the headlights from dimming. For this, a $50 ups battery installed near the amplifier will beat this hands down on improvement and cost.

Excellent, nice job / video! Great info and practical show-and-tell. Thank you Sonic for the upgrade advice! PS: Just a personal bias, but I'm sick and tired of Chinese / Korean / Japanese vehicles [NOTE: I said 'vehicles' ...nothing to do about the people with whom I've often worked, wonderful folks]. I prefer American & European cars. Again, nice job. Thx!

extreme daily driver channel just made a vid just like this , almost verbatim. this vid prob inspired him to make his own. great vid

does it have to be 0/1 awg wire? what about 4awg? my amp is only 600w max its alpine pdx m6 and subs are 2 12 inch infinitys

Lol, I looked up how to do this, and conveniently I have a Toyota Celica lol

Thank you, I have a 1999 Dodge Durango, have constantly had electrical problems. Going to do this Tuesday after the boys go to school. Monday get everything together and get the wires measured and ends put together. Have to see if I can find a stinger negative wire connector...

Good video, Helped me out quite a bit!

So your running a + cable that bypasses the factory fuse, nice... (Sarcasm)

I dont quite remember but I couldve swore that a watched a SE video was a another big 3 video years ago but I thought he said the big 3 was upgrading wires, alternator and battery itself not just the wires to all 3!???

Thanks for the video! Well done.

I loved how he seal the exposed metal. Many channel or shop skip that and it cause serious corrosion.