Which Anderson connectors?

[Bassfiend]

Given recent hassles with starting, flat batteries and subsequent charging I was thinking I might add a remote battery connection under the bonnet using an Anderson connector. There's a fair selection of current capacities available from 50amps to 320amps (continuous) and even the 50amp would be more than man enough for the duty cycle of jump starting a Tiv.

Does anyone know what the usual connector size used by the AA is?

Is there an easy route for a couple of new hefty gauge cables to get back into the passenger footwell?

Where do people usually mount the connectors under the hood?

Phil

[threespins]

I think my leven one is connected to the starter motor and to earth, the actual plug fitted to the off side front chassis rail.

[Bassfiend]

Hmmm ... looking at the Leven site it seems they're using 175 amp connectors.

I suppose it would be easiest just to order a set from them and then get another connector to whack on the battery charger...

Phil

[JaySTee]

I saw a guy on Ebay that sells anderson connectors and all the accessories, just search "anderson connectors" on Ebay and it should come up... He had a kit advertised with male and female connectors, handle, dust plugs etc for about £13 I think... Found it http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

[BliarOut]

Bassfiend said:

Given recent hassles with starting, flat batteries and subsequent charging I was thinking I might add a remote battery connection under the bonnet using an Anderson connector. There's a fair selection of current capacities available from 50amps to 320amps (continuous) and even the 50amp would be more than man enough for the duty cycle of jump starting a Tiv.

Does anyone know what the usual connector size used by the AA is?

Is there an easy route for a couple of new hefty gauge cables to get back into the passenger footwell?

Where do people usually mount the connectors under the hood?

Phil

Somewhere accessible with the bonnet closed.

[Bassfiend]

JaySTee said:

I saw a guy on Ebay that sells anderson connectors and all the accessories, just search "anderson connectors" on Ebay and it should come up... He had a kit advertised with male and female connectors, handle, dust plugs etc for about £13 I think... Found it http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

I had seen those and was thinking about them but moved on for a few reasons, the main reason was that I'd have to add a set of hefty gauge jump leads (which aren't usually cheap in themselves), cut off one end and crimp that into the terminals for the Anderson plugs. I'd also have to get some additional cable and crimp the ring terminals at the other ends to go to the starter and chassis (or battery terminals) and given that I used to be into serious car hifi I know that the tooling to properly crimp those connectors is bloody expensive. (Sticking them in a vice and whacking them with a hammer and blunt chisel is often given as an alternative method of crimping heavy gauge cables but it really doesn't work well.)

They can be soldered but basically you need a plumbers blowtorch to do it and if you're not very lucky then you end up with the insulation on the cables shrinking back due to the heat.

Phil

[spend]

VWP sell most the bits you need.

I don't see why you need them under the hood, short ones under the panel for the battery seems a lot easier. All you need is an external low amp charging point so that you can open the doors / accu/optimate - the grill/undertray area is ideal for this IMHO.

[sparkythecat]

Bassfiend said:

They can be soldered but basically you need a plumbers blowtorch to do it and if you're not very lucky then you end up with the insulation on the cables shrinking back due to the heat.

Phil

Anderson plugs should be soldered om rather than crimped. It's not that difficult.

Strip the cable back and lightly tin the end

Hold the anderson plug terminal vertically in the vice

Heat it with a blow torch and melt solder into the terminal until it's 3/4 full of hot molten solder.

Push the tinned end of your cable into the molten solder and hold steady for 20 seconds until the solder hardens.

Job done

[lwt]

It's just a thought, but if you add an external connector for charging the battery it is unlikely that you will ever need to do a full hundreds of amps jump start. Most chargers only manage 10A or so and if you can connect a charger then at least you can open the doors and disarm the immobiliser etc. You can add a small connector of almost any type (so long as it only allows you to connect with the right polarity). I have one stowed behind the washer bottle wired in at the 100A fuse via it's own 25A fuse to protect this new short bit of wire.

Ian

[Bassfiend]

lwt said:

It's just a thought, but if you add an external connector for charging the battery it is unlikely that you will ever need to do a full hundreds of amps jump start. Most chargers only manage 10A or so and if you can connect a charger then at least you can open the doors and disarm the immobiliser etc. You can add a small connector of almost any type (so long as it only allows you to connect with the right polarity). I have one stowed behind the washer bottle wired in at the 100A fuse via it's own 25A fuse to protect this new short bit of wire.

Ian

Good thought Ian - the "plan" as it stands is that if I want to connect a maintenance charger (I need to decide which one to get - I have a Halfrauds one but it's a bit knackered) then I have a handy connection point in the shape of the cigarette lighter socket (and lets face it getting in to get access to it even if the battery is flat is easy enough when you've worked it out).

The thought for a "heavy duty" connection point is so that it can be used for jump starting (obviously) but also for connecting a battery charger (fused at 20amps which is greater than the 10A which I believe the lighter socket is fused at) and also for a power takeoff for running a 240v inverter that I sometimes end up using - dropping that in somewhere behind the front grille (using maybe some of the "Dzeus" style 1/4 turn fasteners to retain the grille) seems like a plan to put on the list for the future when I've got some free time and the car back.

Phil

Edited by Bassfiend on Sunday 27th December 08:13

[shpub]

Bassfiend said:

Hmmm ... looking at the Leven site it seems they're using 175 amp connectors.

I suppose it would be easiest just to order a set from them and then get another connector to whack on the battery charger...

Phil

I do them as well. Including a set that has the spare connector.
https://delta.securesslhost.net/~shenglt/catalog/i...

I have the spare connector inside the footwell where it is out of the way and kept dry. Pull out the cover and it's there. It does mean that the connector is not exposed to the wet and high temp conditions that the engine bay sees.

Edited by shpub on Saturday 26th December 20:45

[Bassfiend]

Nicely plugged there Steve.

Should there be boots over the battery terminals by the way? Mine doesn't have any...

Phil

[shpub]

No not normally. They would be a real pain anyway as they would cover the only easy access to the terminals!

[Bassfiend]

• chuckle* Fair point - tis just that when I first delved down there on mine the ECU was actually sat on top of the battery rather than having the carpet between it and the battery to stop it shorting out the terminals.

When are you starting shipping out stuff again Steve?

Phil

[shpub]

Tuesday...

[Gazzab]

I got an anderson connector that came with the accumate - the terminals for perm connection to the battery are very little and so dont connect to the TVR battery terminal connectors. I havent got round to fixing them yet. Steve - do yours fit the battery connectors ?

[Bassfiend]

Gazzab said:

I got an anderson connector that came with the accumate - the terminals for perm connection to the battery are very little and so dont connect to the TVR battery terminal connectors. I havent got round to fixing them yet. Steve - do yours fit the battery connectors ?

...and how long are those leads on that assembly?

Phil

[Bassfiend]

shpub said:

Tuesday...

Cool - just looking to see what else I need to get at the same time...

Phil

[shpub]

Bassfiend said:

Gazzab said:

I got an anderson connector that came with the accumate - the terminals for perm connection to the battery are very little and so dont connect to the TVR battery terminal connectors. I havent got round to fixing them yet. Steve - do yours fit the battery connectors ?

...and how long are those leads on that assembly?

Phil

The main leads are 3m long and split into a 0.5m and 2.5m sections. A pair of Anderson connectors joins them up.
The flying lead is 0.5m long which gives enough lead to tuck it out of the way.
The anderson connector will allow small croc clips to clamp on the terminal which is how I connect a battery charger to the battery.

On the Cerb, the battery terminals are dead easy to get to so there isn't a need for an Anderson connector. To attach an accumate, the easiest method is go through the cigarette lighter. This will handle 5A safely. If you want more current capacity clip directly on to the battery for the +ve and the engine for the -ve/earth. I could say with the Cerb you need one of my systems but... in reality the battery design and positioning is quite sensible so there isn't the need. However don't let this honesty stop you...

[Gazzab]

shpub said:

Bassfiend said:

Gazzab said:

I got an anderson connector that came with the accumate - the terminals for perm connection to the battery are very little and so dont connect to the TVR battery terminal connectors. I havent got round to fixing them yet. Steve - do yours fit the battery connectors ?

...and how long are those leads on that assembly?

Phil

The main leads are 3m long and split into a 0.5m and 2.5m sections. A pair of Anderson connectors joins them up.
The flying lead is 0.5m long which gives enough lead to tuck it out of the way.
The anderson connector will allow small croc clips to clamp on the terminal which is how I connect a battery charger to the battery.

On the Cerb, the battery terminals are dead easy to get to so there isn't a need for an Anderson connector. To attach an accumate, the easiest method is go through the cigarette lighter. This will handle 5A safely. If you want more current capacity clip directly on to the battery for the +ve and the engine for the -ve/earth. I could say with the Cerb you need one of my systems but... in reality the battery design and positioning is quite sensible so there isn't the need. However don't let this honesty stop you...

Hi - I currently (get it !) use the fag lighter option but I fancied an anderson connector as it could be neater and also means if I did need to get some juice into the battery then I could without having to use the secret entry method etc...