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Battery cable size

S

Steamboat

Member
I need to replace the cables on my Ford 5000 diesel. Should I purchase 2 gauge or 4 gauge. OEM is 2 gauge. The reason I ask is that 2 ga. cost twice as much as 4 ga.
 
How long will the cables be? THAT is what makes the difference. Starter can draw 200 amps @ 9 volts.

If the cable is 3 feet long? #2 results in a 2.2% loss, and #4 results in a 3.5% loss. So it will crank at 8.8 volts with #2 and 8.6 volts with #4. NOT a huge difference but it WILL crank a little faster with the bigger cable.

If the cable is 5 feet long? #1 cable has 2.9% loss, #2 cable has 3.7% loss, and #4 cable has 5.8% loss.

Easy answer is - if the length of the cable is only 2 feet or less, #4 is fine. If longer? I'd use bigger cable.
 
If you put in the heavier cables, you will only be aggravated once - when you pay for it. If you put in the lighter cables, you will likely be aggravated many times when you have trouble starting it. Diesels need to spin pretty good to start, especially in cold weather. I would always opt for heavy cables. My 2 cents. ADB
 
Steamboat, there's only one engineering answer: The bigger the cable,,,,,,,,,,,,, The less line voltage drop,,,,,,,,,,,The less I Squared R heat losses,,,,,,,,,,,The more power available to the starter. Do you want to drop battery energy across the cable or the starter motor ????

Sure 4 will work but 2 will work better. In warm temperatures its not so critical but in extreme cold temps it can make more of a difference.

Its your money and your choice but if you're in cold climates Id recommend 4 gauge.

John T
 
John
The longer the cables the greater the resistance. So if cables are short, would size really matter that much?
 
George, the shorter the cable the less line voltage drop and that's true of any size cables be they 2 or 4 gauge.... Voltage drop = I x R so less cable resistance due to less cable length = less line voltage drop..... Its still true bigger cable = less voltage drop, = less I Squared R Heat losses, = more power to the starter versus wasted in cables. 4 will work but 2 gauge yields less line voltage drop in long or short cables. Its his money and his choice.

NOTE Im not saying how much difference 2 or 4 gauge makes versus length, that's a simple math problem, Im ONLY saying bigger cable = less LINE voltage drop PERIOD

One has the right to use what he likes as far as Im concerned, I'm only giving math and engineering answers.

John T
 
As everyone is saying "More bigger more better". Can make a world of difference in cold weather. Personally I like using welding cable. Those tiny copper strands make the cable very flexible and very easy to work with.
 
Again, it is all about the length. With short wire runs there is the rule of diminishing return when it comes to spending extra money on bigger wire. I already posted exactly what your voltage losses would be.

And yes, bigger wire always allows less loss. But when it comes to 1/10th of a volt at max starter amp draw - you many never notice the difference. 1/2 to 3/4 volt drop, yes. A "12 volt starter" is designed to spin at proper speed at 9 volts. Feed it only 8 1/2 volts and it slows down a lot. Feed it 8.9 volts instead of 9 volts when under absolute max load and you will likely never notice.
 
You guys amaze me! You seem to believe the magnetic field comes from the current, but in your replies it seems like a part of a volt makes a difference. And you are right! Magnetic field comes from the atoms of the material excited by the VOLTAGE.
 
I have never seen a "volt" so maybe I am missing your point.

Small differences in cranking voltage at the starter do indeed make a huge difference in cranking speed.

In plainer speak, my starter gets more "excited" when it runs at a higher voltage. So do I.
 
"Again, it is all about the length."

EXACTLY wire has X Ohms of resistance per unit length, so less length = less resistance = less line voltage drop, while greater length = greater resistance = greater line voltage drop THATS PRETTY SIMPLE OHMS LAW 101 and a voltage drop
calculator will provide the details such as those you already kindly provided. THIS ISNT ROCKET SCIENCE...?..

For extreme cold weather starting, given only two choices No 2 or No 4 Cable, REGARDLESS of any small differences in voltage drop between the two choices, its just in my engineers DNA to go ahead and spring for the bigger cable but I respect those who choose to use the smaller and "subject to length" it might not make all that much difference.

Sooooooooooo simple

John T
 
It think John means "2 recommended". John's first mistake ?? just a joke John! I once new a draftsman who "made his first mistake" and it was of course a joke.
 

Bigger is better for both cables and the CCA of the battery. The ground cable from the battery should be routed to under one of the bolts that holds the starter on.
 
Oh come on! Do you own your own Canadian wire company?

Ford 5000 comes with a 3 foot long positive battery cable.
Ford 5000 comes with a starter that draws a max of 225 amps at 9 volts.

AWG 2/00 copper cable results in voltage at the starter of 8.88 volts.
AWG 2 copper cable results in voltage at the starter of 8.77 volts.
AWG 4 copper cable results in voltage at the starter of 8.64 volts.

Mr. Deere . . by your reasoning, I suppose the poor guy should get AWG 4/0 or even better yet, 500MCM cable?
 

It is a 12 volt system. 4 gauge will get the job done. 2 gauge might be better, but I doubt if you will ever notice the difference except to your wallet.
 

Factory cables were 32 inches long... however replacement cables will come in 36 inches...

And a brand new set of 4's will always beat a set of corroded up, cracked insulation, and bad connector cables any day of the week. IF..... I were doing a lot of cold weather starting, I would consider a ""thermostart"" accessory or a shot of ether. Both will greatly cut down cranking time on the 5000. A 4 cyl ford 5000 diesel is not hard cranker like some of the 6 cyl or bigger engines.
 
Don't you love any electrical question, we all pretty well agree and beat this simple (Two choices, 2 or 4 gauge) question to death lol.

QUESTION: "Should I purchase 2 gauge or 4 gauge. OEM is 2 gauge."

ANSWER How many times can we say it??? There seems to be agreement either 2 or 4 will work, while 2 Gauge drops less voltage (hard to argue with Ohms law)

So buy whichever you choose or can afford as either will work and 2 (OEM) will drop less voltage. That pretty much sums it all up I think

John T
 
Mr. Deere - I am not "exaggerating."

You stated and I quote you . . "bigger is better."

So going by your comment, 2/00 is better then 2, and 4/00 is better then 2/00, 400MCM is better then 4/00, etc.

I do not agree. Comes to a point of diminishing return when you compare cost of wire versus voltage drop.

We are talking about a 225 max amp starter with just 3 feet of wire.
 
(quoted from post at 11:49:55 09/11/19) Again, it is all about the length. With short wire runs there is the rule of diminishing return when it comes to spending extra money on bigger wire. I already posted exactly what your voltage losses would be.

And yes, bigger wire always allows less loss. But when it comes to 1/10th of a volt at max starter amp draw - you many never notice the difference. 1/2 to 3/4 volt drop, yes. A "12 volt starter" is designed to spin at proper speed at 9 volts. Feed it only 8 1/2 volts and it slows down a lot. Feed it 8.9 volts instead of 9 volts when under absolute max load and you will likely never notice.
Click to expand...

Gosh, JDEM, it don't know about "the rule of diminishing returns", but "bigger is always better".

Don't take my word for it, look at the Kardashians and their multi-million dollar empire.
 

It is getting to the point that I almost don't bother replying to these questions anymore. The guy asked a simple question and wanted honest answers. He did not ask for opinions.
 
(quoted from post at 07:09:43 09/12/19)
It is getting to the point that I almost don't bother replying to these questions anymore. The guy asked a simple question and wanted honest answers. He did not ask for opinions.
Click to expand...

What he said.
I can't believe this thread has dragged out for 3 pages!
 
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