how to wire 2 batteries and Perko

[kdiddy]

I know it's a fairly basic question, but I'm at work and don't have anything infront of me, and I need to buy the material to do the work this weekend.

Can someone explain what the basic wireing layout is? I think the positive cable from the engine goes on the main terminal on the Perko, than the 1&2 terminals on the Perko go to the positives on the two batteries. What happens to the existing negative wire?

I know these are dumb questions, I'm just trying to get it straight so I have what I need and the job doesn't take too long...

thanks in advance

[Sbt3]

RE: how to wire 2 batteries and Perko

You are correct on the way the positives cables work.
They say that you can take the negative cables to a bus bar, but that seemed like a pain in the butt to me so I just daisy chained them. So I ran a 2 ga cable from the engine block to the negative post on one battery and then ran another cable from the same negative post to the negative post on the other battery. It worked fine. I used 2 ga wire for everything.

[nms1991]

RE: how to wire 2 batteries and Perko

Sbt is right but I like to if posssible go back to the main ground on the engine and use 2 gauge or better if possible.

[Franz]

Do you use the wire from the alternator to split on the Perko or the main + wire to the starter??

[Sbt3]

Franz- you will want to use the main positive 2 ga wire that comes from the stater to go to the common post on the perko switch.

[Chad52]

On my existing original battery, there are 2 wires coming from the + battery terminal, a heavy 2 gauge wire running to the starter relay, and a second ~10-12 gauge wire running back under the engine somewhere. I connected the perko inline, without the secondary battery hooked up yet. No matter what setting the switch was on, (1/2/All/Off) I still had power. What is this secondary wire going to and what do I need to do with it?

Chad

[Chad52]

Never mind, figured it out. The second wire powers the circuit breaker box under the driver kick panel.

Chad