What size gauge is the positive battery cable that runs throughout the car?

[ac3]

Thanks

[StereoInstaller1]

0

[jrobie79]

welding wire is copper and comes in big gauges and way cheaper than what a car audio company will charge

[vpilarrt]

Get it (0 gauge stranded wire) from Lowes or your local DIY - pretty cheap.

[jlevie]

I doubt that Lowes, Home Depot, etc will have #0 copper. And the copper that you can get from an electrical supply house probably won't be built with fine strands and will be very hard to use because of the stiffness. Either get the cable from a welding supply house or get a used cable from a salvage yard. The salvage yard will probably be cheaper.

[bmwstudent]

try a heavy truck repair shop. i own one and stock 2/0 cable all day. try the phone book under truck repair. if your close to the delaware memorial bridge ill sell it to you, Delaware fleet service 302 778-5000 ask for mike

[TurboJake]

I do have a cable in my basement I'll part with.

[browntown]

So just for reference because I learned this the hard way recently (bought the wrong stuff):

Gauge, as it applies to shotguns and wire is bigger wire = smaller number, so 12gauge wire is thicker than 16gauge wire.

BUT

Once you get to 0 (aught, aka 1/0) it starts the other way

00 or 2/0 is Bigger than 0
000 or 3/0 is even bigger
0000 or 4/0 is about as big as you can get before you start talking about industrial applications

I trust when luke says that our standard wire is closer to 1/0 but I've had success using 2/0 fittings. I suspect the actual difference is minor, and that knowing bmw, the size isn't even measured in AWG but something like 14mm fine strand.

Now you pop the hood of a modern honda and see the little thin wires running the whole system, and you'll be thankful that bmw put some big wire in our cars.