I need any info on installing an inverter in a 97 Crown Vi..

Does anyone in the discussion group have experience in installing AC
inverters in a Crown Vic?
The inverter I'm looking at is about 18 inches long and about 6 inches
wide 3 inches deep. I was looking at the available room aft of the
battery and it's not much room. My CV is a Police intercept model and
I'd hoped there would be some place this kind a gear would have been
installed in its previous life.

Anybody have any ideas on good way to do a semi-permanent install of
this kind of equipment?

Dennis

On Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:52:42 -0700 (PDT), dennis
wrote:


>Bruce,
>Thanks for the advise! You have addressed several of my questions and
>concerns about this install! I'm going to look again in the trunk to
>see if there's evidence of a previous inverter installation on this
>car. It certainly hasn't ever had an additional battery installed up
>front.

No problem, I hate seeing things done halfway. (Maintenance &
Repair Electrician) Because I usually get called when someone else
tries doing it halfway (or on the cheap) and it doesn't work, and I
often have to rip it all out and start over.

More work, bigger bill, and the customer is inevitably pissed about
the whole thing because he's paying for the work twice - even though
I'm not the one that messed it up.

I have a 1KW inverter and dual batteries in my work truck, but only
the stock 100A Delphi alternator for now. Works fine when done right.

(If I start hammering the inverter hard I'll see about a bigger
alternator, or setting up a semi-permanent charge/jumper cable socket
on the bumper with the big Anderson PowerPole connectors [electric
forklift or Tow Truck style] and a charge station at home.)

There is often space for a second battery up front if the vehicle is
sold anywhere in the world as a Diesel, and you can usually get a
factory battery tray and battery hold-down system that bolts right
into that location - but you may have to shuffle things around.

Van or Sedan? Major work, you'll need to get special brackets to
hang the battery box underneath, or install a vented compartment in
the rear somewhere. Newer Vans they tend to put other gasoline
emissions related things there that can not be easily moved.

If you want to put a wet battery inside the passenger compartment or
trunk of a vehicle it HAS to be vented outside, in case it decides to
outgas some hydrogen when overcharged. Either a sealed battery with a
vent hose to outside ALA the old Volkswagen Beetle, or in a sealed
compartment with the door or a vent hose to outside.

Look on van conversion ambulances, they notch the body and hang a
steel 'possum belly' box underneath (louvered door) for the extra
batteries, usually behind the driver's door.

The "Optima" sealed starved-electrolyte battery is the exception, it
will work inside the body or trunk since they only outgas if /really/
abused, but they are double the price - regular 24DC wet battery is
~$60, the Optima Yellow Top DC or Blue Top Marine Starting/DC is
~$150. And no big advantage service-life wise.

You only use the Optima when nothing else will work, like a race car
(shock and vibration, and weight concerns) or you need the very low
internal resistance (3,000A to 5,000A peak current) for cranking over
a huge "sleeper" engine in a small car, or to make the bass punch
right on a megabuck 1,000W+ sound system. In that case, you mount the
Optima battery in the back RIGHT next to the amplifiers, just far
enough for a big fuseblock and 100A or 150A fuse to each amp.

--<< Bruce >>--