Dual Batteries in about an hour

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wjw
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Dual Batteries in about an hour

Postby wjw » Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:21 pm

Well finally got my ar*se into gear and setup dual batteries in my car. The bits needed for this are as follows:

16 Gauge cable - enough to get from your current battery, to where your new one will go (for me 5 metres Red, 1 Metre Black)

Solenoid Battery Isolator - MY was a Chargegaurd one from Capital Instruments, about $150.

8 Way FuseBox

However many switches you want (explained later)

Enough cable to wire everything else up ;)

The wiring diagram that I worked out for my truck is below:

Image

Basically I wanted to have two different fusebox's one for items that don't have an off switch (switched FB) and another for ones that do (Non switched FB, ie permenantly Live)

This works well for me as I have allsorts of bits & pieces that when powered up, stay on. ie, Power for my wireless radios, Stereo Amp etc

After fitting the solenoid isolator the engine bay looks like this:

Image


Image

The yellow circle is the solenoid battery isolator, basically what it does is, it watch's the output voltage of the main battery and won't charge the Aux Battery until the Main is at 13.5V.

I cheated on mine and have used one fusebox for everything, the First 4 fuses are fed from the switch on the dash (Circled in Red). The last 4 are fed directly from the Live Terminal of the Auxillary Battery.

Image

The Switch circled in yellow is for my rear work light. It's fed from a live fuse, so can be used without the other stuff turned on. (Only problem now is I have run out of blanks in my dash)

I installed the fusebox in the passenger footwell, by cutting a hole in the plastic thingy:

Image

All the cables run from the engine bay (Passenger Side) through the existing gromet into the passenger footwell. From there they either goto the dash board (hidden behind the aircon stuff) or directly to the fusebox, or to the rear of the car under the carpet.

While I was running all the cables I ran 1 x 5 core cable to the dash, 1 x 5 core to the center console thing, where the gear lever is and finally one 5 core to the boot. This will allow me to add stuff all over the place without re-running cables. eg, one of the five core wires, is used for my rear work light:

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Also as the battery box is mounted in the boot, I had to run the 16 guage cable back to there at the same time:

Image

If I think of anything more to add... I will, Mike, hope u dont mind me making this a sticky, thought it would be useful for people ;)
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Postby mike » Sat Apr 16, 2005 6:08 pm

not at all, infact this is the first time I have seen this post. It must have been posted on a day when the site was very busy.

Nice post Bill, hope others will use this information. Maybe should make it an article in the articles section under dual batterys :?:

just say so and ill put it in there as well so its with all the other useful article links etc.

Mike

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Postby padero » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:22 pm

hey bill... so basicaly you have just ran your new battery in parrel with the old cell and put an controlling isolator between them


top job

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Postby wjw » Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:56 pm

padero wrote:hey bill... so basicaly you have just ran your new battery in parrel with the old cell and put an controlling isolator between them

top job


Yup, Just make sure you wire + to + to keep it at 12V ;) oh and make sure you get the diode isolator the right way round ;)
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Postby wjw » Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:57 pm

mike wrote:not at all, infact this is the first time I have seen this post. It must have been posted on a day when the site was very busy.

Nice post Bill, hope others will use this information. Maybe should make it an article in the articles section under dual batterys :?:

just say so and ill put it in there as well so its with all the other useful article links etc.

Mike


Sounds good mate.... go for it ;)
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Postby cromcruiser » Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:31 pm

WILL the batters help your landcrab go into 4x4 drive :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
cheers alistair :oops:

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Postby D1HARD » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:55 pm

Looks great...and under an hour.. I think it would take me all day.. :lol:

Just also a bit of trivia that yellow/orangy sticker like thing near the switches.
Image
That is a good luck charm from one of the ex- Japanese owners local Buddist Shrines... :wink: (kind of like a blessing for the car,dont think that makes you bullet proof though.. :lol: )

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Postby mike » Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:42 am

I think wjw might have ripped that off by now.......hence all his bad luck lately :lol:

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Postby wjw » Sat Aug 20, 2005 6:30 pm

mike wrote:I think wjw might have ripped that off by now.......hence all his bad luck lately :lol:

Mike


I left it on... didnt want to tempt fate... its still there ;)
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Postby paj94 » Sun Aug 21, 2005 9:29 am

D1HARD wrote:That is a good luck charm from one of the ex- Japanese owners local Buddist Shrines... :wink: (kind of like a blessing for the car,dont think that makes you bullet proof though.. :lol: )


Its actually a Sinto Shrines... And genral road safety blesses. I'm not sure it covers off road :wink:
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Postby D1HARD » Sun Aug 21, 2005 11:13 am

paj94 wrote:
D1HARD wrote:That is a good luck charm from one of the ex- Japanese owners local Buddist Shrines... :wink: (kind of like a blessing for the car,dont think that makes you bullet proof though.. :lol: )


Its actually a Sinto Shrines... And genral road safety blesses. I'm not sure it covers off road :wink:

Yes you are absolutely right they are from Shinto Shrines....and they do sell car specific ones,I bought one for my WRX and after I sold that I bought one for my EVO VIII and have never had any sweat so I will keep on buying... :D

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Postby mike » Sun Aug 21, 2005 11:35 am

Can you get one for my surf and LR please. I desperately need them :cry:

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Postby D1HARD » Sun Aug 21, 2005 5:55 pm

mike wrote:Can you get one for my surf and LR please. I desperately need them :cry:

Mike

I am getting my missus to send me one for the V8 soon...she is back home in Japan at the moment... :D

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Postby hosehustler » Sun Aug 21, 2005 7:59 pm

wjw wrote:I left it on... didnt want to tempt fate... its still there ;)
yowl Bill, take it off mate, fate has long since expired :tongue:
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Postby Moriarty » Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:50 pm

Yup, I did mine too, Sweetie wanted to run a fridge and extension light when camping. Not wishing to push start a diesel I did this.....

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the rear battery is where the ABS unit would mount, and the control box is behind the main Batt red termiinal.

Used THIS to power Aux Batt.
Image

There is only one fuse, and thats by the Aux batt. Aux Batt feeds a standard cig lighter in the back of truck by the door.

also, in a spare day, needed a workshop vacuum cleaner.....

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seems to work ok, the suckbroom is a cheapo Jaguar, tried it at first with a plakky rubbish drum, sucked it flat and killed it, so Tasman tanneries donated a HD drum. keeps up with a power plane and gets 98% of the dust from the Ryobi drop saw.

Still had too much time on my hands so converted old Whorehouse drill to run off car batt.

Image
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cos I had dropped far too many times.....

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I am as tough on gear as Dixie and Wopass......

But I am a better shot with the .44

Bob.E

PS Had to edit this post, for some reason, it lost all its pics.
Last edited by Moriarty on Tue Dec 04, 2007 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Photos

Postby Moriarty » Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:51 pm

Notice that the photos fit on the page neatly, and you dont have to scroll left and right to view them......

A cunning stunt, neh?


Bob.E

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Postby wopass » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:02 pm

Moriarty wrote:I am as tough on gear as Dixie and Wopass......

But I am a better shot with the .44
Bob.E


that be true

you should have seen what i did on sunday arvo tho mate, you would have been proud :wink: was the best single squeeze double head shot i have ever pulled off, made me happy :D 8)
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Postby wjw » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:42 pm

Moriarty wrote:I am as tough on gear as Dixie and Wopass......


I'm well know to be tough on gear, tools, trucks, clothes, people... you name it, I'm tough on it :)

Pics look good, I'm planning on moving to dual batts under the bonnet for winch and starting, with the aux still in the back for electronic gizmos...
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Postby dixie » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:50 pm

Good on ya Bob,good to see ya not sitting on a ass,wish I had time to alter a few of the toys I have laying around.

Doesnt it make ya laugh when the cigy plug and 2 core wire almost costs as much as the drill....Fantastic!!

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Postby kiwipete » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:55 am

What did you use for the isolator solenoid thingmeybob battery seperator charger thingy?
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Postby wjw » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:42 am

I got mine from the local autosparky in Wanaka...
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Postby Moriarty » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:23 am

kiwipete wrote:What did you use for the isolator solenoid thingmeybob battery seperator charger thingy?


Its a voltage sensitive relay. Will handl currents up to 140 Amps. Big Alternators can push out in excess of 100 amps. Fries little jobbies!!!!

sorry, didnt put this pic in. when volts go over (engiine running, alternator charging) 13.7V relay close and charges AUX batt.
engine stops, Alternator stops charging, volts drop to below 12.8V relay goes open circuit.

means the service batt does not accidently get discharged, neccesitating push starting uphill on a frosty morning.

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Postby Cloggy_NZ » Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:18 pm

Do you need to run isolators and voltage sensitive relays?
Now that I am looking at fitting a winch I need to run dual batteries to run this winch.
Just thinking of just hooking the two batteries together in parallel.
Without an isolator this could mean that both batteries could get drained and the truck won't start. But would this cause any problems with charging the batteries? Is a set-up where one battery gets fully charged before the next one necessary or advantageous?
1992 Land Rover Discovery V8i, 5 speed, 12000lbs winch, Salisbury rear, 110 front, 65mm spring lift, dents in every panel, Rallywoods pinstriping.
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Postby tallsam66 » Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:38 pm

My Hilux surf has a factory dual setup..does anyone know how these are wired up & what are the advantages of this factory setup.

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Postby Sadam_Husain » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:10 pm

Moriarty wrote:
Its a voltage sensitive relay. Will handl currents up to 140 Amps. Big Alternators can push out in excess of 100 amps. Fries little jobbies!!!!


Take note of what Bob said back there coz I replaced my alternator recently and it just happened to have a higher output and it more than fried my isolation relay.... there was thick smoke coming out of everywhere when it cooked. I replaced the relay with one thats rated at about 145 amps or something like that :wink:

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Postby Sadam_Husain » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:33 pm

Cloggy_NZ wrote:Do you need to run isolators and voltage sensitive relays?.......blah blah blah......... Is a set-up where one battery gets fully charged before the next one necessary or advantageous?


My understanding of the isolation relay is they close the contacts when they sence 13.x volts which is the alternator output, this means the 2 batteries are isolated from each other when the engines not runing and they are connected together in paralell via the relay when the engines running and the alternators charging. :wink:

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Postby Jerry » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:49 pm

My Hilux surf has a factory dual setup..does anyone know how these are wired up & what are the advantages of this factory setup.


My prado is 12v factory dual battery as well, must have a look at the wiring? one would be good as a primary and the other fridge/winch etc
70 series prado (KZJ78) and 90 Series Prado (KZJ95)

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Postby Dace » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:50 pm

tallsam66 wrote:My Hilux surf has a factory dual setup..does anyone know how these are wired up & what are the advantages of this factory setup.


I got the same system in my lux, they are permantly wired in paralell, meaning both are always hooked up

My passenger side battery is hooked up to the starter, and to the other side, if I put a solenoid in the line that joins the batterys and wired my beautiful RUNVA winch to the drivers side, I should be able to isolate the starter battery when winching or parked up.

ya can get these solenoids from Repco, but they have em listed under starter solenoid, common on old escorts, etc. I will chek with them tomorrow for partnumber and price if anyone interested

Tell me more about this 13+v switch thing?
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Postby kiwipete » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:57 pm

Ok people, move along. Nothing to see here. Thank you, move along.
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Postby Jerry » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:57 pm

so if you have a winch and are pulling out heavy stuck nissan it drains both batteries :lol:
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