draining bat with winch

[fatdog]

does anyone no why when im winching under load it strains and its like the battery is going flat but when i stop winching the bat is still got charge (9000lb worn winch 12v)

[meatc]

Dirty corroded terminals, bad earth to winch (Should have a direct cable from battery, not rely on chassis earth) Cables to small, battery about to drop a cell, winch motor on its way out, winch brake jamming on adding extra load................

Could be any one of the above or a range of other things. I would start with the cables and terminals if it used to be good.

[chevrolux]

battery isnt big enough. You want about 600-700cca battery. Preferably two with an automatic solenoid so they both get charged

[fatdog]

The terminals are fine and earth to battery, its a 80 series cruiser ive got it already has duel batteries but 1 battery is just to start it on 24 volts so maybe a gruntier battery what you reakon

[chevrolux]

dont know f'all about 24v systems but have a look at how big the battery. Like i say you want atleast a 600cca. Not sure how a 24v system works in regard to charging but with 12v if one battery is bigger one takes over the chargin and one runs flat so you need a voltage sensing solenoid to make sure they charge the same.

[fisho]

We do a lot of winching and find that you need a battery of at least 750 cca capacity. Also avoid using gel cell batteries as they tend to cook very easily when winching. Optima or Orbital batteries are a good option.

[DieselBoy]

does anyone no why when im winching under load it strains and its like the battery is going flat but when i stop winching the bat is still got charge (9000lb worn winch 12v)

That is perfectly normal for an electric winch.

The more load you put them under the slower they go untill they eventually stall.

Under no load it winds the cable in and out fast right??

You start winching and it slows riiiiight down and starts to strain and struggle.

Thats normal.

If it goes to slow or stalls you can damage the motor.

Buy yourself a pulley block and do a double line pull if the winch is straining to much and at risk of stalling.

A 9000lb winch is only capable of hauling 4090.9 kg, on the first wrap of rope on the drum. Each subsequent wrap the weight it can pull diminishes.

Your 80 series loaded up might well be over 3000kg.

Rule of thumb is the winch should be able to pull twice the weight of the vehicle. That is so that when its stuck up over its axles in mud, real mud, not the water puddles you see at the waimak, thick mud with no bottom and nothing for the tyres to grip, you might just still be able to recover your self.

So technically you need a winch that can pull 6000kg, which is a 13200 lb winch.

I would say that your winch is very under powered for the size of your vehicle, which is why it works so hard and grinds down to a snails pace under load and sounds like the batteries are going flat.

You either need at the very minimum a 12000lb winch, or use a double line purchase when ever the winch speed drops to low and threatens to stall.

[darinz]

The cca is virtually irrelevant to any 9000lbs winch. The max draw for them is about 480amps (based on Warn 6hp motor) so a 600 cca battery can supply 25% power than required.
CCA is cold cranking amps. Once warm the battery can deliver more so that isn't the problem. What is important is the reserve capacity as that tells you how long the battery can supply the power for.
Now normally high cca's mean higher reserve capacity BUT not always.
Now don't use a deep cycle lead acid battery as it is designed for slow discharge AND SLOW recharge. A winch is effectively a starter so you need starter type batteries as they can handle the discharge recharge cycles a winch causes.

I'd suggest about 150 to 180 reserve minutes as a goal. The ones in my old truck were 240 minutes but they were 25 plate truck batteries and weighed 37kgs each! These batteries were only 800cca but this was actually irrelevant as the winch motor could only draw about 550amps.

Optima batteries are good but for the money I don't think they are worth it when you compare them to something like Supercharge.

[Landy Rover]

I use twin optima red tops and swear by them. I can winch for long periods without any noticable effect of power loss. The best thing with these batteries is their very quick recovery-charge rate, over three times as quick as a conventional wet battery. Size is great too for their power and being able to mount in any position, upside down..whatever

[callum007]

as per Darinz and Landy Rover. Reserve capacity is the key. If you can afford it go the red or yellow top optima's, yellows have higher reserve capacity from memory, nice and light and sealed.
http://www.supercharge.com.au/product_detail.php?seq=59 run this in work vehicle with 12000lb winch

[fatdog]

supercharge sounds good had a look what iv got and thay are only
550cca i think i gotta go shopping

[skid]

supercharge sounds good had a look what iv got and thay are only
550cca i think i gotta go shopping

whereabouts you located dude

[fatdog]

whatawhata (hamilton)

[Moriarty]

CCA and current draw is only half the problem
As you load the batteries, there is also a voltage drop, then the current draw goes up.

So reserve capacity is more about retaining max voltage, not just max current. IF you have a dual battery setup, you CAN maintain max voltage and subsequent max current

The way to do this is to look for the article........

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=675&hilit=dual+batteries

and where the discussion says to put in a voltage sensitive relay, wire in ACROSS that (in parallel) a battery isolator switch, this is the cheapest option.

This will allow you to switch IN the auxiliary battery to double the available current and maintain the required high voltage, DURING the winching operation.

Once the winching is over, turn the isolating switch OFF so the voltage sensitive relay can do it's stuff, in AUTOMATICALLY charging the aux battery.

There IS a relay that will handle the charging and allow for the doubling up of the available current, but its a helluva price!!

[rokhound]

Slight thread jack, but on the same theme,
I am going to run twin 750 cca batteries. There is a 12 000lb winch in the setup along with other stuff as well. I have decided that a VSR is going to be the go, but what size unit do I get? would a 140amp one be enough or not?
Can anyone help me out here please?

[Moriarty]

Slight thread jack, but on the same theme,
I am going to run twin 750 cca batteries. There is a 12 000lb winch in the setup along with other stuff as well. I have decided that a VSR is going to be the go, but what size unit do I get? would a 140amp one be enough or not?
Can anyone help me out here please?

vsr = voltage sensitive relay 140A is too big and costs too much.

Its basically a diode in operation that is sensitive to the input Volts.

Did you read the thread on dual batteries? its mentioned in the previous post.

By all means, spend big money if your alternator can supply 14V at 140 Amps!! But it WONT let you use two batteries in parallel. that will only occur IF you can bridge across the VSR with a heavy duty switch like the afore mentioned isolator switch.

You CAN have an automated switch, but the cost will make your wallet bleed money like a young wife. Keep it as simple as possible, and run TWO heavy-duty cables into the cab so you can operate the heavy-duty isolator from the driving position.

[NJV6]

Rok, I don't think a VSR is what you want. Unless you are planning on having a deep cycle battery and plan on camping for a few days with a fridge running.

With twin 750 batts, you will need to do alot of winching for it not to start and unless you have a bypass the VSR is useless as it cuts off the 2nd battery and you only use 1.

I run 2 batterys in parrellel with no VSR, can run the fridge for 24 hrs.

I see the use of a VSR purely for long term camping where you want to be able to run accessories and not worry about the vehicle not starting.

G

[meatc]

Rok, I don't think a VSR is what you want. Unless you are planning on having a deep cycle battery and plan on camping for a few days with a fridge running.

With twin 750 batts, you will need to do alot of winching for it not to start and unless you have a bypass the VSR is useless as it cuts off the 2nd battery and you only use 1.

I run 2 batterys in parrellel with no VSR, can run the fridge for 24 hrs.

I see the use of a VSR purely for long term camping where you want to be able to run accessories and not worry about the vehicle not starting.

G

x2 VSR and battery switching stuff is for camping. Just run the 2 batterys in parallel for increased capacity for winching.