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winch draining battery
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:49 pm
by addicted_to_mud
i have just placed my new 9500 pond winch on my escudo but i seems to drain the battery, the alternator can't keep up. does anyone no of a bigger alternator that can work from any other car or do i just need another battery?
Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:56 pm
by slide
Test the battery you have, maybe its getting past it.
But how much winching you talking about? Big difference between a light pull and a continuous slog uphill through bog....
Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:59 pm
by Crash bandicoot
what amperage is the alternator. the setup on my mistral for example is a 120amp hitachi altornator with a commercial truck battery with a 120Ahr rating. CCA is 860. 20mm leads that feeds a 9500pnd winch
be warned though its 500 mm long so you may need to make some room in the engine bay for it or try a slightly smaller one with the same ratings.
Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:26 pm
by strx7
everyone i know with a good winch in an escudo has gone to 2 batteries and or bigger alternator.
Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:16 am
by zukmeista
Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 7:57 am
by mike
Given that a 12000lb winch can pull anywhere from 50 to 400amps depending on the load a large alternator isnt going to make the difference while winching, only quick recovery of the battery afterwards (bulk charging only, absorption most alternators will put out more than the battery can take). So unless your competing I would make sure your battery is top notch and at least 700 CCA. get an optima 900CCA if you can afford it.
Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 12:17 pm
by zukmeista
A bigger alt will help though, the stock one is 55amp so you would be doubling the output.

Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 5:18 pm
by addicted_to_mud
it's only when you pull for a while . yea i might wire up a bigger battery for the boot.
Re: winch draining battery
Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:48 pm
by Crash bandicoot
addicted_to_mud wrote:it's only when you pull for a while . yea i might wire up a bigger battery for the boot.
when running dual batteries ensure they are the same size or the bigger battery will never get a full charge.