[tmb99]

I am running a winch, 4 spotlights, compressor and the usual stuff. At what point is dual batteries needed?

Or should I just run 1 'big' batterey with alternator upgrade.

[shep]

A second battery is good when you want to run stuff with the motor turned off.

[89_tintop]

i would recomend a battery and alternator upgrade in the standard postion and a dual battery system system..

i would run them without an isolator. that is if you dont run a fridge or stuff like that when the ignition is off

[Benz]

do you want to run stuff with the engine off?

if no... get a big one!

if yes... 2 battery's is real handy =]

[tmb99]

I'm harvesting parts off a sierra that had 2 batteries hooked up in parallel that kept going flat, so I'm not sure how to wire them up properly (thought I might need a controller of some sort) I've attached a shitty pic of the general hook up, anyone spot anything wrong (apart form the crappy drawing...).

[sleeperzook]

tmb99 wrote:

I'm harvesting parts off a sierra that had 2 batteries hooked up in parallel that kept going flat, so I'm not sure how to wire them up properly (thought I might need a controller of some sort) I've attached a shitty pic of the general hook up, anyone spot anything wrong (apart form the crappy drawing...).

Yep! No offense but that set up seems a bit irish to me. I'm assuming you're looking to run things whilst your car isn't running without fear of being stuck there after wards? In that case you're batteries need some form of isolator between the positives, that engages them when your keys is turned to 'on' for charging/starting and isolates when your key on to 'acc' or 'off', to stop you draining both with what ever you're running. A chunky couple hundred amp relay will do the trick.

Personally I'd connect all my accessories to my main battery (purely because the reast of the car would be set up that way already) and use a second battery for back up starting. I also wouldnt be winching just off my battery if I could avoid it but nothing to say you cant i guess

[daisy]

Hook the winch to the main battery (that would be the starter battery) and run accessories off the 2nd one.

The winch will flatten the 2nd battery in no time and obviously if you're running a dual battery charge system, its only going to charge the main battery first then switch over to the 2nd once the main is up to charge.

[needmorelift]

daisy wrote:

Hook the winch to the main battery (that would be the starter battery) and run accessories off the 2nd one.

The winch will flatten the 2nd battery in no time and obviously if you're running a dual battery charge system, its only going to charge the main battery first then switch over to the 2nd once the main is up to charge.

once the engine is running both batteries should be charging, not one at a time

[Ridge]

tmb99, im going to be pulling out my 2nd battery system in the next few days . it comes with a piranha isolator, a big battery (it just fits under the bonnet), tray and alll the wiring. Pm me if your interested in buying.

[smiffkid]

i jsut put dual batteries in my jimny because we have a winch and a fridge, just used a redarc solenoid, 1 lead from first battery to solenoid then from solenoid to second battery, then second battery to body for earth, really simple...