P1000 Dual battery install

[KennyW]

Install a kfi winch true dual set up stinger fuseblock and reverse lights all at one time. Switch plate from PBR. Pics are during install and haven’t got any of final product. I used buss bars to keep from stacking on batt terminal. Still need to mount a 50” curved light bar and some sort of interior lighting. Everything works fine. Took me a week in my spare tim.

 

[Admin]

 

[Rayger143]

That’s a beautiful yellow!

 

[WagginTail]

Looking good. These rock lights work good for interior lighting. This one is above the driver seat. Also have one in same location on passenger side. They light up a good bit outside the machine too but creates a little shadow from the roll bar that goes down. What did you have in mind for interior lights?

 

[KennyW]

Looking good. These rock lights work good for interior lighting. This one is above the driver seat. Also have one in same location on passenger side. They light up a good bit outside the machine too but creates a little shadow from the roll bar that goes down. What did you have in mind for interior lights?
View attachment 293129

I’m still looking but I’ve thought about rock lights or even a rope light.

 

[bumperm]

This dome light worked out well. Even lighting across the interior and a small rocker switch on the light, so no need to take up another switch position on the panel. I have the light wired to always on, so no need for key on to light.

dome light

I mounted it with double sided tape.

 

[bumperm]

Sorry, had to find the requisite picture.

 

[KennyW]

Sorry, had to find the requisite picture.

View attachment 293171

Thanks I like it, price is right as well.

 

[bumperm]

If you go that way, I mounted it thusly. I think there are 8 holes for screw mounting the base, the the bosses around those holes are recessed guessing 0.050" to 0.060". I used 3M VHB mounting tape and put two layers on each boss. Cleaned surface with denatured alcohol and slapped it up there! I'd previously drilled a small hole for the wiring through the front edge.

 

[mblgjr]

Can anyone please trace this ground & advise as to where it is attached/terminated?

It may have a rubber boot on the end; but should have a typical solid eyelet.

 

[Glank]

I did the dual battery install a few years ago on my P2K5. This last winter I had what seems to be a parasitic drain that is lowering the voltage in both batteries. I’ve been doing a DOE and my main battery will keep a charge when it’s disconnected from the isolator and the key on accessories fuse is pulled. Next test is to reconnect the isolator, disconnect the power to the second battery and see if there is voltage in the wire from the isolator to the second battery. My question is, can I buy only the isolator, or do I have to spend $129 for the full TRUE kit? There shouldn’t be a draw off the main and there is. If I could stop the drain from the main, at least I can start it. Then I can also start isolating possibly accessories.

 

[Glank]

I did the dual battery install a few years ago on my P2K5. This last winter I had what seems to be a parasitic drain that is lowering the voltage in both batteries. I’ve been doing a DOE and my main battery will keep a charge when it’s disconnected from the isolator and the key on accessories fuse is pulled. Next test is to reconnect the isolator, disconnect the power to the second battery and see if there is voltage in the wire from the isolator to the second battery. My question is, can I buy only the isolator, or do I have to spend $129 for the full TRUE kit? There shouldn’t be a draw off the main and there is. If I could stop the drain from the main, at least I can start it. Then I can also start isolating possibly accessories.

 

[WagginTail]

I did the dual battery install a few years ago on my P2K5. This last winter I had what seems to be a parasitic drain that is lowering the voltage in both batteries. I’ve been doing a DOE and my main battery will keep a charge when it’s disconnected from the isolator and the key on accessories fuse is pulled. Next test is to reconnect the isolator, disconnect the power to the second battery and see if there is voltage in the wire from the isolator to the second battery. My question is, can I buy only the isolator, or do I have to spend $129 for the full TRUE kit? There shouldn’t be a draw off the main and there is. If I could stop the drain from the main, at least I can start it. Then I can also start isolating possibly accessories.

Here's a test maybe you can try. Disconnect the negative wire from the main battery. Then touch that wire to the negative post on the same battery and look for a spark. If it sparks then you can pull accessory fuses one at a time and check for the spark. If the spark goes away it's the accessory for the fuse you pulled that's causing the draw. Hope this makes sense

 

[Glank]

T

Here's a test maybe you can try. Disconnect the negative wire from the main battery. Then touch that wire to the negative post on the same battery and look for a spark. If it sparks then you can pull accessory fuses one at a time and check for the spark. If the spark goes away it's the accessory for the fuse you pulled that's causing the draw. Hope this makes sense

Thanks. Performed the test on both main and second batteries and no spark. I’m looking at my data again (pic above) and it looks like I have a sort of consistent drop in voltage on my main battery no matter what. Do I just have a bad battery? We bought the machine in 2019. I’ve heard stories of bad batteries from around that time.

 

[WagginTail]

T

Thanks. Performed the test on both main and second batteries and no spark. I’m looking at my data again (pic above) and it looks like I have a sort of consistent drop in voltage on my main battery no matter what. Do I just have a bad battery? We bought the machine in 2019. I’ve heard stories of bad batteries from around that time.

4 years old it very well could be bad

 

[Glank]

Another question, we charging a dual battery system, do you charge the main battery or the second battery. I’ve been charging only the main. Last night I decided to charge the second battery. My assumption has alway been that it doesn’t matter because the isolator works in either direction when charging the ‘system’. But I noticed that when charging the main, the isolator light toggles on and off periodically and it’s on for a very short period of time. But when charging the second battery the isolator light remains on.

 

[Scoop]

Another question, we charging a dual battery system, do you charge the main battery or the second battery. I’ve been charging only the main. Last night I decided to charge the second battery. My assumption has alway been that it doesn’t matter because the isolator works in either direction when charging the ‘system’. But I noticed that when charging the main, the isolator light toggles on and off periodically and it’s on for a very short period of time. But when charging the second battery the isolator light remains on.

As long as you're not ONLY charging for very short periods of time, it doesn't matter which one the charger is connected to, as when the source cut in voltage is reached (13.6V with a small tolerance), the batteries are connected in parallel (the isolator light comes on).

I covered this in detail in this post.

 

[Scoop]

4 years old it very well could be bad

Agree.

 

[bumperm]

T

Thanks. Performed the test on both main and second batteries and no spark. I’m looking at my data again (pic above) and it looks like I have a sort of consistent drop in voltage on my main battery no matter what. Do I just have a bad battery? We bought the machine in 2019. I’ve heard stories of bad batteries from around that time.

Please note that this "test" will not result in a spark, even with a new fully charged battery, IF there is no load (significant current) being drawn from the battery, as removing and reconnecting the battery lead will not start or stop current flow! It's true, it will result in a visible spark when there is a load, but the size of the spark would be predicated on the amount of current flow which would vary both with the size of the load and condition of the battery.

This also means that if an accessory isn't on and drawing significant current, pulling and replacing the fuse will not result in a spark, good battery or bad.

If you don't have a voltmeter to check voltage while cranking (should be more than 10 volts), or a panel volt meter that may be useful (but some won't display voltage while cranking) it will show voltage when you turn on headlight - voltage would normally drop, but not below 12 volts, and then start to recover a bit.

To check for "phantom" current draw, the best way to test is with an amp meter (most digital volt meters have that function too). To test you would do as @Scoop suggests, remove negative lead from battery and insert the meter leads between the battery post and the wire removed. (Note that most meters will have a current limit of 10 amps - but follow directions on or with meter.) On some vehicles there will be a small amount of current draw to "keep alive" device memory. That will using be a few milliamps, so won't drain a battery much quicker than the self-discharge that occurs with lead acid batteries of about 5% per month.