Duel batteries and a winch

[Greg1000]

Hello Everyone, I'm new here and have found this forum extremely informative thank you to all. I recently installed a Duel battery set up in my pioneer 1000 with a True isolator and Duel led battery monitor.I also have a badlands zxr 5000 winch that i installed and am running from the second battery. My question to everyone is when I run the winch the led monitor shows I'm drawing from both batteries. Did I miss something or is this normal I thought it would only draw on the second battery. Thank you in advance for any assistance it's greatly appreciated!

 

[Admin]

 

[Scoop]

Hard to see what's connected to what in the upper left corner of that larger pic.

It LOOKS like three cables are connected to the positive terminal of the main (primary) battery: One to the vehicle harness, one going to the isolator and one going to the AUX battery positive post. This means your main and AUX batteries are connected twice, which renders the isolator useless.

If one is going to the AUX positive, then you're not connected correctly. Take that out of there.

Main battery should be:

1. Positive to vehicle harness +
2. Negative to vehicle ground
3. Positive to one side of isolator

AUX battery should be:

1. Positive to isolator
2. Negative to vehicle ground
3. In your case, winch to positive post

You also need the smaller wire from the winch to a positive, typically to a key-on power source (something that's hot only when the key is on). Typically, this is a fuse box that's powered from the positive cable of the AUX battery through a relay that only energizes the fuse box when the key is on (key on power).

 

[Hondasxs]

Yes. That is correct.
Until the isolator disconnects them.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[Greg1000]

Thank you for your quick response the main battery only has:
1 main connection positive post to fuse block
2 positive to the true isolator

On the second battery (left side)
1 positive connection for the winch
2 positive that runs to the isolator

I also have the switched on power run from the cigarette lighter with the harness from honda sxs club

I think what you were seeing was my positive from my winch solenoid to the second battery...please bear with me im new to forms and this wiring thank you

 

[Greg1000]

It seems like when I run my winch there is draw on both batteries according to the led battery meter...hopefully I'm explaining correctly.

 

[Greg1000]

So Honda sxs were you telling me I'm correct or were you replying to Scoop? If I'm understanding it will run down both batteries until they get low and then the true will isolate them so I'm only running on the second battery...sorry for my confusion and thank you to both of you

 

[Hondasxs]

So Honda sxs were you telling me I'm correct or were you replying to Scoop? If I'm understanding it will run down both batteries until they get low and then the true will isolate them so I'm only running on the second battery...sorry for my confusion and thank you to both of you

With the blue light ON, Both batteries are connected and officially considered 1 bigger battery. When you draw power from 1 the other will feed it. thus voltage should match within a few tenths.
You will see spikes though when the winch starts but it should quickly level out to be about the same.

So your next question may be.. What's the point in the isolator?
Well, once both batteries get to their resting voltage of around 12.8+- volts.
Then the isolator opens (turns off) and they are disconnected.
You can pull all you want from one and not drain the other.
Assuming they are wired correctly. Yours looks to be.

 

[Greg1000]

Awesome thank you for the explanation now I'm understanding have a great Christmas and happy holidays

 

[Scoop]

Thank you for your quick response the main battery only has:
1 main connection positive post to fuse block
2 positive to the true isolator

The ONLY things the main battery should be connected to are:

1. The positive to the main vehicle harness
2. The positive (second cable) going to the isolator (one side)
3. The negative to the vehicle ground

Nothing else should be connected to your primary battery.

The fuse block, along with the winch, should be connected to your secondary (AUX) battery. Your AUX battery positive would also be connected to the OTHER side of the isolator.

Ideally, you would have a relay in between the AUX battery and the fuse block. That relay would only energize the fuse block if the key is on (your key-on harness would provide the power to enable/disable the relay). Many here use the Stinger, while others in colder climates have been using others, including the Cole Hersee marine rated relay.

All your accessories should be on the AUX side of things (one side of the isolator) and NOT on the main battery side. The main battery should only be for starting the vehicle and running the standard vehicle electronics. That way, if you happen to run that AUX battery down low, the isolator will "break" the link between the two batteries, protecting the main battery from being drained down with the AUX battery.

You should watch @RobSparre's video on installing a dual battery setup. It's fairly straightforward,

 

[Greg1000]

Got it thank you I was referring to the factory fuse block as I didn't add a fuse block...I'm all set for now thank you for the quick responses Merry Christmas and happy holidays