Dual battery set up

[S133LTR]

Time has come to do some upgrades to the Prado and part of that will be a dual battery set up.

Just wondering if anyone had any generic wiring diagrams or advice for me to start planning how I will do it.

Cheers

[Satan]

hey its pretty simple, second battery and some decent cable and a battery isolator

I'm not sure what the '15 prado alternator output is but a booster fuse is used on the earlier ones to squeeze an extra .5-1v output

if you want a hand I have a hydraulic crimper and everything else to do the job - located in Nollamara

[magic1]

lol, he is in karratha

[Passage GT]

Just don't go to Jolly Good for your dual battery setup, they royally fucked up my install.
I'll be doing it myself next time.

[Ash]

Time has come to do some upgrades to the Prado and part of that will be a dual battery set up.

Just wondering if anyone had any generic wiring diagrams or advice for me to start planning how I will do it.

Cheers

I have these on my boat and in my 4x4

http://www.redarc.com.au/products/product/smart-start-sbi_12v_100a/

You can get them off ebay for around $90 or if you have an account with ashdown ingram for $90, i have a cranking battery and the second is a 120 ah deep cycle that my fridge,lights and stereo is connected to, i also have 120w solar panels on the deep cycle and i have never run out of power.

Follow this diagram on page 6 and you cant go wrong.

https://www.redarc.com.au/images/uploads/images/SBI_Instruction_Manual.pdf

[S133LTR]

Thanks for the offer satan but probably wont be necessary, Tristan I will probably do the fit up when Im down i Perth.

Probably should of elaborated, looking to fit up the dual battery set up then some extra bits like dedicated engle lead, extra 12v outputs, 240 output, brake controler, anderson plug to run electric brakes/charge extra batteries/run solar panels, power lights/uhf, etc...

So just looking round for some wiring diagrams for diff set ups that people have so I can make up something to suit myself.

[deeman111]

I have a new Toyota Fortuner and have been researching the dual battery setups. The new Toyotas (possibly your prado too) run a "smart" alternator, the ECU decides how much power the system needs and the alternator only produces that much. If you just run an isolator you wont charge the batteries properly. Red arc do a dual battery setup that will work with the smart alternators with another relay. Also CTEK do a d250s Dual dc-dc charger (bumps up the voltage for better charging), if you run the alternator input through the solar input it will work.

A few people online have just gone the isolator and found that the aux battery hasnt charged at all, been run completely flat and is useless

[Ash]

also grab one of these

http://www.altronics.com.au/p/q0590-panel-mount-multifunction-digital-volt-meter/

Tells you load in amps, battery life in amp hours and voltage etc pretty handy.

[Satan]

I have a new Toyota Fortuner and have been researching the dual battery setups. The new Toyotas (possibly your prado too) run a "smart" alternator, the ECU decides how much power the system needs and the alternator only produces that much. If you just run an isolator you wont charge the batteries properly. Red arc do a dual battery setup that will work with the smart alternators with another relay. Also CTEK do a d250s Dual dc-dc charger (bumps up the voltage for better charging), if you run the alternator input through the solar input it will work.

A few people online have just gone the isolator and found that the aux battery hasnt charged at all, been run completely flat and is useless

thats why you use the booster fuse

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Dual-Battery-Alternator-Voltage-Booster-MK3-for-Prado-Hilux-Landcruiser-/321956433680?hash=item4af6194f10:m:mFQM6ZpgZO0Lf9v wL2l-qtw

[Satan]

Thanks for the offer satan but probably wont be necessary, Tristan I will probably do the fit up when Im down i Perth.

Probably should of elaborated, looking to fit up the dual battery set up then some extra bits like dedicated engle lead, extra 12v outputs, 240 output, brake controler, anderson plug to run electric brakes/charge extra batteries/run solar panels, power lights/uhf, etc...

So just looking round for some wiring diagrams for diff set ups that people have so I can make up something to suit myself.

I've run 000AWG (11.6mm) copper cable to a resettable circuit breaker under the bonnet to the rear via the chassis rail to an anderson plug on the towbar. it also goes up to the rear cargo area to another circuit breaker, two anderson plugs, 4x 12v accessory sockets and a 1000w pure sine inverter.

[S133LTR]

Thats the sort of set up Im keen to do man, any chance of a bit of a diagram if you have the opportunity? pm if you want.

[mr_mike]

When I done my dual batteries in the Patrol I ran one fat power cable all the way to the rear. From there is had a distribution block that then run power to USB plug, 12v power socket, internal and external LED strip lighting with a switch and a dedicated power lead to the fridge. Main lead from battery had a fuse near the battery. Then each cable running off the distribution block had an individual fuse.
Can get fuse/distribution blocks for 4 up to 15+ connections.

[Satan]

sure

[South]

Unless you are going balls out and battery management systems / shunts / extreme complexity then it's a simple job... no need for scribbled wiring diagram.

If you want an anderson plug for trailer, then wire that to the primary battery circuit. Your trailer/camper/caravan side will then connect to a DC-DC charger and will guarantee the primary battery and trailer batteries are charged first and foremost. Obviously isolated by the DC-DC charger when car is switched off.

Run a second circuit to the cargo area for your fridge, run this off your second battery

Optionally run a third circuit to USB chargers and accessories, however you'll mostly run those during the day whilst driving so I would leave them on the primary battery, thus leaving the second battery in the car to dedicate itself to the fridge.

240V inverters I would run off the trailer, assuming you have a trailer in this whole scenario. Otherwise a dedicated circuit to the battery.

Always be sure to earth to the chassis, don't bring the earth back to the battery.


My setup is being upgraded to the following, for me its just the addition of the tertiary battery, everything else already exists.

primary cranking battery under the bonnet for starting and winching
secondary cranking battery under the bonnet for charging accessories and a backup to the primary, seperated by a redarc, also linked with a bigger solenoid for extra capacity whilst winching.
tertiary AGM battery in the cargo area dedicated to the fridge, this will be behind a DC-DC charger

Camper trailer has two AGM batteries in parallel being charged off the primary cranking battery via a DC-DC charger.

You can never have enough batteries :) :)

[Fukushima]

when are you getting a tinny farken