Dual battery question

[Kaderabek]

I have a dual battery system in my 80, red and yellow Optima's, Painless Wiring Good Samaritan, interior switch. Red = yellow battery only; green = both; middle (off) runs off the red battery. For normal daily driving use, should I run both, or just the red top?

Thanks,

TJK

 

[lx450landcruiser]

i run this same set up. i usualy run the middle for driving around no need for the second battery. mine doesnt seem to do a whole lot on start up either if there both together (not a harder turn over) so basicaly i only use it when im camping, wheeling at night and have all my lights, stereo, and other stuff on. it doesnt really matter what position u run it on however i like being able to jump start myself if i get in the truck and realize i left the lights on all night.

mike

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I have run a similar system for years on two vehicles and have always run both with no issues.

HTH Phil

 

[Kaderabek]

I guess the caveat with running both is that if you kill them both you're stuck. Whereas if you kill one you can jump off the other.

I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't damaging one or both batteries by running them both, which is what I've been doing. Sounds like not the case.

Thanks!

TJK

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

TJK your first question was about daily driving - run both. When you are camped only run one to avoid the dead battery. Make sure you dont use the battery the supplies your control voltage for your relay when camped otherwise if you run it dead you have no power to switch batteries or jump.

Phil

 

[Kaderabek]

Ah, good point, thanks.

TJK

 

[Landpimp]

Todd, I suspect the Painless runs just like the Wrangler(which I use) just leave it in the 1st positiion, it will still charge both batts when running.

 

[Kaderabek]

That's where it is, so even I can't mess this up....

TJK

 

[Waggoner5]

Todd, I would alternate run time on both batteries. I run both most of the time but batteries don't automatically equalize. They won't charge at the same rate and 1 will always be dragging the other down. I would run both most of the time but once in a while I would switch 1 off and then run on the other just to make sure they are both at max charge. My .02 .
Gary

 

[Junk]

That's where it is, so even I can't mess this up....

TJK

Don't be so sure. You are TJK after all.

Hey, mine was working ok, till the hold down bracket that was fabbed up (not by me thank you) broke and the main battery shifted over and took out the ac line.

 

[dclee]

Todd -

I use the Hellroaring system, so the controls are a bit different, but basically, I run an Odyssey P1200 deep cycle as my main, and run absolutely everything off of it, including all accessories. I have an Optima Red Top starter as the second battery, and it is exclusively used as a backup starter in case I kill my Odyssey. Hellroaring allows you to isolate the batteries such that they both charge from the alternator, but only one draws down, unless you flip the switch to combine them (for example, if you need to jump-start yourself, or want more current for winching). In such a situation, the solid state controller also acts to limit battery-damaging in-rush current as the fresh battery discharges into the dead one. I really like these units, and it's features like this that make it more desirable than a solenoid system, for me.

In short, I run just the one battery and isolate the backup, in case I need a jump-start. But I can do this since all my electrics run off this one battery. If you have split the load (e.g. put the fridge and winch circuits on the backup Yellow Top and the rest of the vehicle electrics on the Red Top starter), then this won't be as workable for you. So this probably doesn't help in your situation, but maybe it gives you some configuration ideas to play with.

 

[RavenTai]

Has anybody tried splitting the 80's electrical system in two? At the fuse box or fusible links etc, one for everything required to start and run the drive train, starter EFI fuel pump lockers etc, and the other for everything else? Something tells me there is no clean way to do this, and paralleling through some light bulb or other electrical backwater would occur (bad thing)

I have been looking through the EW trying to figure it out but it is huge,

 

[alia176]

I have the Wrangler system and only run the primary battery (no LED). When I'm heading out of town, both batteries get charged (green LED). The main reason I do this is to take it easy on the 200 amp relay. Since they all have a finite # of cycles, I figure this may help it last longer. Prolly, total BS....! Besides, a good battery should be able to last a long time w/o getting charged regularly.

 

[Kaderabek]

Todd, I would alternate run time on both batteries. I run both most of the time but batteries don't automatically equalize. They won't charge at the same rate and 1 will always be dragging the other down. I would run both most of the time but once in a while I would switch 1 off and then run on the other just to make sure they are both at max charge. My .02 .
Gary

Appreciate it, that's what Jim Reiss suggested as well.

TJK