Idiot's Dual Battery Installation

[Jimpoole]

I've poorly installed a dual battery and I understand some, if not all of you may find this stupid.

It's just sitting in the engine bay on the floor, connected only by a cable ties which is fine and not dangerous, ie, can't move to contact moving parts, away from heat etc.

I was wondering if connecting a lead from it to my positive pole on the original battery, and connecting the negative to the frame is sufficient to give me some more starting torque and not let the lights dim when the car idles. I've had the problem for a while, the car simply drains a brand new battery overnight and I need a cheap fix until I get rid of her.

 

Cheers in advance for your help. :y:

[Medicine_Man]

If something is draining the battery you should really find what it is and fix the problem. If you don't isolate the second battery when the car is sitting the same thing is going to happen to it too.

[KE70+AE92]

it will do but you ill have to be care full with the other electronics like radio cause now its 24v instead of 12v,

u should have really got a a bigger battery one with more plates

also is your alternator charging?

[Medicine_Man]

In parallel it will be 12V, Only in series will it be 24V

[Jimpoole]

it will do but you ill have to be care full with the other electronics like radio cause now its 24v instead of 12v,

u should have really got a a bigger battery one with more plates

also is your alternator charging?

I didn't think it was a problem because they are in parallel?

I can't afford a bigger battery dude thats why I'm doing this and I think the regulator on the alternator is rooted, I'm just doing this to get by.

Thanks bro

[Medicine_Man]

Do you know if it is an externally regulated alternator? I've seen diodes let go in the alternator and they backfeed and hold the reg on causing the drain..

[BReNt]

I didn't think it was a problem because they are in parallel?

I can't afford a bigger battery dude thats why I'm doing this and I think the regulator on the alternator is rooted, I'm just doing this to get by.

Thanks bro

 

So you can't afford a bigger battery but you can afford a second one and all this other shit to make it a dual battery set up? You shouldn't need an extra battery, even a small one should be sufficient enough unless you have heaps of electronics drawing a lot of power. Maybe the battery you've been using is farked and needs replacing. If your alternator isn't charging why not just get another one from pick a part or a wrecker? A second hand one would be cheaper than a new battery.

[philbey]

Sounds awfully like a dead alternator to me. Like med man said, the fact that it drains overnight would indicate that you've got dead diodes, and secondly, if your lights are dim at idle then almost certainly your alternator isn't putting out enough grunt.

[Jimpoole]

So you can't afford a bigger battery but you can afford a second one.

Sorry, I didn't mention that I got the second battery free from my Pop, he replaced it when he went around Australia purely because he didn't want it to fail.

 

Does anyone know how much a good second hand alternator is? What kinds of alternator can I use, because I can probably get my mitts on one from a 80 series Landcruiser.

[the witzl]

this ranks up there in the world ranks of stupid ideas.... right along with bypassing all the safety switches in a nitrous oxide system.....

 

 

fix it properly, or set fire to it.

Edited July 28, 2009 by the witzl

[Jimpoole]

this ranks up there in the world ranks of stupid ideas....

Why?

[the witzl]

cos its farken stupid, thats why!

You are likely to start a fire, or melt the shit out of your alternator/wiring at the LEAST.

 

Without the associated charging control circuitry, one battery will discharge into the other, causing massive sulphation and an eventual short circuit in one of the batteries... oh, and the alternator (if not already munted) will die faster than that chinese dude who lost the prototye iphone.

 

 

ITS JUST STUPID, don't DO IT.

 

 

or do it... see if i care.