Why a dual battery system is a good investment for your 4WD
We all love to kit out our 4WD vehicles to make them our pride and joy; this can be for the purpose of sheer comfort, luxury, obsession or simply to up-spec the performance and safety.
Whether you are installing a massive stereo system, a winch, or a portable fridge the thought of an upgrade to a dual battery system should always be on the cards. And rightly so, you will always want to have enough energy to keep all your accessory add-ons functioning efficiently when you need them and also for how long you need them.
Having a dual battery system will also give you the security of having reserve energy to start your vehicle when you need it most. And we all want that, don’t we?
Two batteries connected
A dual battery system is a fairly common application that involves having two batteries connected. Your existing stock battery is connected to an isolator, as is your second, ‘add on’ battery. The isolator is designed to automatically prevent your existing stock battery from being discharged when the vehicle is turned off. Isolators may or may not have a manual switch to override depending on the make and model. Since it is important to always keep your starting battery at 100 percent state of charge, the isolator will allow the current to flow in order to charge both batteries when the engine is turned on.
The idea here is that you only use the energy from your second battery when the vehicle is parked or turned off. At this point the starting battery is isolated from the electrical system to prevent any load (drain) ensuring you have enough energy to start your vehicle when you need to, so you do not have to worry about a discharged starting battery. Your second battery will now provide all the power to your accessories including your fridge, winch, stereo etc.
Generally, you should always use a Deep Cycle battery as your second (auxiliary) battery.
Deep Cycle?
Deep cycle batteries are designed to release energy slowly and consistently for longer periods of time. This does not cause damage to the battery due to its characteristic of handling a very high depth of discharge and the way they are manufactured. These batteries can discharge up to 80 percent of their capacity without causing any major damage to the internal cells.
Your battery experts at Atomic Batteries can help you to make an informed decision on the capacity of the battery required for your individual needs. This will likely depend on how many toys/accessories you are running off the battery.
One question we get asked often is; can the second battery have an impact on the life of your vehicle alternator? And our answer is that there should not be any issue when using a second battery with a battery isolator. It will not cause any damage to the alternator; though it may affect your fuel consumption ever so slightly as the alternator will have more work to do.
When selecting an isolator, refer to your alternator specifications for an indication of maximum amperage output for your vehicle. The isolator you select should have an amperage rating equal to or greater than the peak current output of your alternator. Again, if you need some guidance on this, give us a call, we are always happy to help.
Maintaining the charge
Now that you have the energy source for all your accessories it is important to maintain your battery to 100 percent state of charge at all times to keep it at 100 percent state of health. This can be tricky when the vehicle is not driven regularly or parked up for long periods of time. A maintenance charger is a very practical and inexpensive way of maintaining your battery to give it longevity and maximise its life span.
Intelligent Smart Chargers (maintenance battery chargers) are now available in most automotive outlets. These chargers will deliver charge to keep the battery topped up and will automatically switch off when your battery is fully charged. These can be left safely connected until you need to use your vehicle next.
