Outer Limits 4x4 Board

so i am wanting setting up dual batteries in my car. a few questions.
i hear that a vitara battery tray bolts straight in. if this is so
- what year and model vitara is it out of
- is it really a straight fit or does it need to be modified

Sierra dual batts are easy.

Make a tray up out of flat bar, steel, mine i bent it up with a hammer and vice and then bolted together.

I have two 700ccas in mine with a BEP marine battery switch.

Dont know about the Vitara tray, but as nicbeer said, its easy to just make one yourself. I made one out of some angle iron.
Heres a pic, its behind the ratsnest of wiring at start of Baleno install.

I used the two bolts that mounted the carbon canister to support one side, and the other is simply sitting on the guard with bolts holding it down.
I also made some brackets to fit a batt strap, and also made bracket to relocate the carbon canister.

Hrrm, I'm keen on this too. What do you need for the twin battery set up as far as "isolators"? Not very electrical minded..Thanks in advanve.
Luke.

I did dual batterys in my zook just used a tray from auto barn and a matson isolator switch
and ran the wiring through the fire wall under the dash and back into the engine bay to the main battery

fourby wrote:Hrrm, I'm keen on this too. What do you need for the twin battery set up as far as "isolators"? Not very electrical minded..Thanks in advanve.
Luke.

There are a lot of different ways of doing this, and everyone will give theyre own opinion.
Personally I use a Traxide Tronics SC40 dual battery control module http://www.traxide.com.au/trax1sc40_2.html
They guy who makes and sells them is a member of this forum, cant remember who it is, but if you mention youre a member you get a discount.

jimbo jones wrote:I did dual batterys in my zook just used a tray from auto barn and a matson isolator switch
and ran the wiring through the fire wall under the dash and back into the engine bay to the main battery

Not sure I like the idea of putting such a big amperage wire inside the cab like that ... FIRE WALLS are there for a reason. Cars burn very suprisingly quickly.

I have a 60 series landcruiser battery tray in my Vit, seems to be even more room in the sierra. Also Pirahnna isolator kit.

On running the cable thru the firewall thing, I was planning on running battery cable from each positive terminal into a big isolator switch mounted on the dash, so if my main battery runs flat I flick the switch and jumpstart the car off the second battery. Bad idea?

monkeyplex wrote:I have a 60 series landcruiser battery tray in my Vit, seems to be even more room in the sierra. Also Pirahnna isolator kit.

On running the cable thru the firewall thing, I was planning on running battery cable from each positive terminal into a big isolator switch mounted on the dash, so if my main battery runs flat I flick the switch and jumpstart the car off the second battery. Bad idea?

Do it with a relay .. do it under the bonnet ...


This is what was left of my GU after a what he fire brigade think was a stick wedgeing the battery cable to the starter against the hot engine block


The speed it went up in flames at was amazing .. I am seriously glad the fire started in the engin bay and not the cab

Think of what could happen if you wiring chaffs through for some reason..

thats why mine is negative switched. so only cables going through the cab are two 2ga negative wires back to the dual battery switch.

hey thanks for all the responses....
when i finally do mine i will be setting it up with a solenoid to isolate the battery.. i have used these for a long time when wiring up and like the simplicity of them.. redarc do good isolator.. it switches automatically at certain voltages on and off.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Redarc-DUAL-BATT ... 286.c0.m14
hey fourby if you want a hand to wire up your dual battery setup let me know. its what i do for a living (auto elec)

damn that patrol got hot....look at the bull bar.
you dont realise how quick a car can really go up..and how hot they get seen a car go up with all aluminium front panels all the panels melted like butter... amazing sight realy

Check out the remains of the hella 2000 driving lights.
The head was half gone to, the fireys at the time were amazed at the state of the interiour .. apareanty the firewall is double or triple skinned, insulating the interiour amazingly well ( the carpet was not melted and you could clearly read the gauges on the dash)


Most of the heat damage being from the windscreen breaking when the hoses were put on it.

Yeah, I think thats enough to convince me to go with the relay! I guess there are fuel lines and oil and brake fluid etc to burn under the bonnet so no wonder it burns so fast! Were you just driving along and it started burning?

love_mud wrote: ( the carpet was not melted and you could clearly read the gauges on the dash)

What did the Temp gauge say?


Sorry mate - I couldn't help myself! I hope the insurance sorted it all out for you.

Pez

Pezooki wrote:

love_mud wrote: ( the carpet was not melted and you could clearly read the gauges on the dash)

What did the Temp gauge say?


Sorry mate - I couldn't help myself! I hope the insurance sorted it all out for you.

Pez

Insurance was no issue at all . .apart from waiting for the assessor to turn up.

monkeyplex wrote:Yeah, I think thats enough to convince me to go with the relay! I guess there are fuel lines and oil and brake fluid etc to burn under the bonnet so no wonder it burns so fast! Were you just driving along and it started burning?

I had hit a big dead branch mid corner about 30ks before hand, being late and quite cold I stopped had a quick look and could not see anything (no torch) or smell anything .. thought no more of it, I had run over 100's of branches in the GU on bush tracks etc.
Started loosing power and the the passanger side headlight started flickering .. pulled up could smell buring plastic .. hopped out could see smoke . .in the space of about 30 - 60 seconds it was well alight.. I called the fire brigade (who have the single most useless dispatch system of all time for road side stuff if you ask me .. but thats another story) fortunatley the next car along was a mamber of the CFA @ glenrowan .. CFA from Gklenrowan was onsite in about 15-20 mins ( full voulunteer brigade) .. 2more tankers from wangaratta turned up after about 35- 40 mins .. I was amazed at how hard it is to put out a GU patrol.