Winch power isolator or not

[NavyDiver]

New tigerz11 12000lbs on the D3. It comes with a power isolator on the positive lead. I could not get this from the winch in and was reluctant to break the water tight seals on the control box to drag in from the battery back to the winch.

Managed to break the isolator switch trying to get it in the same location my prior winch power supply came into my grill from.
The isolator which came with the Tigerz winch and I broke is not a type I can find here. See pictures. I can buy a replacement cable or simply join the cables without the isolator. It seems a good design but I am wondering if we need a isolator on our winch’s or not. Pictures are not from my truck.

[THE BOOGER]

If your winch has a wireles remote the get an isolator as the receiver is always draining a little bit of power they are good idea if your winch fries it self and gets stuck on you can turn it off at the isolator:)

[goingbush]

You MUST have a power isolator somewhere,
I use one of these
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTQ3NFgxMzQy/$(KGrHqZHJBwE8fT!hE8-BPPGEJ1zdQ~~60_35.JPG

look up 'winch vandals' on google

Ive heard of cases where vandals have unspooled the cable , put over the top of a car onto the tow bar, smash the relay box & set the winch going, thus squashing your roof flat or cutting your car down the middle,

[NavyDiver]

You MUST have a power isolator somewhere,
I use one of these
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTQ3NFgxMzQy/$(KGrHqZHJBwE8fT!hE8-BPPGEJ1zdQ~~60_35.JPG

look up 'winch vandals' on google

Ive heard of cases where vandals have unspooled the cable , put over the top of a car onto the tow bar, smash the relay box & set the winch going, thus squashing your roof flat or cutting your car down the middle,


I wonder if the second hand stories about cable vandles might be a little off. Know of a few specific instance including a policeman deerhunters car (hope the poachers are still in jail) :mad: The media would cover if a car was chopped in half I imagine. Your right that many control boxes cables are interchangable so it is a risk. Not all interchangable thankfully.

A sparky mentioned the volatage drop associated with the isolator type you posted as possibly a little high for winching. Any cable break or join is a weakness of course. The copper to copper conection in the very basic isolator I broke seemed a very good design to minimise any volatage loss or imeading any current further than the cable alreading introduces.

[goingbush]

Those isolators are good for 300 A , 1000 A surge.

You don't need any controller if you get the cover off.

Sent from my ZTE T28 using Tapatalk 2

[DeanoH]

I use a Narva 61060 dual pole switch.

Battery Master - Products - Narva (http://www.narva.com.au/products/browse/battery-master)

It is dual pole rated at 250 Amp continuous per pole (1250 Amps per pole short term). I commoned the two power out contacts with a brass bar and connected this to my winch.
The inputs I connected directly to each of my two batterys. This configuration gives me an in spec. 500 Amps continuous to the winch, or a massive 2500 Amp short term, in practice it runs my 12000 lb Warn winch no problem.

This gives me winch isolation when 'off' and makes battery coupling a certainty via the switch and not via an overworked under current solenoid or other device. It also allows easy battery coupling when needed. When off the switch key can be kept elsewhere for further security.

Whan I bought mine 2 years ago it was around the $70 mark.

A tick in every box :D.

Deano:)

[Don 130]

The local auto lec suggested I install one due to the chances of the winch vandal trick, which he showed was easy with my winch setup.
Don.

[John W]

Food for thought. I have no isolating switch but a heavy pair of side cutters in the car to cut the winch power if ever needed. I wonder if anyone has ever had to cut the power using their isolator switch because of a short or the winch stuck on? I suspect that this is a very low probability event but interested to hear experiences.

[MR LR]

I agree with going bush, dad and his father sold Land Rovers for many years and experienced quite a few instances of this 'crushing of cars' on the 4wd scene. I recently fitted an old Warn we had laying round to my Disco, i actually disconnected the battery lead before i fitted the isolator, the stories kinda worried me LOL

I fitted a manual battery isolator, no noticable current drop at all (it still performs like it did without the isolator). Ideally i would like a solenoid type that i can hit a switch in-cab to power up, but this will come when the dual battery does.

Cheers
Will

[Homestar]

I would fit an isolator for a couple of reasons. First is to stop the (fairly remote) possibility of some ****ed dickhead wrecking your car, and also if it has a wireless remote, to stop any interferance starting the winch when spooled up. There would be a chance of this happening if you were near another vehicle using its winch with a remote.

When I put mine in I will definately be doing this - it is a quick and easy install.

[rangieman]

The simlpe answer is a isolstor is cheap insurance if something could or does go wrong , Just fit one ;)

[NavyDiver]

As usual AULRO advice has been fantastic. Thanks all. Used the link from DeanoH. Went for a 61082BL as I am a chicken to put my dual batteries into the single circut as he has. It was tempting:D

[DeanoH]

As usual AULRO advice has been fantastic. Thanks all. Used the link from DeanoH. Went for a 61082BL as I am a chicken to put my dual batteries into the single circut as he has. It was tempting:D

A couple of points to consider.

With my setup the batterys are only connected together via the switch when it is 'on'. With the switch 'off' the batterys are isolated from each other and the winch and the existing dual battery setup takes over.:)
I chose to force battery coupling via the switch whilst winching to share the load accross both batterys, I have seen solenoid battery couplers destroyed through overload whilst winching as the winching current is generally too great for the solenoid.

What method of battery coupling do you use? Most people winch with the engine/alternator running which may have both batterys coupled.

Don't know if this is an issue with 'electronic battery coupler/isolators' as I've never have one. Traxide or someone knowlegable in this area will be able to answer this one, but if you're using a solenoid to connect your two batterys together half the winch current will try to travel through it and may either burn out or weld its contacts together as auto solenoids are generally not rated for these currents.:(

Deano:)

[Tusker]

TJM make an isolator as a separate accessory to their winches.

It's just a simple rotary switch. When I inquired about the rating, they checked & advised 500 amps.

Mine's mounted behind the passengers knees in the Defender, but within reach from the driver's seat should it ever be needed.

Regards
Max P

[NavyDiver]

TJM make an isolator as a separate accessory to their winches.

It's just a simple rotary switch. When I inquired about the rating, they checked & advised 500 amps.

Mine's mounted behind the passengers knees in the Defender, but within reach from the driver's seat should it ever be needed.

Regards
Max P

TJM post in the D3 section on a flat battery has been on the type you may be talking about. Love to put this topic up a seperate post if you gents don't mind as I think it is a very interesting one but a little left of the Issolator switch. I will post it after cooking the kids some tucker:D Thanks as usual to all

[Old Farang]

I have a Warn solenoid isolator on mine which is controlled from a indicating toggle switch in the cab. I have added the jumper lead kit, also from Warn, which has an Anderson type plug on it, wired so that it is only active when the cab switch is "on". I can use this either for a jump start, or to connect to a second battery, with the set of jumper leads that plug into the Anderson plug. I also use an AGM battery for a bit more capacity.

[djam1]

You MUST have a power isolator somewhere,
I use one of these
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTQ3NFgxMzQy/$(KGrHqZHJBwE8fT!hE8-BPPGEJ1zdQ~~60_35.JPG

look up 'winch vandals' on google

Ive heard of cases where vandals have unspooled the cable , put over the top of a car onto the tow bar, smash the relay box & set the winch going, thus squashing your roof flat or cutting your car down the middle,

Beware of using cheap isolators on a winch I have had them melt underload with bad results

[goingbush]

Beware of using cheap isolators on a winch I have had them melt underload with bad results

yes, er thanks. mine just melted :blush:
I'm changing to a solenoid style.

[John W]

Having given all the above advice some thought I have isolated my winch. Takes less than one minute to unbolt the cable from the battery connector and will bolt it back on if going places that may require winch operation, again takes less than one minute.

The D2 TD5 has so little space near the battery that it would take more time to wire up an isolator than to simply bolt up if required. Only marginally more time than to pop the hood and turn an isolator switch.

[manchild21000]

I just ran the thin earth cable to a switch in the cab ,works for me .
George

[Old Farang]

I just ran the thin earth cable to a switch in the cab ,works for me .
George
To each his own by all means, but a couple of points to consider: Isolating the earth, of I guess you mean the control contactors, will not stop somebody with ill intent from running the winch.
It is also possible for a control contactor to "weld" closed, or to develop a fault in the hand controller, or its lead, that will prevent you from stopping the winch.
The only "sure" way of making it safe is to have a readily available isolator in the main power lead that cannot be accessed from outside the vehicle. It should be able to be switched from inside the cab and the only way to do that is with a purpose designed and rated soleniod.
Just my 10 cents worth. :)

[p38arover]

On my RRC, John E Davis Motorworks had fitted the winch for the previous owner. They made up a support bracket that put the solenoid pack under the bonnet behind the battery, out of the mud and out of reach of anyone not entitled to access it. One had to open the bonnet to plug in the controller.

I think I still have it in the garage (I still have the winch and solenoid pack ready for install in the P38A — one day). If I have it, I'll take a pic.

[Old Farang]

On my RRC, John E Davis Motorworks had fitted the winch for the previous owner. They made up a support bracket that put the solenoid pack under the bonnet behind the battery, out of the mud and out of reach of anyone not entitled to access it. One had to open the bonnet to plug in the controller.

I think I still have it in the garage (I still have the winch and solenoid pack ready for install in the P38A — one day). If I have it, I'll take a pic.
I wanted to do that with mine, but the Warn dealer refused to do it on the grounds that it gets way to hot in the engine bay. He said that they had encountered several failures of the plastic bodied control contactors when mounted under the bonnet. It may work with the solid state controllers, but I tend to agree that he was correct.

[p38arover]

I'd have to take the cover off to see if the solenoids are plastic on mine. I think they are metal.

The solenoid block was there for at least 16 years and did a fair bit of winching.

[Tombie]

Under bonnet isolators are a waste of time except for the security purpose.

If you get a runaway winch situation, by the time you get the bonnet release, run back round ***inline*** with the "out of control" winch and pop the bonnet... then get to the isolator... Well, its well and truly done damage!

Better to just disconnect the battery end when not needed... (And cheaper)
And no voltage drop etc...

The other way.... Is also bloody easy....

Padlock the eye of your winch cable to the eyelet on your recovery point....