Thread: A couple of battery questions...

Originally Posted by Disco Muppet

Okay so, a few questions RE batteries in D2s.

1. Read a post in the latest 4WDA magazine about a bloke who tried jump-starting his ford SUV and fried the ECU into limp mode, and thus needed to have it reset by the dealer. Is this also the case with discos? The bloke from the magazine said he needed special surge blocking jumper cables at 3X the cost of regular ones

2. Anderson plugs - Saw a couple of posts about deefers with anderson plug jumper leads to the battery box, and the NRMA cars have them on their bullbars, so I was thinking of doing the same. Any particular reason that would stop it from being effective? It's just a PITA to go around to the passenger side and open the bonnet

3: Jump starting - Main or aux battery? Thinking main as it's a higher capacity. any thoughts?

4. Winch to battery - as above, main or aux?

Cheers
Muppet

My thoughs...
1. I've heard of this before, I use standard leads but do the following.

Triple check they are hooked up right.
Earth to the motor on the rig to be started when ever posible.
Leave the doner rig hooked up and running for 5 minutes before trying to start.
Once started leave both rigs hooked up for 5 more minutes.
Turn headlamps on in both rigs and disconect the earth from the motor 1st.
Leave lamps on for 1 more minute then all is fine.
The theory is the headlamps take the serge, leaving the leads on stablizes the voltages.

2/3. This is done on trucks also
You would have to double check they are wired corectly!
Wire direct to the starter(if enough length on soliniod bolt) and engine block for best results.

4. I use the start battery as most do including emergency services.
There are a small group that sugest the 2nd battery but generaly the 2nd batt is not a high discharge type like the start battery.

Cheers, Kyle.

what sort of relatively common batteries do we like for the D2? I bumped the light switch on mine I think and the things dead flat. It's on the charger but if it objects to the abuse it copped and dies I'll have to get another and I'm unsure of capacities etc and prefer to go in forearmed with knowledge rather than rely on whatever they want to sell me

Hi Muppet, I wouldn’t take to much notice of some of the crap you find in these 4x4 mags. You will only damage the ECU if there is something already amiss in the vehicle way before you try to jump start the vehicle.

As to the Anderson plugs and leads. You can use a 50 amp Anderson plug in jump leads but unless you intend to fit an isolation/marine battery switch in this lead, under the bonnet, you risk having UNPROTECTED live high current power in an exposed lead.

Even though it can be inconvenient to have to open the bonnet to access the cable and plug, it is a much safer and simpler set to just leave the lead and Anderson plug tucked away in the engine bay and open the bonnet if and when you need the lead.

Next, both winching and jump starting should always be done from the cranking battery.

While Kyle covered the basics, the following info is the correct way to carry out a jump start on any vehicle.

One point, you do not need to switch headlights or anything else on, when your start in normal circumstances, you create the same surges and spikes and you never have problems then so don’t waste your time, this is one of the many myths surrounding 12v situations.

Whether the crippled vehicle’s battery is flat or stuffed, it will still hold a surface charge, even if that is for just a few minutes. When jump starting a vehicle, you don’t need it to hold that surface charge for more than a few seconds.

The correct procedure for jump starting a vehicle is as follows.

Bring the donor vehicle as close as practical to the crippled vehicle.

Leave the motor running in the donor vehicle at all times.

Many vehicles can draw quite high currents with the ignition key still in the switch ( up to 40 amps ).

Turn the ignition off and remove the kew from the ignition of the crippled vehicle. This is not done to protect the vehicle’s electronics, this is done to remove any remaining current draw from the crippled vehicle’s battery.

Note, in many new vehicle, not until you remove the ignition key will all current loads be turned off and in some vehicle, like new Land Rovers, the computers will remain active for up to 3 minutes, while they go through shut-down routines, after the key is removed.

Next, connect the positive lead to the crippled vehicle’s positive battery terminal, then connect the other end of the positive lead to the donor vehicle’s positive battery terminal.

Then connect one end of negative lead to the donor vehicle battery’s negative terminal.

Now find a suitable earthing point in the crippled vehicle’s engine bay ( if the cranking battery is located there ). This earthing point should be a bolt or something of that nature.

Do not use any body parts as the earthing point.

Leave the vehicles connected with the donor vehicle’s motor running at a high idle, for at least 2 minutes but 5 would be better.

Once some time has elapsed, try starting the crippled vehicles motor.

If it does not start straightaway, turn the crippled vehicle’s ignition switch off and remove the key and give the crippled battery more charging time.

If the motor starts, remove the negative lead from both vehicles, then remove the positive.

By applying the negative lead last and removing the negative lead first, if you drop either end of the negative lead and it comes in contact with any body work or the motor, there will not be a short.

Then when removing the positive lead, again, as there no longer a closed ( negative ) circuit, you will not cause a short.

DO NOT switch the crippled vehicle’s motor off to test the crippled vehicles battery. If you are in the middle of nowhere and your motor is now running, don’t tempt fate.

Thanks drivesafe, some fantastic info!
Just on the anderson plugs re unprotected plug, I was thinking of having a waterproof container around it, as obviously being on the bar it would get the occasional dunking
However, how would I go about fitting an isolation switch in the lead?
I'm using this set
TVR JUMP START KIT CERBERA GRIFFITH TUSCAN CHIMAERA | eBay

And following this guide.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph7h6rYZnVI]How to make up Anderson plug jump leads for a land rover Defender or any vehicle - YouTube[/ame]

Cheers
Muppet

PS apologies mods for link, but it's relevant

Originally Posted by 1976_michelle

what sort of relatively common batteries do we like for the D2? I bumped the light switch on mine I think and the things dead flat. It's on the charger but if it objects to the abuse it copped and dies I'll have to get another and I'm unsure of capacities etc and prefer to go in forearmed with knowledge rather than rely on whatever they want to sell me

If memory serves me corectly I think the TD5 needs a battery of 650CCA minimum.


Drivesafe,
I was told the idea of turning the headlamps on was to absorb any posible power spike when the jumper leads are removed.
Are you saying this isn't needed?

The original battery in the Td5 was a Delco Freedom 110ah/12V which was around 800CCA. It's probably a good idea to use a similar or higher rated battery, though I'm sure you can get away with less. I was running mine on a Supercharge Allrounder MRV48 for a week or so when my starter battery died - it's a massive 525CCA.

petrol V8, having a juicier batterywon't do it harm anyway will it?

Originally Posted by 1976_michelle

petrol V8, having a juicier batterywon't do it harm anyway will it?

None at all, just means you can leave the radio on longer at the fotty/cricket and it'll still start