Split charge questions

slow said:

If I have the engine running while winching, then the relay is switched on to charge the winch battery.
Surely as the winch discharges the winch battery it will try to draw current through the relay from the main battery.
Assume that is why it is a 200A relay fitted?

Seems like a fairly basic and slighty rubbish system.
So whats the deal with the battery management systems? Are they worth the £150 odd?

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simples is good

The Mad Hat Man said:

30A max - feck orf - it will fry

Click to expand...

So why doesn't the alternator fry when your pulling 200a+ when winching?

coz yu aint pulling 200A thru the Alternator - thats why - and it has a regulator etc.

So it turns out that its a voltage sensitive relay, so does only need 3 connections.
It senses when the primary battery voltage is above 13.5 volts and turns on to charge the second battery.

My old one is pretty melted inside, so £44 later for a new one and I'm back in business.
I suppose it does the same job as the wiring it up to the alternator light method but no messy wiring.

the question one has to ask ism "why did the last one melt?"

I still reckon it was trying to draw too much current through it.

I reckon because I jump started myself off the winch battery a few months ago and connected the jump leads up the wrong way round

Use a standard cheap one like I posted to switch a heavier relay

Hello,

Here we go another split charge system thread.
I have been reading through lots of posts relating to a split charge system....guess why...lol

I have two new optima batteries.
I intend to fit a winch.
The idea of having a battery power indicator on the dash suits me.
So after reading lots of threads it seems that the t-max system is a good way to go.
Im thinking main battery (red) for starting and (yellow) for everything else.
Except when winching when i'd like to draw power from both.

Is the diagram below the way to fit the t-max system?

LNH said:

Click to expand...

I thought that maybe wiring this way then any extra power for things like inverter blar blar can be powered from the second (yellow) battery.

Would i be correct in my thinking?

It's such a minfeild finding the right way to go.