Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
I've seen this come up in a couple of other threads but I wanted to ask here because I'm not certain how this works.
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I put a dual battery system into my Suburban, isolating the house battery with a 200a solenoid that is powered by being connected to the fuse block on a circuit that is only powered when the ignition is on.
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If I understand correctly, when the ignition is on, power flows to the solenoid (200a Stinger SGP32) and closes the switch, connecting the two batteries together, yes?
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So, here is my question: Let's assume that something has happened to my starter battery to cause it to drop below the point where it will start the truck. Not 100% dead, mind you, just dropped to the point where it is incapable of starting the truck.
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If I turn on the ignition and power then flows through the ignition circuit that then energizes the solenoid, doesn't that close the switch and connect the batteries together? So, wouldn't it be possible to "jump start" the starter battery then? If the "house" battery is fully charged, wouldn't turning on the ignition switch send power to the depleted starter battery? Which would then allow me to start the truck, yes? Or am I missing something?
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I seem to recall learning in the past that in order to send maximum power to the starter, sometimes other circuits are momentarily cut off, so does that mean the ignition circuit that I've tapped into for the solenoid power would lose its power (and open up, disconnecting the house battery from the starter battery) as soon as I turn the key to crank the starter?
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But if that is the case, shouldn't I be able to "charge up" the starter battery, for example, by turning the ignition on (closing the switch and connecting the two batteries together) and then leaving it in that position for a few minutes (so the house battery will charge up by the now-connected starter battery) and then turn the switch to crank the engine?
.
I understand this would not work in a situation where the starter battery is 100% dead and doesn't have enough power to energize the circuit with the solenoid, but I'm talking about the (IMO much more common) situation where the starter battery has some power, just not enough to actually crank the starter.
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The reason I'm asking is because I'm wondering if I need to carry a small set of jumper cables to connect the batteries in the unlikely event of a dead starter battery (unlikely because my fridge - biggest current draw on my setup - is connected to the house battery, not the starter battery.) It just seems strange to have to carry cables to connect the two batteries when they're already connected to each other.
.
Thanks in advance for any pointers here.
.
I put a dual battery system into my Suburban, isolating the house battery with a 200a solenoid that is powered by being connected to the fuse block on a circuit that is only powered when the ignition is on.
.
If I understand correctly, when the ignition is on, power flows to the solenoid (200a Stinger SGP32) and closes the switch, connecting the two batteries together, yes?
.
So, here is my question: Let's assume that something has happened to my starter battery to cause it to drop below the point where it will start the truck. Not 100% dead, mind you, just dropped to the point where it is incapable of starting the truck.
.
If I turn on the ignition and power then flows through the ignition circuit that then energizes the solenoid, doesn't that close the switch and connect the batteries together? So, wouldn't it be possible to "jump start" the starter battery then? If the "house" battery is fully charged, wouldn't turning on the ignition switch send power to the depleted starter battery? Which would then allow me to start the truck, yes? Or am I missing something?
.
I seem to recall learning in the past that in order to send maximum power to the starter, sometimes other circuits are momentarily cut off, so does that mean the ignition circuit that I've tapped into for the solenoid power would lose its power (and open up, disconnecting the house battery from the starter battery) as soon as I turn the key to crank the starter?
.
But if that is the case, shouldn't I be able to "charge up" the starter battery, for example, by turning the ignition on (closing the switch and connecting the two batteries together) and then leaving it in that position for a few minutes (so the house battery will charge up by the now-connected starter battery) and then turn the switch to crank the engine?
.
I understand this would not work in a situation where the starter battery is 100% dead and doesn't have enough power to energize the circuit with the solenoid, but I'm talking about the (IMO much more common) situation where the starter battery has some power, just not enough to actually crank the starter.
.
The reason I'm asking is because I'm wondering if I need to carry a small set of jumper cables to connect the batteries in the unlikely event of a dead starter battery (unlikely because my fridge - biggest current draw on my setup - is connected to the house battery, not the starter battery.) It just seems strange to have to carry cables to connect the two batteries when they're already connected to each other.
.
Thanks in advance for any pointers here.