Suburban dual Batteries?

[MrEarp]

I am not sure if I am posting this in the right place..

I had a dual battery set up in my truck.. (01 Suburban)

My set up was using a standard battery and an optima yellow top.

I was combing them using a solenoid rated at 300amps. running the battery cable from the primary battery to the solenoid and then through a 110 circuit breaker and I was using 2 gauge wire for the entire system.

It worked just fine for about 4 months. One day about 2 months ago I went out and started my truck and had a weird feeling (and could smell electrical wiring burning) So I jumped out and popped the hood to find the starter cable in flames coming from under the engine.

I was able to put it out but not before it destroyed the main wiring harness in the truck. So 3100.00 later it was fixed. The mechanic at the GM dealership could not find a specific cause but did tell me he felt it came from the starter cable because he had to replace the starter as well.

So here is my concern.. I'm about to put the dual battery system back in. I have a new solenoid and new wiring.. Any ideas on how to protect the system? I'm almost inclined to put in a few extra fuses in the electrical system. Is it possible that I was pulling to much power? through that starter cable and thats what caused it to short some how?

Any thoughts?

 

[xpndbl3]

Putting in a big fuse or circuit breaker from the main battery to the starter would have stopped that from happening. You can also run a marine switchable battery unit under the hood, look at any online boat dealer, they're red and can do batt 1, batt 2, or batt 1+2, etc

 

[WoldD90]

I have a Wrangler NW parts Dual battery kit with Isolator on my 04 Yukon Xl, and have never had an issue.

If you were using a solenoid instead of an isolator, that may have been the problem.

Another options is that the wire to the starter may have rubbed off the isolation and come in contact with the frame, which certainly could have caused the problem you had.

 

[toyrunner95]

I agree. You need a isolator and a LARGE marine switch. I had a setup in my old pickup with just a switch and had no trouble, I think I ran 4 or 6ga wire. never had a problem winching or anything. But I made sure that I had the battery set to 1 when starting then switched it over to both.

However it sounds more like a starter short with no fail safe (like a fuse).

 

[UrbanCummin]

The KISS (keep it simple stupid) method will also work for you. Just have two identicle batteries wired in parrallel. No isolator or anything else. The majority of modern diesels are this way from the factory, I rarely ever see issues with this set up and it is what i'm using in both my diesel race truck (thinking of going to only 1 batt for weight reduction though) and the burban I am building for the bush.

 

[MrEarp]

Another options is that the wire to the starter may have rubbed off the isolation and come in contact with the frame, which certainly could have caused the problem you had.

This was also a suggestion from the service writer and Mechanic at the dealership who did the repairs. It is a 9YRO truck so it could have just failed on me. Being that it's my SAR truck and several days a week my wife's bloodhound lives in the truck it is important to me that it's safe. The truck also must start each and every time which is why I like the 2 battery set up so I can run all of my radio gear / computer gear seperate. I also run a couple of DC fan's to keep the hound cool .

So if I am reading this right your suggesting I put a fuse off the battery to the main electrical system?

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

Putting in a big fuse or circuit breaker from the main battery to the starter would have stopped that from happening. You can also run a marine switchable battery unit under the hood, look at any online boat dealer, they're red and can do batt 1, batt 2, or batt 1+2, etc

This is a dumb question I know, but let me see if I get this right.

Wire both batteries parallel. Now, wire one battery to position 1 and the other battery to position 2.
Then wire both to the common post

Extra accessories can be wired to the 2nd battery. When parked switch to battery 2 so that you don't drain the main battery (or battery 1)

I guess the dumb question I'm asking is how do you hook them up to the switch, but also use both to start the truck. Or, is it pointless to bother using both to start the truck?

 

[MrEarp]

What size cable would you use? The guy at the stereo shop just told me 4 gauge would work.

 

[KLAKEBRONCO]

I overkilled on mine because I had the cables. 1/0 for main cables and 6 gauge for the others.

This was much larger than stock.

 

[WoldD90]

Putting in a big fuse or circuit breaker from the main battery to the starter would have stopped that from happening. You can also run a marine switchable battery unit under the hood, look at any online boat dealer, they're red and can do batt 1, batt 2, or batt 1+2, etc

I have never heard of anyone putting a big circuit breaker between the battery and the starter. I guess you could, but why not just protect the wire, with some wire mold and even some insulated tape in the areas that come in contact with the frame.

 

[xpndbl3]

Autos don't really install them, but on bigger boats it's mandatory, no reason you can't adapt it to auto use.

 

[Larry]

MrEarp,

I am not a big Painless Wiring fan but their dual battery isolator kit is pretty slick. Check it out. http://www.painlesswiring.com/webcatalog/largeview.php?SearchField=40102

I have been using this kit for a few years with great success. The nice thing is you can wear your deep cycle “house battery” down over night but the truck will still start in the morning then recharge it back up.

 

[toyrunner95]

This is a dumb question I know, but let me see if I get this right.

Wire both batteries parallel. Now, wire one battery to position 1 and the other battery to position 2.
Then wire both to the common post

Extra accessories can be wired to the 2nd battery. When parked switch to battery 2 so that you don't drain the main battery (or battery 1)

I guess the dumb question I'm asking is how do you hook them up to the switch, but also use both to start the truck. Or, is it pointless to bother using both to start the truck?

close, once you wire the batts to the marine switch all your accessories can run off the common post. it shouldn't be charged unless the switch is turned to that setting. i THINK that the isolator can go inline between one battery and the switch. all the isolator does is keep the electrons from flowing from one highly charged battery to a less charged battery.

if you have a completely dead battery or a dead cell, and connect a good battery to it, the juice will even out and you will have two worthless batteries,