Dual battery modification

[prado12]

Hi All,

I'm very new to this forum and see alot of good ideas.
I'm using prado 90 series and just fix the winch Kong One, 9500 yesterday.
I'm thinking to add another battery in my car very soon, to support the winch.
I need some opinion, if I add another battery, do I need to change the alternater?
Will adding another battery damage by current alternater?
Since adding battery will need more current to charge this battery.

 

[Chris]

Hi and welcome. Firstly - I'd say that you don't actually need a second battery. There are thousands of vehicles that run quite happily on one battery. It seems to be a bit of a fixation to fit a second one. Having said that, I fitted a second battery to my SWB 90 - simply because I wanted to and because I could. There are no implications to worry about. The UK spec 95 (Colorado here not Prado) nearly all came with what was called the Winter Pack, including a second battery wired in parallel. The only real down side is that when one battery starts to fail, it seems to drag the other one with it. So having matched batteries (as in age and performance) might be better. Or, you can fit a voltage sensing split charge system in there very easily so that your main batter is still the starting battery and the other one gets charge as and when it needs it. Plus when winching, at the press of a button, you can link the two together. I would really recommend that route myself.

Chris