twin batteries on a KZJ 95

[goodoldboy]

The UK model KZJ 95 has a twin battery set up when it comes with the optional winter pack one with a RH positive & the other with a LH pos.On buying the car i saw that the batteries were different makes & AH but was a little surprised how quickly they failed , so ended up buying 2x bosch silver s4 batteries both with RH positive. Being 25mm lower than the others - with a standard sizes battery the leads wont reach - meant that connecting em wasn't a problem , i just put some packing under the battery straps.Ive just replaced them with 2x varta siver E38s - identical casings to the bosch silver.......?? so here is the question - the O/S battery measured 12.54 V & the N/S 11.4 , this problem having been covered in another thread i.e. unequal distance from the alternator/starter means one battery gets charged/worked harder than the other , so should i swap em round every 6 months ?

 

[Chris]

Frankly, I think the right answer is to ditch the second battery and live with one. It's not 24v start, just 2 x 12v in parallel. The shortie manuals nearly all came with only one battery. Fire right up every time. Just a pain having two. More weight and more maintenance plus they usually fail in pairs. More expense.

 

[AndyCook]

My LWB Colorado only had one battery when I got it and only wiring for one battery, I used the space on the other side of my leisure battery.

 

[goodoldboy]

Frankly, I think the right answer is to ditch the second battery and live with one. It's not 24v start, just 2 x 12v in parallel. The shortie manuals nearly all came with only one battery. Fire right up every time. Just a pain having two. More weight and more maintenance plus they usually fail in pairs. More expense.

yes I would agree a single battery - perhaps with a few more AH than standard- is the way to go , but for me the extra AHs have proved useful in the past , for example having frozen diesel or a blocked fuel filter means a second chance after sorting the problem.mine is an auto & our house is 250 meters from the tarmac & other cars in the fleet for a jumpstart , that plus being at 650 meters & cold winters (we have seen -16) means 70AHs could be struggling...also here in Spain the practicalities of 're wiring are diffrent - in the UK I would just get the leads off a 90 & swap em over - but here breakers are crap & want eye wartering amounts of money & then I would probably have to get the mod homoglated = more expense & time & frustration.so I will try swapping em over & see how it goes