Dual battery setup...

[drivesafe]

Wow. What a great product.

I'm still unclear on how it works if I am not going to run the permanent power outlet. (although I would like to have that). Will this just let me run my radio or other accessories until the auxiliary battery is dead, for instance, and the main battery is only 20% depleted?

I guess my question is, once installed do I need to make dedicated connections to things that would use the auxillary battery or is it just wired into my system yet protects the main battery. And if so, how does it know when it is time to unprotect the main battery when I want to start the car, for instance.

Good stuff, informative website.

Hi toddjb122, a simple rule of thumb when setting up your electrics is to put anything that is only going to be powered while your motor is on, should be connected to your cranking battery. EG winch, driving lights and the likes.

Anything you want to power with the motor off, like your fridge, camp lights and inverters for running computers or charging camera batteries, should be connected to your auxiliary battery.

 

[Houm_WA]

...I wonder if this setup voids the warranty?

 

[drivesafe]

...I wonder if this setup voids the warranty?

Hi Houm, they do not effect your warranty.

The devices were actually made to specs provided by Land Rover Australia’s Maintenance tachs and were tested by them.

The kits are all deigned as “ADD ONS” so they do not interfere with your warranty.

Cheers

 

[DJLVA]

Installed the kit today. Very nice, well thought out piece of equipment. I used an optima D34 which fit perfectly. With all of the electro-tech on the LR3 it really seems like a good idea to have this setup, particularly if you go off road.

 

[flysurfer]

I just ordered SC40-LR Plug-&-Play kit from Australia. Now for a spare battery, I am shopping for Optima D34. It's "yellow top," isn't it?

 

[toddjb122]

Can someone explain some basic functionality of this kit that I may be missing out on. (driveon, your reply was helpful. thank you.)

Mainly, can I just use it as a backup for when/if I run my main battery dead? (i.e. If I were playing the stereo or say kept the lights on for a night bocci game on the lawn
So, w/o any manual configuration after the kit is installed, can I start my car if I run the main battery dead on accessories?


If so, I think that would have me buy the kit. Just for the convenience of not having to get a jump start from someone or the insurance of having a battery go dead when I am away from other vehicles. Once installed, then I'd someday get around to running a new wire for an always-on power outlet or something...

 

[flysurfer]

Not sure if I understand it correctly but car uses both batteries but once it reaches to certain drain level, it isolates main battery and uses only aux battery???

Here is quote from their website:

"The SC40-LR Plug-&-Play Kit continues on with the unique advantage that the SC40 has over other types of Dual Battery Controllers in that it not only controls the charging of the Auxiliary battery while the motor is running but unlike other controllers, after the motor is turned off, the SC40-LR allows some of the Cranking Battery's surplus power to be used to share the load with the Auxiliary battery.

Once the common voltage of both batteries drops to a pre-set level, the SC40 automatically isolates the cranking battery, leaving it with more than enough remaining stored power to easily start the most stubborn motor on the coldest of mornings."

 

[drivesafe]

Hi toddjb122, with a dual battery set up in the LR3, if you had a flat cranking battery, you only need to use a single positive jumper lead and connect the positive terminals of both batteries to jump start your own vehicle.

 

[toddjb122]

Thanks!

 

[sgregg67]

I installed this kit a while back and did have problems with my primary battery (one of the reasons I bought the kit). When the main battery finally died, the aux battery automatically kicked in to start the car. A great kit, which given my luck with batteries gives me piece of mind when traveling.