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Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Dual Battery Install - job now finished

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jonnyboy Member Since: 15 Oct 2014 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 161

Dual Battery Install - job now finished Decided on a dual battery install as we do a lot of camping and work with the Scouts where we have to charge phones and GPS's overnight, need to run a fridge and generally have the security of the second battery. Having read many threads here, settled on the MobileCentre route as everything came supplied in one kit and should be pretty foolproof.... I'm not a seasoned mechanic but willing to have a go and this seems like the safest route to me So here's the plan. No fuse initially on the TD5 - decided to leave it that way Click image to enlarge Existing box on starting work Click image to enlarge Trial fit of the battery tray and batteries, having read how tight it was. The battery clamp was particularly tight on the rear of the battery box, so much so that the wing nut needed its ears cropping to turn. Also worked out where the fuse box and its holder would go to allow the batteries to be removed without having to strip the fuse box out. Click image to enlarge Fitted anderson connector on the front of the battery box Click image to enlarge Anderson tails run in. Also cable going to to remote relay switch and a cable to the USB sockets on the dash Click image to enlarge Remote switch mounted on the dash (bloody daunting taking the dash out). Its a deep switch and there ain't much depth behind a TD5 dash so it needs some angled spade connectors. Click image to enlarge Some minor mods to the fusebox plate to allow for the cable entries beneath Click image to enlarge It was a bit daunting seeing the car like this... Click image to enlarge Cracking on. Had got a bus bar cover with the kit but it was too large so used terminal isolators where I could to cover anything +ve. Need some more to finish the job properly Click image to enlarge Fuse box holder in (wonky photo - the holder is indeed horizontal) Click image to enlarge Pretty much there. Click image to enlarge Its actually very tight between the fuse box holder and the +ve battery terminal. There is room to get the terminal cover on but reckon I could shave 10-15mm off the fuse box holder to give me a bit more clearance Hope this is useful. I know I learned a lot from here to get to this stage. Tim and Billy at MobileCentre were great. Tim in talking me through the bits I wasn't sure of. Billy for putting the order together. In all took 3 days to do. Lots of thinking time allowed, tea breaks and head scratching John Last edited by jonnyboy on 20th Apr 2015 1:50pm. Edited 1 time in total

6th Apr 2015 10:53pm

X4SKP Member Since: 29 Nov 2013 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2295	Hello jonnyboy Well done, excellent post... thanks. This set up is on my to-do list, and it just got easier... to-do...  SKIP https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic83242.html
6th Apr 2015 10:59pm

walfy Member Since: 29 Aug 2007 Location: Frome Posts: 2661	Good to see you have the battery clamping bar the right way up. I found it easier to cut a slit in the rear edge so the bracket could slide under the wing nut. The rear wing nut is a complete bitch to do up otherwise 110 D250 SE HT 110 USW SOLD RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD
7th Apr 2015 8:07am

jonnyboy Member Since: 15 Oct 2014 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 161	Cheers gents. X4SKP - good luck with that - shout if you want Walfy - it is a bitch of a job getting that rear wing nut done. Trimming the stud perfectly so that it fits under the back of the battery box yet still has two/three threads to grip on the base plate. And like I said even trimmed the ears of the wingnut to help. Like the idea of the slot - didn't think of that.
7th Apr 2015 10:23am

walfy Member Since: 29 Aug 2007 Location: Frome Posts: 2661	It was trial and error on my setup. Screw wing bolt in, try batt clamp, take out and readjust, repeat process several times until happy. Glad you got there in the end 110 D250 SE HT 110 USW SOLD RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD
7th Apr 2015 10:30am

Anderzander Member Since: 08 Feb 2011 Location: Lancashire Posts: 1000	That looks really well done ! I'd like to do something like that - though I have a winch solenoid in there at the moment - so it would be a very tight fit. Click image to enlarge Looking at yours though it looks doable :) Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated
7th Apr 2015 11:42am

jonnyboy Member Since: 15 Oct 2014 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 161	AZ It's tight in there but that solenoid's not too big...!! Good luck John
7th Apr 2015 5:14pm

dailysleaze Member Since: 23 May 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 237	That's some awesome work. On the flip side, I inherited this: Click image to enlarge There's another fusebox and relay hidden out of sight
7th Apr 2015 8:14pm

Venomator Member Since: 25 Aug 2014 Location: Peterborough Posts: 2087	@jonnyboy... That is a very tidy job of work you have completed there sir... And thank you so much for sharing so much detail and descriptive images with us here too... Good job, well done and one to be very proud of...  Rog... The GREEN One... MY2016 Urban Truck Build Thread - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic40548....al[/color]
7th Apr 2015 8:20pm

jonnyboy Member Since: 15 Oct 2014 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 161	Sleaze Thats a mess. There looks like 6 cables to each +ve terminal.... Cheers Venerator, wouldn't have attempted it without reading up on it here so hopefully someone else can use my photos as an aide to get started
10th Apr 2015 8:25am

need4speed Member Since: 23 Nov 2012 Location: Kilmarnock Posts: 746	Job well done Jonnyboy. Very very tidy indeed. I'm looking to wire mine up in a similar fashion. I will be looking to fit a front winch in the future so would I be better fitting the heavy duty mobilecentre bus bars?
11th Apr 2015 3:45pm

dailysleaze Member Since: 23 May 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 237	I think your fuse holder is a good idea, as it's easy access. Mine has got 3 fuse boards and they're all mounted vertically getting deeper with each one
11th Apr 2015 8:02pm

jonnyboy Member Since: 15 Oct 2014 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 161

So finally got another weekend to finish the job First job was to trim the fuse box support as the it was too close to the +ve battery terminal. I'd already trimmed the bolt after it caught on the metal holder on first installation - that was a shock... Click image to enlarge Stripped the fuse box holder out and fitted the terminal covers Click image to enlarge 15mm trimmed and re-drilled - that's better Click image to enlarge Fitted a second Anderson connector to the battery box. This is off the second battery and used to run power to the tent for lights, fridge etc Click image to enlarge Next run three cables to the rear. Ran internally as there's enough trim on the Station Wagon to lose it behind Click image to enlarge Dual USB's on one side Click image to enlarge 12V socket and feed to work light on the other Click image to enlarge Together with dual USBs in the front, we have plenty of options Click image to enlarge Job's a good 'un - well, need the stickers on the fuse box.... Click image to enlarge

20th Apr 2015 1:45pm

Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018	That all looks very professional. Can I ask what the purpose of the positive terminal clamp is?
20th Apr 2015 1:56pm

jonnyboy Member Since: 15 Oct 2014 Location: Wiltshire Posts: 161	Not sure i understand the question.... Are you suggesting I could have done without it?
20th Apr 2015 2:02pm

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