Gen 8 Dual Battery Kits and Setups

[Hellbound]

Anything less than 100 ah battery as an aux is a complete and utter waste of time fitting...

[redmatho]

Scott
I followed the instructions in the Toyota guide to cut and move the harness down and that made it heaps easier to get the battery in.

Did you have an issue with the battery tie down studs. The side bracket when installed in gap in the side plastic guard does not seem to line up quite right.

I bought the extra fuses. Thanks for the warning about breaking the plastic. It will be interesting if we can actually get them. It would be good also to get the right angles cable lugs. That would tidy up the install. Spoke to a guy who wholesales all that stuff and said he had never seen them before.

Thanks again
Doug

[redmatho]

I spoke to Redarc today and they say for the New Hilux you don't need the specific IGN model. The standard bcdc will work. You wire the blue wire to the battery, not to the ignition.

He said you need ign model for the Ranger, Mazda etc.

I must admit it sounds incorrect especially with the way Toyota have set up their system, even with a relay to the ignition wire. But will give it a try, all it means is the battery won't charge.

Doug

[Richard]

I think the difference between the different Redarc set ups has to do with the Ranger shutting down at traffic lights etc etc.

Richard

[Gusmanelec]

Doug,
For the right angle lug I heated up and bent a straight one, It still feels really solid so it should be OK, time will tell. I'm a sparky by trade n already had the lugs in the shed and couldn't find a right angle one.
The tie down bolts were ok, bit hard to feed the hook into the hole on the base, but was able to move the battery over just enough to get them in. Not sure what you mean by the side plastic guard?
Dropped into Toyota to order the square head bolts and new bit for the battery terminal, they had to send an email to find the part numbers, still waiting to hear back from them. If/when I get the part numbers I will let you know.

I'm not sure why toyota have a relay on the ign input? unless there is a chance of back feeding into the ign cct from the redarc??? That's the only theory I can think of.

I have had a voltmeter plugged into the cig lighter and never noticed the voltage drop below 13.2v (so the standard redarc units should be ok), I know with the Ranger you can get ford to hook up to the computer and tell the alternator not to drop the alternator out put coz standard it will drop the voltage output depending upon what the computer see's the battery voltage/load/RPM (all to do with emissions and reducing load crap) as soon as the voltage drops it stops charging the second battery. I had the same issue with my D40 navara. Also some cars if you turn the lights on it will up the voltage output of the alternator, in the navara it wasn't enough to get the ctec dc-dc charger to work all the time. (A real pain in the ass when ur in the middle of the Simpson desert)

Cheers
Guy's

[redmatho]

I have installed the unit without the ignition wire, with no issues that I can see. The unit switches on and off as it should and you can see the increased charge rate to the second battery through the Redarc unit.

Just need to tidy the wiring up a bit as I was running out of time before needing to use it last weekend.

I will tidy it up and post some photos.
Thanks for your help

Thanks
Doug

[akroehn]

Quick question that i cant work out... If i get the genuine Toyota aux battery kit and run a decent cable (like a 6B&S) from aux battery to an Anderson plug in the back of the tray, will i be able to plug in my camper trailer battery and have the Redarc charge both the under bonnet battery and my camper trailer battery at the same time while I'm driving..?
Or will the redarc freak out having 2 aux batteries of different sizes connected to it?
Thanks

[redmatho]

All the literature I have read suggests that charger needs to be located within a 1 metre of the battery..

I installed a charger and 2nd battery under the bonnet.

I ran another cable with fuse protection down the back from the front main battery to a plug at the towbar. I did this with the intention to mount a second charger in the trailer adjacent to the trailer battery and plug into this.

Just have to be sure that this plug is only used with the charger circuit to ensure that the front battery is protected.

[berniecam]

I spoke to Redarc today and they say for the New Hilux you don't need the specific IGN model. The standard bcdc will work. You wire the blue wire to the battery, not to the ignition.

He said you need ign model for the Ranger, Mazda etc.

I must admit it sounds incorrect especially with the way Toyota have set up their system, even with a relay to the ignition wire. But will give it a try, all it means is the battery won't charge.

Doug

Just for what it is worth Redarc are correct in saying you do not NEED the Ign version for Hilux. I have the Ign version on my current 3.0 D4D 2012 & have it connected to the Ign wire & not the battery wire, reason is the BCDC charger will only turn on when when Ign is turned on when Ign is turned off the BCDC charger is also turned off. When the blue wire is connected to the main battery there could be times when it will still keep charging when ign is turned off for instance after a run until main battery voltage drops below the threshold & it will then turn off & I plan to install it the same way in the new 2.8 when I get it .Cheers

[adamkberger]

All the literature I have read suggests that charger needs to be located within a 1 metre of the battery..

I installed a charger and 2nd battery under the bonnet.

I ran another cable with fuse protection down the back from the front main battery to a plug at the towbar. I did this with the intention to mount a second charger in the trailer adjacent to the trailer battery and plug into this.

Just have to be sure that this plug is only used with the charger circuit to ensure that the front battery is protected.

I did a similar thing to mine except I ran two 6B&S twins to the rear with a red and grey Anderson plug. One is connected to the main battery and the other to the auxiliary battery. I will be installing a Redarc BMS unit in my camper which will be fed off the main battery. The other cable couples the camper and auxiliary battery together. The idea being that if I am stationary, the BMS will charge all batteries if I have access to mains or solar.

[telliscope]

Would you be able to advise what battery you used? Have ordered the aux battery kit and Toyota advised to use a DIN65LH battery..

[adamkberger]

Would you be able to advise what battery you used? Have ordered the aux battery kit and Toyota advised to use a DIN65LH battery..

That is the same battery I used. It is a Century AGM battery.

[telliscope]

Would you be able to advise what battery you used? Have ordered the aux battery kit and Toyota advised to use a DIN65LH battery..

That is the same battery I used. It is a Century AGM battery.

Thanks, just fitted mine today, impressed with the Toyota kit, fits snug and neat!

[sugaris]

The problem I have discovered with the original cranking battery is that the clamp that holds it down is shaped to that battery only. I purchased an optima battery to replace the genuine battery but the clamp is not wide enough to fit out over the optima battery. One of The pictures in adamkberger posts above shows the original cranking battery and you can see the clamp with its bend down to the bolts. I would add that picture but I've no clue how to do that yet.

[glenj]

Has anyone heard that the redarc bcdc is best not mounted in the hot engine bay?

[TOYZX]

Not supposed to be no. They r fully water proof. If it's to be mounted up front I usually put it in behing the grill for maximum air flow.

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[glenj]

Not supposed to be no. They r fully water proof. If it's to be mounted up front I usually put it in behing the grill for maximum air flow.

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Yah I was speaking to the read arc rep on the ARB stand on the weekend at a show and he says best not behind the engine as the performance degrades as it gets hotter and they will actually cut out working at 80 deg!

They did have a neat bracket on their own hilux that mounts it just behind the grill, didnt get a pic though

[TOYZX]

Yeah I've seen their lux, pretty pimped out with elec gear. I've been sticking chargers behind grills ever since I seen that ute, if they've done it loke that then it must be fine!

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[berniecam]

Anything less than 100 ah battery as an aux is a complete and utter waste of time fitting...

Absolutely Could not agree more.
Well Just my two cents worth that kit that Toyota are selling has two major flaws firstly it only takes a 65 AH battery--
secondly that position for mounting the BCDC charger (they have got to be bloody joking) is completely absurd it will get too hot where it is mounted in the engine bay even though it is not on the exhaust side, I strongly suggest it was only done as a marketing ploy.
I have just mounted two N70ZZ batteries(100ah each) in the engine bay one as the starting battery in the space that I pulled that stupid little 65 AH battery gave it to a mate to put in a rav.
The other one I installed in a ARB tray in the space provided you do have to slightly adjust the vehicle wiring harness which involves undoing the last harness attachment bracket so the harness can be pushed down a little if you are worried about the harness rubbing on the battery tray just cover the section in some bradflex I actually modified the ARB battery tray I removed from my 3.0 D4D before I traded it &then modified it to suit the2.8 D4D if you cannot do that just get the new tray from ARB they are much better it will fit just the same.
I have installed a BCDC charger in the space in front of the radiator & intercooler you just need a little ingenuity to make up a bracket I made it to fit using existing holes did not drill any new holes close to the LH headlight assembly there is only about 80 centimetres of cable to the batteries & the BCDC will get plenty of air there.

[berniecam]

Anything less than 100 ah battery as an aux is a complete and utter waste of time fitting...

Absolutely Could not agree more.
Well Just my two cents worth that kit that Toyota are selling has two major flaws firstly it only takes a 65 AH battery--
secondly that position for mounting the BCDC charger (they have got to be bloody joking) is completely absurd it will get too hot where it is mounted in the engine bay even though it is not on the exhaust side, I strongly suggest it was only done as a marketing ploy.
I have just mounted two N70ZZ batteries (100ah each) in the engine bay one as the starting battery in the space that I pulled that stupid little 65 AH battery gave it to a mate to put in a rav.
The other one I installed in a ARB tray in the space provided you do have to slightly adjust the vehicle wiring harness which involves undoing the last harness attachment bracket so the harness can be pushed down a little if you are worried about the harness rubbing on the battery tray just cover the section in some bradflex I actually modified the ARB battery tray I removed from my 3.0 D4D before I traded it &then modified it to suit the2.8 D4D if you cannot do that just get the new tray from ARB they are much better it will fit just the same.
I have installed a BCDC charger in the space in front of the radiator & intercooler you just need a little ingenuity to make up a bracket I made it to fit using existing holes did not drill any new holes close to the LH headlight assembly there is only about 80 centimetres of cable to the batteries & the BCDC will get plenty of air there.

I forgot to mention in that space where Toyota fit the BCDC charger I had more than enough room to install my Waterwatch water sensor unit (one of the best things I ever bought).