29 May 06, 01:34 pm
Hold it! You've got a newish, computer controlled engine. All your OE stuff runs off the alternator once the engine is running. Accessories that are hard-wired to a battery will draw what they are rated to draw from the battery. The alternator will start charging said battery when the computer controlled voltage regulator tells it to. Talk to Lee at AK Electric Rebuilders on VanHorn Rd and he'll give you a much better explanation than I ever could. (They'll also shy you away from Optima for running a winch at full power.)
If you're dead set on Optima for all your electrical needs, I think you'll need them in tandem without the isolator to get enough juice to the winch. Optima batts are designed to release a decent amount of power for a really really long time. Traditional car batteries are designed to dump a whole lot of power out all at once. That's what winches need to reach full pull: max power for a few seconds. If you try to get that out of 1 Optima you'll fry some wiring.
Optimas are great for cutesies like lights and stereos. On a newer vehicle like yours that runs off the alternator it'll work great as the main vehicle battery and also run all the extras like lights and such.
If you want max power to the winch, isolate a good quality traditional battery and use it for the winch only while the Optima does everything else.
Smarter monkeys than me: feel free to nit-pick this. If my understanding of the world is flawed I always want it set straight.
If you're dead set on Optima for all your electrical needs, I think you'll need them in tandem without the isolator to get enough juice to the winch. Optima batts are designed to release a decent amount of power for a really really long time. Traditional car batteries are designed to dump a whole lot of power out all at once. That's what winches need to reach full pull: max power for a few seconds. If you try to get that out of 1 Optima you'll fry some wiring.
Optimas are great for cutesies like lights and stereos. On a newer vehicle like yours that runs off the alternator it'll work great as the main vehicle battery and also run all the extras like lights and such.
If you want max power to the winch, isolate a good quality traditional battery and use it for the winch only while the Optima does everything else.
Smarter monkeys than me: feel free to nit-pick this. If my understanding of the world is flawed I always want it set straight.
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