A couple second battery questions. (Also a $10.00 fix for dimming lights)

[Brokenpath 10+ year member]

My headlights were dimming REALLY bad but I used some 0guage wire that someone gave me when i bought my sub and bought like $7.00 worth of parts (New battery terminal meant to except thick wire and a copper loop end so I can ground it.) Figured I might as well get started on big 3 but WOW didn't expect that one wire to really make that huge of a difference. I just did the negative battery to chassis ground.

they BARELY dim now and it's very acceptable. Thought this might be useful for people who had the same problem and wanted a quick solution until you go under your car to do the rest or get a second batt. etc. Most dedicated electronics stores (Not radio shack) will carry all different types of wire and youc an get 1ft. of 0 guage for $2.50 and the rest of the parts for $7.

Well, the reason I wanted a second battery with an isolator was because I travel by road a lot and would like to listen to music while i'm parked or charge my accessories possibly add an inverter for DC outlets, etc. And not worry about draining my starting battery , when it's out it's out and i can still start my car. sometimes i'm parked for 2-3 hours at a time

Well, the few questions I had were.

1. I have been reading that you want the same brand of battery, but with an isolator this is not an issue. If this is the case, I wanted to get a massive battery as the second one so I can have as much juice as possible I'll hunt for a while till i find one cheap. Will there be any issues with mixing the battery types with an isolator? Will the big battery make that much of a difference over a smaller one? Does it make more sense to put the big one up front?

2. Second question is. What type of amperage should i get for the battery isolator? I've found 90ampere isolators for dirt cheap and was wondering if this is enough, If my 100a circuit breaker is constantly tripping i'm guessing that it wont be enough, but I don't know how it works with battery isolators. If it's the amperage in between batteries or if it's rated for the power you will be pulling on the second battery.

Thanks in advance guys.

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[disturbed471985 5,000+ posts]

I do not run all the same brand and group size batts and I have never ever had an issue. Nor do I run any type of iso. Some will say you will have issue's but since day one I have used group 31's with group 34's of varying brands and not a single issue. Right now I run 2 G31's and a G34 for almost 2 years now without a single issue.

 

[Brokenpath 10+ year member]

Hm... this makes me care much less about what types of batteries i get as long as the one inside of my car is a nonspillable or a dry cell.

do they drain at the same time? or do you have it to where you can drain one without a care in the world and be confident that your car will start no matter what.

 

[disturbed471985 5,000+ posts]

All mine are dry cell's. I do not use a iso so they drain at the same time. My car has started everytime for the last 2 years without a issue. A iso would be a good idea if you plan on playing music with your car turned off other then that I see no need for one. All 3 of my batts still hold a charge just as they did when they were new so I say if its not broken dont try and fix it.

 

[agarabaghi 10+ year member]

Isolators are nice for keeping your starting battery separated. I have one in my boat and it helps since we leave the radio playing with the engine off all the time. Check out this 100amp and 150amp isolator from Battery Doctor. They are easier to install than standard isolators as you dont need to wire it to a true ignition source.

Battery Doctor 100 Amp Battery Isolator: BatteryMart.com

Do some math on amp draw of your system to figure out if the 100 or 150 amp version is best for you.