# Arctic Cat Help PLEASE



## hoffer345 (Nov 22, 2008)

I have a Arctic Cat ATV and I am having a problem with something. I am in need of a safety/ harard light on the ATV for snowplowing. I have one now but it draws way to much for the ATV. What I have running while snowplowing on the ATV is a winch(for the plow), a salter and the headlight. When I add the safety light the battery dies in no time. I can't even use winch and salter together, I have to use them separate. I have tried putting the biggest battery they make for the ATV, but it still does the samething. Does anybody have any suggestion?
Thanks for all your help.


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## EaTmYtAiLpIpEs (Aug 23, 2007)

that is an awful lot to be running off an atv.


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## pby98 (Oct 15, 2008)

i have the same problem with my rancher. now it is always charging in my garage when i am not using it on a float charger. when im plowing i dont turn the atv of at all even when i go talk to a customer or somthing i turn it on at 530 in the morning and it doesnt shut off till 4 pm. also look up how much your alternator is putting out and then add up how much you are accesories are using. it seems your going to have to cut down somwhere. maybe get a pull behind salter or somthing


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## EaTmYtAiLpIpEs (Aug 23, 2007)

ya becuase you will probably after awhile burn something up. I run my lights, my winch, and my revolver. and it does it just fine and I have a 2000 ac 500.


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I run my lights and my winch, and it does it just fine and I have a 2004 Arctic Cat 500. I have had my batery since my ATV was new and I just had to replace it last weak.

Why do you need to run all that at the same time? Maybe you should hook the lite and salter up to a seperate battery.


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## hondarecon4435 (Mar 13, 2008)

you dont have to use an atv battery put a marine deep cycle boat battery up on the rack or even hook it in series with your atv battery so you have 2 batteries


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## EaTmYtAiLpIpEs (Aug 23, 2007)

best thing to do like everyone has said is run another battery.


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## pby98 (Oct 15, 2008)

hook it up in a parallel series and use a battery isolator. you can usually pick them up at an auto parts stotr for around 50 60 bucks


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## pby98 (Oct 15, 2008)

a battery isolater permites the charging of batterys seperatley preventing the potential problem of overloading the alternator. also use two of the exact same batterys to maximize life and usage of them


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## pby98 (Oct 15, 2008)

hondarecon4435;647655 said:


> you dont have to use an atv battery put a marine deep cycle boat battery up on the rack or even hook it in series with your atv battery so you have 2 batteries


this is not the best idea. the batterys should be the same type, capacity(ampwise) and close to the same age. if you dont they will have diffrent discharge rates and one will try to draw the other down or one will try to overcharge the other. this will keep the batterys from reaching their full potential and the acid sometimes will start bubble sometimes. there is a large differnce in an atv battery and a deep cycle.


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## skywagon (Nov 13, 2008)

pby98;647703 said:


> hook it up in a parallel series and use a battery isolator. you can usually pick them up at an auto parts stotr for around 50 60 bucks


I find this the best for 2 batteries, http://yandina.com/c100InfoR3.htm


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## hondarecon4435 (Mar 13, 2008)

pby98;647737 said:


> this is not the best idea. the batterys should be the same type, capacity(ampwise) and close to the same age. if you dont they will have diffrent discharge rates and one will try to draw the other down or one will try to overcharge the other. this will keep the batterys from reaching their full potential and the acid sometimes will start bubble sometimes. there is a large differnce in an atv battery and a deep cycle.


you are wrong there is no reason the batteries need to be the same they will eqalize eachother out also there is not a reason to use a battery isolater because alternators put out the same output no matter how big the battery is and they are always running with the engine they dont vary so it doesnt make a difference how big your battery is it wont work the alternator harder it just might not charge up your battery very fast


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## MAR4CARS (Oct 6, 2005)

Consider using LED lighting will draw alot less.Use a second battery like others have suggested.Heres a silly thought buy a small generator that has 12volt output.( yes they make em) and run some stuff off of that.


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## hondarecon4435 (Mar 13, 2008)

MAR4CARS;648743 said:


> Consider using LED lighting will draw alot less.Use a second battery like others have suggested.Heres a silly thought buy a small generator that has 12volt output.( yes they make em) and run some stuff off of that.


i have never seen that but that would be a good idea if you could find a cheap generator


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## MAR4CARS (Oct 6, 2005)

hondarecon4435;648750 said:


> i have never seen that but that would be a good idea if you could find a cheap generator


Pepboys sells a UST brand combo has a 2 stroke generator its around 800 watts and a 110v compressor both come in one box for around 100-150 bucks that generator has a 12 volt outlet.I have one and use it for my camper for when i dont need to run the AC this way i dont have to lug around my 5500 watt generator.


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## skywagon (Nov 13, 2008)

Hondarecon writes!also there is not a reason to use a battery isolater because alternators put out the same output no matter how big the battery.


This is where you are wrong, a combiner or separator assures your main starting battery does not go dead so it will not start lol!!! Buy a odysee PC925 for a second battery and a combiner and you will be ok period!


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## hondarecon4435 (Mar 13, 2008)

but if you turn the isolater off than only one battery is being used and you are the same as before you had 2 batteries so there is no atvantage just use 2 batteries and put a float charger on them when the atv is sitting no need for an isolater and never shut the atv off while plowing let it keep chaRGING THE WHOLE TIME


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## pby98 (Oct 15, 2008)

you cant use two batteries that are diffrent size. they will feed back and forth off of each other while the bike is off until they are both shot. if you use two batterys that are the same they have the same resistance and wont do this.


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## skywagon (Nov 13, 2008)

pby98;649003 said:


> you cant use two batteries that are diffrent size. they will feed back and forth off of each other while the bike is off until they are both shot. if you use two batterys that are the same they have the same resistance and wont do this.


That is why you use the combiner like I said. here it is read on it.

http://yandina.com/c100InfoR3.htm

xysportxysportxysport


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## hondarecon4435 (Mar 13, 2008)

as long as the two batteries have the same voltage it makes no difference how many amps they have or how high of a capacity they have. when you hook two batteries in parralel it is turning both batteries into one larger battery THEY DONT HAVE TO BE THE SAME TYPE BATTERY


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## pby98 (Oct 15, 2008)

yea they do unless you use a combiner like posted above. if you dont they will feed off of each other back and forth.Different batteries or 1 old and 1 new can have different internal resistances causing 1 battery to discharge through the other. it is better to go with two of the same batterys of excat or close age. hook them up in parallel series using an isolater to ensure that both batterys are getting charged and it wont just run one of your batterys dead. also put an inline fuse in the wiring to the second battery. hook them up in a parallel series, and use as little wire as possible when doing this to reduce resistance.


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