# battery question



## popov_plow (Jan 28, 2006)

Would it be dangerous to wire two 500-600ish cca batteries in parallel to increase capacity?

here's the deal-I just spent all my money on a Western cable operated plow setup for my 88 dodge ramcharger. I've already upgraded to a 100a alt. but my 650cca battery just aint cuttin it (easy to underestimate how much juice a plow draws). can't afford to spring for a new battery until I make some of my money back.

thanks


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## murphyslaw (Oct 2, 2005)

if u do just be sure they are the same size(rating) or you will wear out both batteries quickly. doing this is the standard. two batts wired + to + and - to -

run 2ga or larger cable from the second batt. to the main. then run a 2ga or larger ground directly to the frame. with a small wire to the body.

i run four 1100 ca group 37's wired together. with a 230amp alternator(in the summer this truck runs two winches and a 3,000watt inverter and an under hood welder, and the full perimeter lighting oh and two 12volt electric air pumps[on board air]).


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## fernalddude (Feb 15, 2004)

if your plow is drawing that much try cleaning the motor sounds like carbon on the brushes in the plow motor or build up just try some contact cleaner...


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

You MUST run identical batteries or you will damage something. they need to be the same CCA, same group, and same age. If you run different ones, like add a new one to the 2 year old one under the hood you will have a mismatch in current draw and thus either the batteries will suffer (one can over charge trying to charge the other for example) or the Alt can cook because of the mismatch.

As long as they are the same yes run them parallel and increase the reserve and CCA- absolutly, and as Murphy'slaw said use heavy cables. I would also agree with Fernalddude check the motor and also check ALL the electrical connections for good contact. it is easy to underestimate the demands of a blade, but make sure you;re not wasteing the juice through bad connections.

My Ram diesel has 2 950CCA group 84's stock. Group 84's have about twice the reserve time as group 34's (and weight 50lbs each!) When you choose batteries, buy the ones with the biggest reserve time not the highest CCA.
CCA is the initial burst of current available which is good for starting but not for long draw like leaving the lights on, radio on, moving the plow several times in a short period of time like plowing a driveway. Those benifit from longer reserve times. Mesure and see what the biggest batteies will fit. If you can fit group 84's get them over group 34's.


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## TLS (Jan 31, 2000)

I've plowed many a season with a 65A alternator and old '80's era batteries and never had a problem.


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## NJ Plowman (Dec 10, 2003)

Hook em together...don't worry about exact size, age, etc...just do it and it will work fine!


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

NJ Plowman said:


> Hook em together...don't worry about exact size, age, etc...just do it and it will work fine!


Good way to cost yourself an alternater at best and a PCM computer at worst- that's where the voltage regulator is these days.....

Search the rest of the site for several threads about this and search the web in general, there are MANY sites with much better advice than that. Sprry NJ Plowman- but that's BAD advice.

TLS- not in your 04 you haven't I'm willing to bet. Mismatched batteries will toast an alt or regulator no matter what vintage the vehicle, but older cars were much more tolerant than todays.


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## Yaz (Apr 13, 2005)

Do want good advice or just what you want to hear?

We 99.99% agree on two identical batteries. I would strongly recommend a isolator as well. 

FYI. If one good battery's that is good is not cutting it this winter, you should be looking at why. I ran one battery in a fisher MMI for 5 years without a problem. stock battery took me 3 years and I went to a Sears Range Handler to upgrade second time around.

PS. Please add a signature at the bottom of your posts It will help us help you. Truck,Engine, plow, options etc.

Thanks,Yaz


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

justme- said:


> Good way to cost yourself an alternater at best and a PCM computer at worst- that's where the voltage regulator is these days.....
> Mismatched batteries will toast an alt or regulator no matter what vintage the vehicle, but older cars were much more tolerant than todays.


 I agree one bad battery will cause trouble...
You should run two identical batteries same make and cca. + to+ and-to-.
DO NOT use a battery isolator for plowing it is for the camper. If you do you will need 3 batteries 1 for the truck and 2 for the plow


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

Quote:
Originally Posted by justme-
Good way to cost yourself an alternater at best and a PCM computer at worst- that's where the voltage regulator is these days.....
Mismatched batteries will toast an alt or regulator no matter what vintage the vehicle, but older cars were much more tolerant than todays.



SnoFarmer said:


> I agree one bad battery will cause trouble...
> You should run two identical batteries same make and cca. + to+ and-to-.
> DO NOT use a battery isolator for plowing it is for the camper. If you do you will need 3 batteries 1 for the truck and 2 for the plow


Two good pieces of advice. Listen!


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## popov_plow (Jan 28, 2006)

as is turns out I plowed 15 driveways with this setup and there was no damage. Now I've got an optima yellow top that has enough capacity to run my plow pretty easily.

I def. wouldn't want to do it again, but it did get me by temporarily!


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

*deep cycle*

I run a deep cycle battery just for the plow and plow lights, then I still have the regular truck battery just running the truck stuff. Never had a problem with this set up yet. Ran wires from truck batt to deep cyc batt, to keep the deep cyc batt charged from the alt too.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Northman said:


> I run a deep cycle battery just for the plow and plow lights, then I still have the regular truck battery just running the truck stuff. Never had a problem with this set up yet. Ran wires from truck batt to deep cyc batt, to keep the deep cyc batt charged from the alt too.


How long have you been running this setup? Are both batteries the same CCA?
Your alt will keep the larger battery charged. This will cook the smaller battery. I would bet that there is a lot of corrosion on the terminals of the smaller battery from it giving off gas and is warm to the touch after you have been plowing.


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

*no corrosion*



SnoFarmer said:


> How long have you been running this setup? Are both batteries the same CCA?
> Your alt will keep the larger battery charged. This will cook the smaller battery. I would bet that there is a lot of corrosion on the terminals of the smaller battery from it giving off gas and is warm to the touch after you have been plowing.


No problems yet. Never noticed heat to touch. Yes they are different cca. No corrosion either. Will updated if anything happens, but no problems this year.


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

*cca's and pits*

The deep cycle one running the plow and plow lights is cca 750 and the truck batt is cca 770. Heres a couple of pits. The blue one is the deep cycle running the plow unit and plow lights. The yellow one runs the truck.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

it's only a matter of time till you DO have a problem...


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

justme- said:


> it's only a matter of time till you DO have a problem...


Please explain what problems. Would like to know what to look for.


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## Northman (Feb 6, 2005)

I still dont see a problem with both batteries charging at the same time. I just used the wire that goes to the main battery for charging it and split off it and ran it to the solenoid of the plow battery. Both batteries seem to charge at the same time without any problems. Please tell me what problems I am suppose to be or will be having in the future. Just so i know what to be looking for.


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## LD4850 (Jun 5, 2005)

The sky will fall, your girlfriend will get pregnant, & Your tail lights will burn out in the summers.
I've only been running 2 batteries for 20 or 30 yrs now so I don't know about in the long term but..... I've had several mismatched batteries with NO problems. However... I have had alternators fail running just one battery with NO plow or extra lights.
As far as running an isolator.. I have done that tone battery for the truck and isolated battery for the plow. Worked great. Didn't burn up anything.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

LD4850 said:


> The sky will fall, your girlfriend will get pregnant, & Your tail lights will burn out in the summers.
> I've only been running 2 batteries for 20 or 30 yrs now so I don't know about in the long term but..... I've had several mismatched batteries with NO problems. However... I have had alternators fail running just one battery with NO plow or extra lights.
> As far as running an isolator.. I have done that tone battery for the truck and isolated battery for the plow. Worked great. Didn't burn up anything.


O.K. chicken little,,, and at 50yr old your still afraid of getting your girlfriend pregnant?? lol 
No, your voltage regulator will burn out this summer for no reason at all.

I have 26yr of running equipment with multi battery set ups and all of them always had the same size batteries, it did not matter..
your like the guy who never changes his tranny fluid,,
AN exception to the rule...(LUCKY)
The reasons not to have already been covered, overcharging , cooking a battery can lead to a fire and having mismatched batteries can effect your ALT, voltage regulator costing you down time and costly repairs.
Sure you can use an isolator and good luck with that. thats not the use it was intended for. just some thing else to go wrong. 
KISS.Keep-It-Simple-Stupid......:waving:
Not saying your stupid,,, just an expression)


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## john-boy (Dec 20, 2005)

I've have three trucks with junkyard batteries of various groups and cca and have less problems with charging and draw than the trucks with match sets in them, and the three are my oldest ones. actually the batteries have been in there over 4 yrs. As long as its a good battery, use it!!! Isolators have there purpose, but how many semis use them?? always run in parallel with out isolators!!


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## TLS (Jan 31, 2000)

Northman,

I would buy another matching Walmart battery and hook them both up parallel. 

You'll see much better starting, much better plow performance and longer life of the batteries. A plow does NOT need a deep cycle battery. We never run them down low enough.

Having dual batteries and NOT running them in parallel just isn't using the theory of dual batteries to its fullest.


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

LD4850 said:


> I've only been running 2 batteries for 20 or 30 yrs now so I don't know about in the long term but..... I've had several mismatched batteries with NO problems.


That truck has lasted a long time.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

a 4 year old battery is ready for replacement, and an 85 ford, for example, is WAY more forgiving of a mismatched charging system than an 02 anything- besides alts for that era trucks are cheap from the junk yard, try finding one for a current truck...

Search the board- topic has bee covered MANY times- google it- there is much about it on the net. 

Isolaters belong in campers- leave them there. for the $$ spent on an isolater you can buy 2 properly sized matched BRAND NEW batteries and do it right.


You guys want to run old and new have fun- but don;t complain and whine on the board when you're voltage regulator in the computer of you're truck fries and you're out close to a grand for a new brain unit- regulators haven't been in the alternater for over 10 years. Remember, if the bigger battery (even an old battery, especially one that's 4 years or older) tells the regulator/alternator it still need a charge (not full) the alt still keeps cranking out the power- it can only do this so long before the smaller battery (or older battery that has sulfated and has now less capacity than the same size but newer one you just installed last year) so it cooks the batt. OR it cooks the alt by constantly running the alt at full power. OR it can cook the reg because IT's always running full power.

It's amazing the complaints about lowballers running cheap trucks or junk equipment yet so many here seem to think mickey-mousing their equipment is OK. There is always more than one way to do something, usually more than jus the right way and the wrong way. In the case of batteries and pairing them- there's the right way and the wrong way- PERIOD. you may not get burnt going the wrong way right now, but odds are you will.

My batts went this past fall- 2 group 84's. Could have easily cost me an alt because it was running full bore trying to put a charge in the batteries that wouldn;t hold a charge. One even reversed a cell. In order to get the factory rating of a 136amp alt I have to go to a dealer- new alt is around $300 there. So, you think it's worth the gamble? Not to me! Needed to spend the $$ for 2 new group 84's anyway- it was just a matter of do I spend the $225 for the batts now or later when the alt dies and I have to spend that $$ too. Yeah, I could have gone with a cheaper (smaller) battery, but then I'd be in the boat somany people are reading this thread about in the first place- inadaquate electrical system.


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## john-boy (Dec 20, 2005)

justme- said:


> You guys want to run old and new have fun- but don;t complain and whine on the board when you're voltage regulator in the computer of you're truck fries and you're out close to a grand for a new brain unit- regulators haven't been in the alternater for over 10 years. Remember, if the bigger battery (even an old battery, especially one that's 4 years or older) tells the regulator/alternator it still need a charge (not full) the alt still keeps cranking out the power- it can only do this so long before the smaller battery (or older battery that has sulfated and has now less capacity than the same size but newer one you just installed last year) so it cooks the batt. OR it cooks the alt by constantly running the alt at full power. OR it can cook the reg because IT's always running full power.
> 
> It's amazing the complaints about lowballers running cheap trucks or junk equipment yet so many here seem to think mickey-mousing their equipment is OK. There is always more than one way to do something, usually more than jus the right way and the wrong way. In the case of batteries and pairing them- there's the right way and the wrong way- PERIOD. you may not get burnt going the wrong way right now, but odds are you will.
> 
> ...


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

Been told the reg in my Ram is in the ECM- 1996. (I'll check on this for my Ram) Same with our old 1989 Saab. From what I understand gas vehicles with distributorless ignition have the reg on the ECU like the CDI box has been integrated.


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## ryanbr40 (Jan 25, 2015)

*help*

im curious if you can run a plow with 1 battery what the cca should be?


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

As big as you can get.
Why can't you run only one battery?

And digging through 8 years old threads huh?


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

Yes, Bigger the better. Put the largest that will fit. I think I have around an 850 CCA in my truck with only one battery.


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## ryanbr40 (Jan 25, 2015)

dieselss;1938267 said:


> As big as you can get.
> Why can't you run only one battery?
> 
> And digging through 8 years old threads huh?


Yea, kinda just scrolling through the Internet and its what popped up, I've been having a problem with my truck battery holding a charge w a 850 cca battery with my plow


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Well you may have a problem, try asking a specific question in the proper thread and you'll get answers


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