Episode 675 – Dueling Batteries

This Week In Jeep

Seven Slots…. ILLUMINATED?!?! 

Last week we shared a story about Jeep’s new EV’s soon to be in European and U.S. markets. In the same week that news was dropped, Jeep official Tweeted a short teaser video in celebration of their “4xe Day” which was last Thursday, Sept. 8th. 

In this video, which prominently features 4xe versions of the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, one of the mystery models features a seven-slot grille with illuminated surrounds. While the company is staying tight-lipped, the model doesn’t appear to be the Jeepster EV that was spied undisguised earlier this year. This is quickly apparent as the model in the teaser video has a forward-facing camera as well as more squared-off slots with illuminated accents. The video also shows the rear end of a mysterious SUV, which looks like a Wrangler 4xe at first glance. However, a closer inspection reveals different taillights and a more minimalist tailgate handle. It’s unclear what the model is, but it does have some similarities to the EV that was teased last year.

That particular EV is slated to ride on the STLA Large platform and feature a boxy design. At the time, Ralph Gilles described it as a “very capable Jeep off-roading white space opportunity vehicle.” Could this be the Recon we reported on last week? Or could this be the mysterious 4th EV that Jeep has yet to reveal for the 2025 lineup. 

My Eyes!… MY EYES!!!

Hey, you remember the 80s right? Bad hair, way too much hairspray, worse clothes, questionable music, and the invention of fluorescent colors. Colors so bright, you had to wear shades…. or so the song goes. (I know those aren’t the words) … Still, the color palette of the ’80s has seemed to have found its way into the Jeep color selection for 2023. The Jeep brand is bringing a bright 80’s color to its lineup, adding the vibrant “High Velocity Yellow” exterior paint color to the 2023 Jeep Gladiator. The first yellow ever to be available for the Gladiator, High Velocity is a high-energy, high-impact hue that is authentic and not afraid to stand out, just like Jeep owners. High Velocity joins Firecracker Red, Hydro Blue, Sarge Green, Silver Zynith, Sting-Gray, Granite Crystal, Black, and Bright White as available exterior paint colors for the 2023 Jeep Gladiator. 

Available on all Gladiator models, including Sport, Overland, Rubicon, and Mojave, the High-Velocity exterior paint option is available now for ordering and is priced at a U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $395.

Jeep Show and Duck Race For Charity

The First Annual Gr8t Duck Chase will be held on Saturday, September 17th in Murfreesboro Tennessee at Boro Beach, which is SportsCom’s outdoor swimming pool. The duck race is organized by ‘The Gr8t Chase,’ a non-profit that is named in honor of Chase Donnell, who died of cancer 8-months after his diagnosis…

All funds raised by the organization will help families with children battling cancer and other terminal illnesses. The upcoming Gr8t Duck Chase will start at 10 AM on September 17th at SportsCom’s outdoor pool. You can purchase a duck by visiting https://www.duckrace.com/murfreesboro. Prizes will be awarded for the first duck to cross the finish line, as well as the last duck in the race. For the off-road community, there will be a special Jeep Show at the Gr8t Chase Duck Race on Saturday, September 17th. Food trucks, a variety of vendors, and prizes will all be a part of the festivities on the 17th from 10 AM to 2 PM. There will also be a chance to go home with The Golden Duck Award, which will be awarded to the “best of show” Jeep entry. 

Judges will also look to find the most unique Jeep, the best vintage Jeep, the best non-Wrangler, and the best-named Jeep. As for the Duck Race, thousands of little rubber ducks will flock together at Sportscom for the First Annual Gr8t Duck Chase. 

For just 8 Bucks each, you can adopt your own Rubber Duck!  On the Saturday of the event, 5,000 rubber duckies will slip and slide down the Murfreesboro Beach outdoor pool to compete for First, Second, and Third Place prizes! Even the Slacker Quacker coming in at last place will have a chance to win! You don’t have to be present to win, but why miss the fun?

Tech Talk with Jeep Talk

TOPIC/QUESTION: How To Run TWO Batteries In YOUR Jeep

I’ve installed multi-battery systems in all kinds of cars, trucks, vans, campers, and yes, even Jeeps. And one thing in common to all of these systems is the advantages you get when adding more power to your electrical system. That phrase may be a bit misleading since technically we’re not adding more power, we’re adding more power storage. Adding a second battery to a Jeep is actually way easier than you may think, and if you’ve ever considered doing this incredibly useful modification, I’m about to cover some of the basics of putting in an auxiliary battery in your own Jeep. Dual batteries can literally be a lifesaver. Imagine this. You’ve been out-wheeling all day. You’re at a stopping point, and you’ve just been hanging out with your fellow Jeepers, soakin’ in some sun, playing some tunes, and just enjoying the day. The sun’s starting to set, and you figure it might be time to head back. You go to start your rig, and….rurr rurrr rurr rurrrrrrrrrr, click-click-click. Aaand you’re stranded. Nightfall, cold, and possibly coyotes are setting in. You’re faced with hiking out or hoping another person with a vehicle and jumper cables just so happens to roll by before you freeze, starve, or get eaten by vicious fuzzy woodland creatures. Having an auxiliary battery in your jeep could have prevented this from happening. Imagine being able to winch without worry, or having to deal with those nasty voltage drops. That’s hard on your alternator! How about being able to play the stereo at camp all weekend long, and not having to start the rig once! Or being able to shine lights up a hillside without draining the gas tank? “….. All this and more could be yours if the price is right!~”

…ok on to the serious stuff.  Before you go and jump right in, there are a couple of rules of thumb when planning a dual battery system. First, the two batteries MUST be identical. They need to be the same size, same, CCA rating and be of the same type. Meaning one can’t be a lead acid battery, and the other an AGM. This is due to load, capacitance, and other factors that may be greek to a lot of you so just take it from an expert… this is one of the most important rules to remember. The other thing is using the same gauge of wire throughout, for roughly the same reasons. You don’t want one battery trying to feed voltage through half the size of the wire as the other battery. Mounting a second battery is limited only by your imagination. The aftermarket industry has stepped up to provide all sorts of options for all kinds of Jeeps, especially the Wranglers. However, if your plan is to put the second battery inside the vehicle with you, then not only should it be secured VERY well (which should go without saying) but you also need to make sure it’s not a lead acid battery, which can off-gas toxic fumes like hydrogen-sulfide. The gas is colorless, very poisonous, flammable, and has the odor of rotten eggs… needless to say… not good stuff to have in the Jeep with you. So if that battery has to be a gel-cell or AGM-style battery, then so does the one under the hood. There are two types of dual battery systems, connected, and isolated. If isolating the batteries is of no concern to you, and you’re the type where “jumper cables” is not in your vocabulary, then you can merely hook the batteries up in parallel. That means positive to positive, negative to negative.

Let me explain how this is done.  I know it probably sounds tricky to some of you, but if you have the space in your jeep and can run a wire then it’s as easy as hooking the positive of one battery up to the other and grounding both. That’s it. Now of course you still have the possibility of draining both batteries, or one going bad and taking out the other, although this is rarer. This type of system is the simplest of dual battery systems and has the benefit of being the cheapest of all solutions. The only downside is the risk of draining both batteries at once. Isolating the batteries is easy, and you have two choices when it comes to how to do this. Solid state, or mechanical. The mechanical isolation basically uses something very similar to an old starter solenoid. In fact, if you go into your local parts stores, and talk with one of the old timers, he just might have the part number memorized for those old 100% duty cycle ford starter solenoids that the hot rod guys have used for decades.

Your local 4-wheel parts, off-road store, or motorsports and vehicle accessories stores will have the modern version of this, and they’re usually relatively cheap, coming in at a price point of around $30 or less. These are basically very large and heavy-duty versions of a relay, where an electromagnetic switch controls the flow of current. When the ignition is turned off (or a switch is flipped) the solenoid activates and separates or isolates the two batteries from each other. Allowing you to drain the auxiliary battery to your heart’s content, and still have the main battery – untouched – for starting the rig. The only downside to this version of battery isolation is the mechanical aspect. Eventually, it will wear out, the general life span of these is roughly 5 years or so depending on use and climate. The final option is a solid state. 

A diode-based battery isolator is by far the most efficient, longest lasting, most durable, and reliable means out there. They’re completely self-contained, have no mechanical features to wear out, and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. There are some very cheap options out there on the internet for these, but buyers beware. You definitely get what you pay for. That 200 amp isolator on eBay for 9.99? … yea, I wouldn’t trust the components in that to run a toy train, let alone the juice of my Jeep, and the rating is going to be highly suspicious. Solid State Battery Isolators have a rule-of-thumb as well, and they need to exceed the amperage output of your alternator. These types of isolators are the more expensive option, and a good, top-end isolator could run you a couple of hundred dollars. But most of us aren’t running 200 plus amp alternators, or need a race application type of gear. Your average GOOD, reliable, mid-line solid-state battery isolator will be in the 80-120 dollar range. All of these isolators hook up the same way and all do the same thing, but they will all have subtle differences. Installation is easy, as these are meant to be mounted in the engine compartment and are built to withstand the environment. You’ll have to run a large gauge positive cable from each battery to the terminals of the isolator, which will have to be grounded just like each of the batteries. Usually, there is an exciter post that can be hooked up to activate or terminate the isolation feature if the model you got doesn’t have voltage-sensing capabilities. Wire, ring terminals, some battery terminals, and an isolator or solenoid, that’s it! So get out there and start doing some window shopping, and think about adding a second battery to YOUR Jeep….. And keep in mind, literally EVERY last little thing you may need to do this can be found on amazon.com

Links Mentioned in this Episode

NEXEN Tires USA https://www.nexentireusa.com/

Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver

The 4×4 Radio Network http://4x4radionetwork.com/

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