i have a warn 8000lb wench on my 84 yota, i also have dual batteries, but when i use my wench my volts drop really low when it pulls and it doesnt seem to have the power it should and struggles to pull my truck out of the holes. im concerned that it will leave me stranded. any suggestions? thanks

 

Check your connections. Are you certain that you are running with well charged batteries in good condition? Did it ever run more efficiently, or is this a fresh install? How are you switching between batteries?

 

Oh yeah, and welcome to the forum! We won't always poke fun at you... but this one was too good to pass up.

MC

 

Two things come to mind that might help, try installing a hand throttle so you can raise the engine rpm when your using the winch, by raising the rpm`s the alternator is putting out more power to the batterys, or you can upgrade to a higher output alternator and that would help you out alot. another thing to upgrade is the small power that goes from the positive side of the battery to the fuse box, believe it or not that little wire it what is sending power from the alternator to the battery, and its to small to carry a heavy load.

 

Where do the volts drop low when winching? At the winch, at the batteries, or some place else? Are the batteries wired in parallel while winching and what size cable is between the two batteries and between them and the winch?

 

thanks for the help, at least from the people worth listening to. i see that there are all kinds of people on these forums and obviously not everybody is worth hearing from however i do appreciate the help from myyota and 4crawler.

 

Hey man, sorry if you got insulted. That wasn't my intent. Don't let my lack of culture keep you from hanging around here.

By the way- many electrical problems can be solved by cleaning and replacing connections. For what its worth.

MC

 

Your alternator is not putting out very much at idle. So a few tips, turn off all accessories, (heat, a/c, radio, lights) so they are not using power while you are winching. I usually have the remote control in the driver seat and for hard pulls I'll rev the engine at 2000 rpm so the alternator puts out more. (as long as I have an extra person to spot from the outside)