Hi guys,
I have a MY2000 TD Jack and recently altered my dual battery system and thought that some of you might be interested in the new arrangement.
Originally I had a smaller starter battery working as an auxiliary battery in passenger's side battery tray and a N70ZZ starter battery in the driver's side battery tray. Now I have a new AGM 105Ah deep cycle battery in the driver's side battery tray and a D34 OPTIMA Yellow Top in the smaller passenger's side battery tray.
![New battery system 006.jpg]()
![New battery system 004.jpg]()
This new arrangment gives me heaps more auxiliary battery power (orignal battery was normal lead-acid with nominal 45Ah capacity) and the OPTIMA has more than enough grunt to swing the diesel over. In fact the OPTIMA swings the motor over even faster than the origianl N70ZZ battery, even though its physically a lot smaller.
When I did the original dual battery setup I retained the original double ended starter cable and created an isolated terminal from the positive terminal of an old battery I had lying around which I screwed to a piece of nylon cutting board which I screwed to the passenger's side firewall near the original auxiliary battery.
All I then had to do to swap the auxiliary battery to the driver's side was to move this isolated terminal and the Redarc isolator to the driver's side. I screwed the isolated terminal to the small bracket (which has a couple of vacuum switching vales on it) behind the new battery and bolted the Redarc isolator on the the top of the wheel well near the new AGM battery. To finish off I ran a new H/D cable from the Redarc isolator to the isolated terminal and another from the Redarc isolator to the new battery.
![New battery system 009.jpg]()
![New battery system 007.jpg]()
The OPTIMA Battery caused a few fitting problems though. For a start it is nowhere near as tall all the original battery but luckily OPTIMA provide a plastic spacer with the battery to lift it up to about th same height.
A bigger problem was that the original battery clamp clamps the battery at three points and its triangular shape shorts the two battery terminal together. Not good. My solution was to convert the bracket to a 'T' shape instead of the original triangular shape which I did by welding a couple of piece of flat steel that I had lying about the place.
![New battery system 003.jpg]()
Even then the modified clamp bracket fouled the two vent holes in the top of the battery. The solution here was to use two small pieces of timber around 9mm high placed under the two ends to clear the two vent holes.
Cheers,
JackDriver
I have a MY2000 TD Jack and recently altered my dual battery system and thought that some of you might be interested in the new arrangement.
Originally I had a smaller starter battery working as an auxiliary battery in passenger's side battery tray and a N70ZZ starter battery in the driver's side battery tray. Now I have a new AGM 105Ah deep cycle battery in the driver's side battery tray and a D34 OPTIMA Yellow Top in the smaller passenger's side battery tray.
This new arrangment gives me heaps more auxiliary battery power (orignal battery was normal lead-acid with nominal 45Ah capacity) and the OPTIMA has more than enough grunt to swing the diesel over. In fact the OPTIMA swings the motor over even faster than the origianl N70ZZ battery, even though its physically a lot smaller.
When I did the original dual battery setup I retained the original double ended starter cable and created an isolated terminal from the positive terminal of an old battery I had lying around which I screwed to a piece of nylon cutting board which I screwed to the passenger's side firewall near the original auxiliary battery.
All I then had to do to swap the auxiliary battery to the driver's side was to move this isolated terminal and the Redarc isolator to the driver's side. I screwed the isolated terminal to the small bracket (which has a couple of vacuum switching vales on it) behind the new battery and bolted the Redarc isolator on the the top of the wheel well near the new AGM battery. To finish off I ran a new H/D cable from the Redarc isolator to the isolated terminal and another from the Redarc isolator to the new battery.
The OPTIMA Battery caused a few fitting problems though. For a start it is nowhere near as tall all the original battery but luckily OPTIMA provide a plastic spacer with the battery to lift it up to about th same height.
A bigger problem was that the original battery clamp clamps the battery at three points and its triangular shape shorts the two battery terminal together. Not good. My solution was to convert the bracket to a 'T' shape instead of the original triangular shape which I did by welding a couple of piece of flat steel that I had lying about the place.
Even then the modified clamp bracket fouled the two vent holes in the top of the battery. The solution here was to use two small pieces of timber around 9mm high placed under the two ends to clear the two vent holes.
Cheers,
JackDriver