Winch wiring with Optima

I know this has been discussed, but maybe I'm not searching the right words, so I'm gonna ask again.

I seem to remember it being said that you are NOT supposed to wire a winch to the side posts/holes on an Optima. Is that true? If so, how do you go about wiring the winch directly to the battery?

Thanks!

 

That's correct. Wire the winch to the top posts only. The lead alloy ribbons that connect the side posts are very thin and burn out fairly easily with prolonged load. Ok for a starter's momentary cranking and running accessories off of, but not good for winching. I've actually seen this happen to a point where the winch would get NO power. That's when my PTO winch came to the rescue. Nickmil.

 

Good info. Didn't know that. Did the top posts still work after that?

 

Nickmil to the rescue...as usual!

Is there a clean way to attach both the winch cables and the battery cables to the top posts?

 

Dave: Why don't you just connect the battery cables to the side posts. You may have to change your cables though.

 

Jim. Read nickmils post at the top.

 

Joel: That's what I was refering to. :? Just change them around. But you would have to get side post batt cables to change them. In other words, connect the winch to the top posts and your reg batt cables to the side posts. Guess I should have said "Regular Batt Cables" to the side posts.

No winch on mine, but I use the side posts for all aux. functions (lights, radio, CB).

 

Connect the starter to the side and winch to the top? Is that what you meant Jim? That's what I was thinkin'

<whoops too slow - yes that is what he meant!!!>

 

Bob: We think and type alike!!!!! R) R)

Maybe Vanguard has an "Imaginary" battery! Oops, SORRY JOEL, couldn't resist, bad ME, what the heck IT'S FRADAY! Working on 2nd "Natural Ice"!! R) R) Feelin Good!!

No Mildew here! R)

 

D'oh! Sorry. That is a good idea!

 

Joel: Let's all have a GREAT ONE this weekend!!!!! We don't have to worry about all those "SWAMP BOYS" down in Floridia!! Just joking, wish I was in Tellico with them.

Gee!! Isn't this FUN!

BTW, Timgr mentioned "Tsing Tao" beer. Lets have one of those too.

 

Thanks for the thoughts guys!

 

On my optima (older style) I used 5/16 bolts instead of the clamp bolt to install the winch leads.

 

Just get the Marine style battery clamps you can bolt multiple 0/2 cables to them. Mine is wired a little different. My Optima goes to a Marine A/B/Both/Off switch with the winch wired to the B and the motor and everything else to the A. That lets me shut off the juice to the winch in event of a winch problem. Everything is wired with 0/2 fine strand

 

Yup, no problem with the top posts after that, just the side posts were open.
Marine battery terminals work very well on top post batteries for connecting all sorts of goodies. They are the ones with the studs and wing nuts.
Nickmil.

 

Haven't seen any problems with other types of batteries but most everyone around here runs Optima's, so really can't comment on any of the others. I should have added in my last post that it's fine to run other accessories off the side posts with no problems. I also run lights, CB, etc. off of the side posts. I use the marine terminals on top and run starter, jump starting system, etc off of the top posts. I also used bolts on the side terminals. Just make sure you get the right length so you don't damage the terminals. Nickmil.

 

A good friend of mine is an engineer at Johnson Controls, the company that now owns Optima Batteries. His main area of expertise is batteries (you should hear about some of the stuff they're trying to invent/downsize, etc.!) & he's very familiar with the Optima line. This is his un-edited response (he's on a business trip) to my quiery about this issue. His English is not perfect, but actually better than some of my friends who were born here By reading between the lines I would say there is a small difference, but if you're burning it up then something near a dead short was going on or that particular battery was faulty. Is this a common problem? How many people have 1st hand knowledge of an Optima dying like this?


Jeff,

My apology being very late to reply your email, actually I’m sending this
email from Germany and I’ll be here till Friday.
Let me make some correction to the statement. By connecting the winch wire
to the top posts you have less resistance from battery to winch motor, the
lead alloy ribbons to the side post are not going to burn if you connect
your winch wires.
Not getting to deep side post to top post resistance is 0.031 mil ohm. You
make the call.

 

I've seen this on more than just one Optima Battery. The vehicle I mentioned in the post was not shorted in anyway nor was the winch. Remember, heat is generated as load increases. It was a hard pull of an 9,000 lb. winch. Any electrical device will build resistance as load and heat increases. Electrical motors, especially winch motors are particularly susceptible to this. Optima's have a fairly thin ribbon of lead that when resistance builds, like in a winch motor on a hard pull, will heat up and can burn out like a fuse. The winch was reconnected to the top posts and used several times that weekend to the top posts with NO problems whatsoever. That battery lasted another 4 years in the same Jeep with tons of hard pulls with never a whimper. No complaints about the battery, I use them and believe in them myself. Just wouldn't hook anything that has a lot of heat build up, thus resistance to the side terminals. Kind of fits in with what was said except for the faulty battery and the dead short part. I've personally witnessed 4 Optima Battery's fail like this. All I'm saying Is I'd recommend hooking high amp draw items to the top posts and other low amp draw accessories to the side posts. :stout: Nickmil.

 

Thanx,
I will pass this info to my friend, as he may be in a position to remedy this problem. I'll also post his response.