Quote:
Originally Posted by boywonder
..That's what I've got....about a 9" 6ga battery cable that I can just put across the two posts of the isolator.....
If I'm stuck with a dead starting battery my plan is to jumper the isolator and relax for 15-20 minutes while the house batteries charge the starter battery thru my perhaps less than adequate battery cables connecting the banks together. I've run 2ga (not 2-0)cables so they may start a 5.4L without having to wait.
I store the small jumper cable in the passenger door pocket..cheap and simple.
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The OP stated
I have the stock SMB installed Sure Power 1602 battery isolator. If that were jumped using the stock Sportsmobile wiring (older E series Fresno build), the current inrush from the house battery to the starter battery would REALLY stress the existing wiring. Later models have a solenoid type isolator, and the routing wiring is likely much more robust. It would be prudent to trace the wiring from all those connections for AWG sizing for jumping. The surepower 1602
diode isolator is sized for alternator output currents, so the wiring for jumping is pretty undersized.....
Best course would be long jumper cables, you don't risk your permanent wiring weak link given the surge that the charged house battery could supply.....
The scenario of using existing internal wiring to jump, then having a connection fuse out in the boonies is a bad image...
Years ago experienced a melted splice between the isolator and starter battery (along lower frame rail) due to a splice between 8awg? and 6 or 4? awg, just from normal charging....The large diameter wire was overcrimped and strands broken due to the splice improper size transition.....Sportsmobile installed smaller wire into the Ford harness....The Ford harness would not be sized for jumping either.....
As a result of that experience (no charging - but why), we discovered the vehicle traveled over 120miles on just the starter battery...pretty amazing. Jumper cables were ready, but we arrived at our destination...slightly sweat soaked...
Cheers