pkess3

I purchased the Benchmark Design's dual battery kit earlier in the year and it took a few month's to get it and it was incomplete. I never heard back from my requests but he did manage to send me all the missing parts. After saving up the money for a 2nd Yellow Top Optima I finally installed the kit a few month's ago. A few weeks after I installed it I was re-arranging some of the wires and caused an arc or spark with the solenoid part of the Smart Isolator which caused it to work improperly (i.e. it was not clicking while pressing the boost button and not charging the auxillary battery). I was able to find a replacement in town and the new one appeared to be working fine. It was charging both batteries and isolating them with the engine shut off and using accessories on the auxillary battery. Then (all of a sudden today) I noticed it was not connecting the two batteries while driving around. I drove around for quite awhile thinking it may have not charged the main battery yet the status light still doesn't come on and the auxillary battery doesn't read the normal 14.7V when they are connected and the engine is running. Also the boost switch won't connect the two when the engine is off like it normally does. I'm thinking that it may have been fried again on something. I've noticed that some people have covered the top parts of the isolator with electrical tape. This may be part of the problem but I've also been reading up that the JK has a 160 Amp alternator and the isolator I received with my kit is the 85 Amp one (the 48525) and not the stronger 200 Amp model (the 48530). Perhaps the 85 Amp isolator is not powerful enough for the factory JK 160 Amp alternator???

Main battery is on the right and the auxillary battery is on the left.

Vin

You have the wrong Smart Solenoid. The kit comes with the 200 amp one. You may have fried this one as well. I also fried my original one and found one online and it's been running like a champ now for a few months. I still have to hook up the boost wire and the led, but she runs fine by itself.

gadget799

pkess3 i have the same setup as you and Cole Hersee from Benchmark was a 48525 (85 amp) as well are they supposed to be the 48530 (200 amp) ???....its been working Just fine ...i have been thinking about upgrading it to the 48530 (200 amp) if i can find a locale dealer ...


PS - pkess3 - Holly Rats Nest Dude lol hard to tell what goes to what .. lol


Hey Vin .... Nice Clean Setup looks good

pkess3

Lol. Yeah I've got a lot going on. Offroad lights, winch, 2000 Watt inverter, Ham Radio, CB Radio, LED status light, and boost switch. And mine had been working fine for the last couple weeks and then poof, it just wasn't working.

Does anyone know if it is suseptible to getting wet/dirty?

gadget799

WOW your not kidding thats a lot goin on there lol ... as for Wet/Dry ? Not sure about that one... Maybe it wouldnt hurt to Upgrade to the 48530 (200 amp) model .. thats what im planning on doing next week sometime as well as looking into the Mean Green Alternator Upgrade .. much rather have more power than not enough ..

Vin

You got the 85 amp from Benchmark? I got the 200 amp one and was really pissed when I fried it. I now use a 6 inch extention when I work on battery terminals. I should plastidip them

Thanks. I have marine terminals that I want to put in, but that will wait until it get's warm again.

ignatius504

Nice... I Like This...

gadget799

YUP ... I have Special ones i wrapped in shink tube .. just for working on around the battery

Phantasm

Per Cole Hersee website it is Ingress protected to IP65 (IP 67 is about the highest normal rating) so It's pretty well suited to be under the hood of a Jeep on top of a battery.

BTW thanks for the leads in this forum, I'm going to do the 200Amp with the dual tray from RR sometime... Soon ish.

pkess3

Ok I went and bought the 200 Amp Cole Hersee Smart Isolator (48530) and used it to replace my fried 85 Amp one and ever since I connected the batteries the status indicator remains on constantly without isolating the batteries even after sitting over night. It even remains connected after using my 2000 Watt inverter (which is connected to the auxillary battery) to power my 2 HP air compressor for over 10 minutes without the engine on. It just drains both batteries since it stays connected. What am I missing here? It was working fine for two weeks with the 85 Amp model (or so I thought based on the voltage and when the status light would turn on and off) before it just decided to quit.