Hi,

I am thinking of fitting a winch to launch/recover my boat in salty water so i dont have to put the arse end of the RR in the salt - so am thinking of fitting a pretty big winch to the back of the car under the tow hitch (removable ofcourse!)

Does anyone use a winch with this, I am worried that i could send a backspike up to the ECU and fry it, as its a bloody huge draw when on!!

Cheers!!

A winch won't create a back spike but it will draw a lot of current, you will have to run new cables to the front and connect to the battery direct, the power to the rear fuse box is not sufficient. if you are using it a lot then fit another battery in the back (see WIKI) and use that one through an isolator to disconnect it from the vehicle when in use, I'd also use a deep cycle battery in the boot as these will last longer with a winch... Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

On my disco 2 I hard wired an Anderson connector to the battery with an isolator. The connector is in the grill for quick access and then I used a small winched mounted to a tow ball bracket with 5m 25mm2 of cable covered in a tough braid. I use this when i need to pull the car trailer from bottom of the garden on my own.

If you connect direct to the battery you will be fine. If it's a massive winch then you may want a two battery setup.

If I'm being really lazy I have two old car batteries that I use to power the winch on short runs.

Just in the progress of doing the same to the Range Rover. I might install the connector under the front bumper. Tim at Mobile centre can supply all the cable and Anderson bits if needed. 2010 - Range Rover VSE 3.6 TDV8
2014 - Defender 90 XS
2014 - Suzuki Swift Sport
2017 - GBS Zero
2006 - BMW Z4M Coupe (gone)
2004 - Discovery Landmark TD5 Auto (gone)
2008 - Defender 90 SX (gone)
2011 - Touareg Altitude (gone)

Cheers both.


Big cables is really no worries as are fuses as my work makes them.... Handy!!

Ill run at least 50mm2 direct from the battery. Im guessing the RR has a fairly large alternator that will help with the current but well aware that the draw from the winch could be into 400a+ figures. This would only be for 30 seconds or so mind.

It will be occasional use as in once every 2/3 weeks during summer so probably not worth the hassle of fitting a split charge system! I was much more concearned that id hate to cause any damage to the ECU's as can guess they are not cheap....

Anderson socket was always planned! neat simple solution hopefully, Ill weld a bracket up that hooks onto the towbars bracket somehow (undesigned..) then plug in and off we go!

You could always fit a diode in the winch cables .... one way current only then! NW060

"Red Shed" - 1982 Series 3 88" County Station Wagon
"Spirit of Great Britain" - Rolls Royce Meteor V12 engine
ZG875 - Westland Sea King (cockpit section)
"Carly Rae Jeepsen" - 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 Hemi
"Pride Of The Road" - 1/4-scale Marshall traction engine - sold
"Georgina" - 2000 Discovery 2 TD5 ES - sold
"Windsor" - 2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 - dead

or you could put one of those welding surge protectors across the battery?

Wofforduk wrote:

Cheers both.


Big cables is really no worries as are fuses as my work makes them.... Handy!!

Ill run at least 50mm2 direct from the battery. Im guessing the RR has a fairly large alternator that will help with the current but well aware that the draw from the winch could be into 400a+ figures. This would only be for 30 seconds or so mind.

It will be occasional use as in once every 2/3 weeks during summer so probably not worth the hassle of fitting a split charge system! I was much more concearned that id hate to cause any damage to the ECU's as can guess they are not cheap....

Anderson socket was always planned! neat simple solution hopefully, Ill weld a bracket up that hooks onto the towbars bracket somehow (undesigned..) then plug in and off we go!

Have a search around on Alternator issues on the 3.6 TDV8... there’s been a LOT of failures
So, make sure your happy putting that much extra stress on it before you go too far sir

Oh Right.... I didnt know about that, having seen the location of the alternator Id rather not bust it!! but then again, we work with the things and are normally pretty bullet proof things.

Id like to avoid fitting a split charge system as its use will be so small.

With all the electrics on (Air pump ect...) id have thought it would be a pretty decent powered alternator...

Its only going to be used 6 times a year in reality so may bite the bullet and go for it!

Why not just sit a very large fully charged battery (or pair) in the boot for the limited number of times you intend to use it.
No big cables to run and no worries about messing your alternator up.
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best.

It is a decent alternator, 150A if I am not mistaken.

It's not a big scary job to replace, 2.5 hours or so. The alternator itself is only £210 for an OEM Denso unit, not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things

I also wouldn't be concerned about ECU back spikes. If it were an issue, I'm sure it wouldnt be an option offered by LR

Replacing the alternator on a TDV8 is a pig of a job!
No way could you do it in 2.5 hours?

It's not the easiest of jobs, but yes, 2.5 hours

Mikey wrote:

It is a decent alternator, 150A if I am not mistaken.

It's not a big scary job to replace, 2.5 hours or so. The alternator itself is only £210 for an OEM Denso unit, not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things

I also wouldn't be concerned about ECU back spikes. If it were an issue, I'm sure it wouldnt be an option offered by LR

thats a pretty big alternator! then again i thought it would be as its running a lot of electric stuff.

I have decided to keep the system wayyyy simpler, i am only using the winch to haul my 3 tonne boat trailer up the slipway, once a weekend so will just shove a spare decent battery (sealed ofcourse) in the boot. Not worry about a split charge system, just give it a charge when i get home. With this set up, i am not installing anything permanent so its easier, cheaper and probably a safer bet. Having just replaced the air con rad in it, i realllllyyy dont wanna make more work than its worth!!

Thanks all who has helped me with this one!

If your pulling a three ton trailer up a slipway then you only need a very small winch, these are real cheap and will run off a cigarette lighter socket in the boot and hang on the towbar...

Something like this..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-PRO-2000LB-E...43c868c84e Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-