Dual Battery Wiring Landrover Defender D300 MY22

Quick vid of wiring for a secondary batter in a D300 with the MHEV system
THINGS TO NOTE:
- Probably way easier to use a Narva "add a circuit" for the Accessory 12V I had no idea where the fuse box was. Anyone else wondering can check here www.ownerinfo.landrover.com/d... this would be WAY quicker than splicing a wire like I did.
- You will need a T30 Torx, T40 Torx, allen keys and likely a 3/8" +T40 Torx socket to get the tailgate latch off
If you don't have MHEV you will need to bring wires through from the front battery - someone else posted about that here landroverforums.com/forum/202...
Hope this helps someone else thinking about this projects :-D
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[@bensilva8813]

Very helpful, thanks. Looking forward to seeing the finished install.

[@donniesgarage]

one day hopefully i can do that. pretty requested video!

[@rodcollins5854]

That's a great help. Who knows how long I have to wait for my new D300 ordered in December, but I will be needing an auxiliary battery system for camping fridge - so excellent Ta

[@donniesgarage]

do you own a defender yet? Or still waiting?

[@Pollyelliofficial45438]

Thanks for sharing, nice to know I can pick up a 12v supply in the back for my split charge power pack !

[@donniesgarage]

Only if yours has the hybrid gear in it, otherwise may need to bring it up from the battery under drivers seat. if you have a dcdc charger as well you can use a narva micro 2 add a circuit to pick up engine running 12V. The cig lighter 12V i actually changed to be an engine running 12V so that you dont drain a battery opening the tailgate :-)

[@moobaz8675]

This is the first mod on my new Defender. Thanks for showing that. 👍

[@donniesgarage]

Just remember don't do it the way I did in the video. You can get the trigger wire from the fuse box with a piggy back connector way easier 😀

[@moobaz8675]

@@donniesgarage Thanks for the tip. I only picked it up on Saturday. 👍🏻

[@carloscienfuegos8068]

Thanks for sharing. I’m planning on doing the same on the D300 once it arrives later in Jan. The positive connection in the boot looks very useful.

[@donniesgarage]

Remember that will only be there if its a MHEV option vehicle. Otherwise in the video description there is a forum link to how to bring the wires through from the starter battery

[@carloscienfuegos8068]

How are you going with the install ?

[@donniesgarage]

@@carloscienfuegos8068 its all done, we’ve been on the road since Jan 27 and its not missed a beat and doesn’t really impact storage space. Lithium batteries are great

[@carloscienfuegos8068]

@@donniesgarage awesome… would love to see the final setup.. maybe you could do a quick walk-thru. I’m about to start mine on the D300 :-)

[@donniesgarage]

@@carloscienfuegos8068 The final setup is the iTech 100aH lithium on the left, redarc dcdc charger (1225d) on right and then a solar input at the front. The wires we just popped up in front of the floor as its just for a fridge really. Redarc supports a bunch of different battery types and can do vehicle/solar input whereas some are one or the other. They also have MPTT built in so no need for a regulator on your panels :-)

[@keithcooper6905]

Thanks for being a trailblazer and trying out this genius connection point! I have the same 48v system on my P400 and am about to try this out. Have you noticed any heat issues when the equipment is running under the cargo floor? Any electronic errors or gremlins popped up yet being connected to this particular battery lead? Thanks again!

[@donniesgarage]

Hey Keith the owner of the car did 8000km with us in Australia in January and Feb and it all worked fine. Realistically its a low overall load only running the fridge. If it was driving more heat might be an issue hut with the fridge alone seems fine. Remember to get the right wire on the 48V system not all of them are 12V

[@chrishill3208]

Brilliant. Looking at this versus a battery pack. Did you do a part 2 showing the finished job? What was the final cost roughly please? Thanks heaps!!!

[@donniesgarage]

itech world battery ITECH100SX slim $799 redarc 1225D dcdc charger $519 wiring etc probably $200-$300 if you get reasonable quality stuff e.g. Narva instead of SCA plugs thats estimated sorry was a while ago!

[@donniesgarage]

and no didnt do a finished job - however I did change to use the Narva add a circuit instead of the massive way i did the splicing in the video which will save you a LOT of time.

[@garryanderson2970]

For 12 v trigger connection why can you not use the trailer plug connector which appears to have both constant and power when ignition is on ,means you do not have to remove the side planel etc .

[@donniesgarage]

After i did this video i ended up changing it and doing it with a narva piggy back fuse. Theres a lot of different ways to do it unfortunately when i did the video i did a pretty complicated way

[@encapsul8]

Hi Donnie, terrific explanation on the dismantle & cable run in Defender. I have the identical D300. Given your success could I run from the same cable location to an Andersen Plug at tow hitch for caravan power? Brad Woods Melbourne.

[@donniesgarage]

Hi Mate in theory yes its 12V there and its a huge cable from the battery to it. Definitely put a breaker on it though or talk to an auto electrician to make sure its done right.

[@encapsul8]

@@donniesgarage champion Donnie, thanks. I have a great auto Elec so your effort gives me a good direction.

[@donniesgarage]

@@encapsul8 Just remind them not to bother pulling that whole left hand side off like I did in the video :-) although for an anderson plug you don't need that type of fuse I'd opt instead for a manual breaker. Some people put in auto-reset breakers however if you have a current big enough to pop a breaker and auto reset isn't really a great idea - yes it will keep your stuff running when it may have otherwise stopped but you also risk damage to your existing wiring / equipment. If it breaks, its generally broken for a reason that requires investigation 🙂

[@DJ_Vaporiser]

Great explanation - thanks for this Would this be different in a P400 ?

[@donniesgarage]

im not too sure, if it had mhev then likely the same if no mhev the main difference is you need a positive wire from the front battery

[@donniesgarage]

remember as well micro 2 add a circuit and i think then you just use that in f16 or f17 instead of splicing wires for the trigger wire like i did Basically any “engine running” fuse

[@JustinOL1]

Which Fuse would you tap into, and would you use the fuse box in the cargo area?

[@donniesgarage]

Normally anything thats “accessories” related like a radio or similar basically you are just looking for a fuse where power is over it when the car is “on” if that makes sense - basically the blue wire is so the charger knows it should be in an operational state which is when the car is on (otherwise the main battery can drain) I ended up using the one in the cargo area in the end

[@JustinOL1]

@@donniesgarage Can I pay you some sort of consult fee to walk me through what I need to buy and how to install it to run an anderson plug from the battery out to the trailer plug so I can connect it to the fridge in my camper trailer? :)

[@donniesgarage]

@@JustinOL1 I appreciate the offer, however you would be best to talk to an AutoElectrician its not something I am licenced to do. Video was informational for anyone wanting to give it a crack :-) There is an older video i did for a landrover discovery anderson plug you can find should be a similar procedure. Otherwise plenty of youtube videos that guide you through it.

[@rcboyfromoz]

Hi Donnie, have you had any issues taking power from that rear 48/12V hybrid system?

[@donniesgarage]

None. It shuts off when the cars off. We’ve tried leaving it for days and still had no issues so it seems fine. If you are concerned you could always run the positive from the battery directly Make sure you use the 12V+ though not all of them are 12 ;-)

[@rcboyfromoz]

@@donniesgarage doesn’t it mean that you are putting the whole load of the BCDC charger 25A or 40A or 50A onto that circuit coming from the battery? How do you know what the load rating is on the existing cable?

[@donniesgarage]

@@rcboyfromoz without testing it im not sure as im not an auto electrician but i can say its a very thick cable so should be capable of the load

[@abeld.4008]

Efff this…. I’ll stick to my ‘73 SIII 88”, ‘59 SII 109 P/U, and my ‘73 Marshall Body ambulance….only one ECU>my Brain ( my brain as an ECU it’s stupid and slow!)