Stock Jeep Battery and the addition of a winch

[Shawnee Jeep]

Can the stock 2013 JKU Battery handle a winch? I will not be using the winch much but does it require a dual battery system? that is expensive and I'd prefer not to go that route.

Thanks.

[FreemansXJ]

Can the stock 2013 JKU Battery handle a winch? I will not be using the winch much but does it require a dual battery system? that is expensive and I'd prefer not to go that route.

Thanks.

The stock battery will work for occasional use, especially since the Jeep will probably be running when you are using the winch. If teh battery is a concern, you could also step up to a quality one like an Optima instead of the dual set-up.

John

[Shawnee Jeep]

Thanks again, John! Good advice.

[rjh]

While winching, give it some gas to drive up the engine RPM's, which will drive the alternator harder, and keep you from draining your battery so much. Keep an eye on the battery voltage and stop winching to let it "catch up" occasionally....

[bbtj]

While winching, give it some gas to drive up the engine RPM's, which will drive the alternator harder, and keep you from draining your battery so much. Keep an eye on the battery voltage and stop winching to let it "catch up" occasionally....

Jks don't have all the guages of the older models, unfortunately.

[rjh]

well that sucks. :)

[jagular7]

Voltage gauge will show a drop when using a winch. The alternator charges the draw from the battery through current. You shall be good with the stock setup for a while. I highly doubt you'll be pulling at/near full pull weight limit on the winch which is the highest draw from the battery. To add, highly doubt you'll be out using the winch by yourself. Lastly, winch use is very limited for pulls, meaning most pulls are 5 ' or so. So realize all this and you'll be fine. Upgrading the battery to a dry cell design is an upgrade. You can also look for a higher output alternator and upgrade the wiring from alternator to battery. Then don't forget to add voltage gauge....lol