Honda Pioneer 1000 Dual Battery Install 

Thank you for your support and kind words - not sure why people find it necessary to be negative either. Kindness harvests much greater rewards.

Thank you Tim. So glad it worked out - and I appreciate your taking the time to comment. It helps me know it was worth it!

My pleasure Mike - It's great to hear success stories!

Thanks kingpin! How did your project go?

Haha - Bill this made my day - thanks for the feedback! I totally get what you mean about many of the long videos rambling off topic - but I also struggle with balance of what is too much detail and what is unnecessary, making the video x times longer than it needs to be. Then I add music and trailer clips on top of it. It’s a little bit of “it’s art man” and maybe it’s not for everybody - but it’s a creative outlet and just have to take the lumps when people don’t like it. Your feedback makes me feel like it’s all worth it - helping others trying to solve problems and having some fun while doing it.

@@rsparre It does look like an art man! I doubt I couldn't make a video with ANY production value at all, I don't even know how, I'm not tech savvy enough. I did catch your comment on being frustrated by being unable to access the back of the cigarette lighter electrical clip in order to use the Honda SxS "key on" tap harness kit. Did you try supporting the vehicle with a jack stand and removing the passenger side front wheel in order to access it better? It looks like that might work. Great job with your documentation to all the appropriate links to the items you used as well. Stay with it Robert! I just hit your subscribe button. Best, Bill

@@nancydibble8965 (aka Bill) - the cigarette lighter is super easy to reach IF I was not an IDIOT! As soon as the dash plate hole was cut in the dashboard - it was right there! The HondaSxS forum admin pointed that out right after I posted the video. DOH!

Clayton - thank you so much for the feedback! Makes me feel guilty for not getting off my lazy rear to finish the other 2 videos I have waiting in the wings - lol. I really appreciate the comments. I think anyone who is likely to want 8-15 switches is probably already more than capable without needing my input!

@@rsparre LOLS~! You never know! I have seen many many spaghetti nests of wiring in my life, and I think that many people have all of these ideas, and just keep adding stuff. I have come back and watched you video again, and I am comparing your component placements with others, and see what I like best. I missed that you used both bus bars, and I way already planning on using both a POS and NEG bus bars, and I see we have them on the same sides lols. Cable and wire management is hard to do sometimes. I am playing with a few placements for the winch solenoid, the stinger, and my relay box. I am going to run some cables, see what works. I may try to run some cables up front, and leave the back for the relay box. I cut some of the fins off the new Honda air box cover (the one that re-routes intake air from the compartment and NOT from the wheel well... Seriously Honda??), and sanded it a little bit and put my fuse panel there. I am thinking I may make plastic panel and mount it over the AUX battery, to try to keep all those connections where I can get to them. Sort of a layered approach. I am also considering a battery switch that would normally keep both batteries separate but I can tie them together to jump start myself if the starter battery goes dead for some reason. Thoughts? And I am trying to leave room right behind the dash for the heater hoses, trying to get at least one "proper" defrost windshield vent on the dash panel in the middle... or maybe run them up the edge of the ROPS, and make a bracket to go there and hold them. Ugly, but effective. I will probably end up posting on hondasxs once I get it together and prettied up. Thank you again, for showing such a clean install!! By the way I used that key-on power adapter harness, if you turn the wheel to the right, or even remove the passenger front wheel, you can get in there just fine. I am 5' 8", so I could squeeze in there and reach it. Mud clogs the release tabs, so people need to wash it or use WD-40 to loosen the grit, clean out the tabs so you can unlock the plug so it comes out. Works Great!!

Thanks Jonathan! Please let me know how the project turns out! Also note that there are several wiring diagrams available. Can't post attachments on RU-vid, but they are available on the HondaSxS.com forum and I do not believe you have to be a member or sign in to access them. There are 3 diagrams, the original, then added details for other relays and switches, then a 3rd showing an "always on" option. . hondasxs.com/threads/yet-another-pioneer-1000-dual-battery-install-video.24388/#post-727023

@@rsparre yes sir, I had pulled your diagram a while back before I ordered the kits. Very well done and easy to follow. Really makes it feel like it will be a professional level setup when completed.

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. So glad you were able to improvise where needed around the winch setup. My dual vm behaves the same as you describe.

Thanks Miller! Let me know how the project goes!

Thanks Jacob! Would love to hear how your project goes.

Thank you Hap - you made my day!

Thank you Scott!

That’s great! Can you describe the setup and connections? I might want to do the same. Post a drawing to the forum if you have time. Would love to see it.

Thank you for the feedback - very much appreciated!

Agreed!

Bill - so glad you got it figured out! Sorry for delayed reply. I won’t respond to any of your previous questions then - and good work!

Doug thank you so much for the kind words! I also had absolutely ZERO experience with automotive wiring or relays or any of it. I just learned what I could from reading forums and watching the videos out there. But I was still so confused I decided the only way to really get it was to do it myself. It was a a super fun project, but required patience and making mistakes and adapting. Anyone can do it with the right attitude - and afterward have a new skill to allow for further draining of the bank account on more accessories! Best of luck with your project and please let us know how it goes!

I really like your choice of battery Robert because it has a lot more muscle than some of the others but I wonder if my 1000-5LE has a smaller spot for the battery. I've measure it and it's 6.5" wide by 5.25 deep. The battery specs say it's 6.54" wide which is awfully snug. I also have another problem because the dealer installed an aux fuse box over that spot (has labeled spots for light bar, heater, wiper and something else) and it sits exactly 6" above the floor of the battery compartment. I need 7" of height for that battery. What to do, what to do... I sure like that battery with it's 26 AH muscle. Also your spot for the isolator is occupied on my Pioneer. It's some kind of thing which I think goes to the winch. The winch seems to be using an extra lead from the battery negative. Lots of small differences it seems. Dang! Now I have to actually start thinking. Oh well.

Doug - problems can be solved - so you can do this. First, the Mighty Max battery is laid down on it's back with the label facing up. That might help you. Dimensions I measure are 6-1/2" x 2-1/2" (WRONG - update it's really 6-3/4") x 4-7/8". When laid down, the 6-3/4" dimension is the height from bottom of the compartment up to the face of the logo side. The 6-1/2" dimension becomes the width from left to right across the logo, and the 4-7/8" dimension is front to back. It fit's perfectly in the compartment, and you might say it is snug - but definitely does not have to be forced... The spot that I have the isolator is being used by your winch's relay. That's ok. Some people put the isolator back where I have the stinger or along that back ledge. Should be room back there. Funny - when I add my winch, I'm going to have the opposite problem you do. I will need to find a spot for the winch relay. Did you see my video on "10 Accessories"? I go into detail on adding the light bar and backup lights and dome lights with dimmer. Here is the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Smn-CoJZGak.html

@@rsparre Is that really the ML26-12 MIghty Max because the specs on the Amazon page say that its front to back dimension is 6.89" not 2 1/2"! So when it's lying down with the label up, it would stick up almost 7". It really sounds like you're using a different Mighty Max. I saw your other video but it didn't go into the detail that you do here. I can see that I'm going to have to very carefully plan this before I start, including making myself some schematics. The planning's going to take many times more time than the doing.

Doug - I did an oopsie for sure. Initially when I measured the battery compartment from the bottom up, my measuring tape was getting hung up and I didn't realize it, so that 2-1/2" is WRONG! I am so sorry about that. It's really just shy of 6-3/4" from bottom to top. Here is a link to a shared file area with some pictures of battery dimensions as installed in my rig. So it's really 6-1/2 (left to right) by 6-3/4 (bottom to top) by 4-7/8 (front to back). There is space along the side to stuff cables as shown, and I can't imagine the different P1K models have different battery compartment dimensions. Also have some wiring diagrams posted there. I will go back and edit previous comments to correct the mistake so as not to mislead others.... Here is the link to the files area with pics and wiring diagrams: dorsetconnects-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/p/robert_sparre/Eh_sZtp-S1RPnQqpDBbCKhcBhZhRlUeQ16kt_SaBKRZUzw?e=CsYKBO

Hey Andrew. Good stuff. I found even easier was to just reach down after the switch plate is removed. Lol

Thanks Mike - would love to hear how the project goes!

Thanks Kevin. The main accessory that drove me to do this was the winch. If not for that, I might not have gone to the trouble - but really it turned out to be a fun project and I’m glad I did it. Just have to be patient and not get frustrated if something doesn’t go right the first time.

Kevin, you can do this. No sense in paying someone $80 an hour to do this for you. This is the way to do any wiring project for yourself, whether in the home, in the jeep or truck, or on your side by side. 1) DRAW IT OUT. by that I mean draw out your schematic or your wiring plan about what connects to what. Leave room for notes and expansion! 2) LABEL EVERYTHING. Color code the wires too! tags, colored tape stripes, colored wires. 3) TEST FIT your components, and their placements/mounts/clearance. be sure items have room for cooling, if that is needed etc. Make sure that you have room to run the bundles of wires you will run, leave extra at the ends, zip tie, wire loom, don't leave wires open to vibration, hard turns, rubbing, stress, excessive heat or cold, or excessive water exposures. 4) Start at one end, and work your way through. Run the larger cables or wires first, smaller wires can be added later. Try to have a plan (main power boxes have a flow or plan, usually left to right and top to bottom, and try to work neatly. Think about how you will change out fuses, relays, batteries, and try to make that as easy as possible on yourself ;) 5) Plan for the future. Once you do this, and add a few systems, you will inevitably want to add more. Learn from your mistakes, plan for expansion, run extra wires if its a place that's hard to get too again, so you already have a future or a spare in place. ;) Good Luck!!

Aww shucks - it weren’t nuthin! Lol thanks for the great feedback!

You are welcome - glad it was helpful! May I ask what you plan to do - is there a project in your future?

Wow - that is a bummer! Thanks for the detailed explanation. I will check my aux battery to make sure it is getting charged after the main battery is fully charged. I haven’t noticed any issues yet - but this is a good heads up to check it out.

Not something I am familiar with but sounds like good advice.

Thanks Andrew! Did your project work out?

I've had some issues trying to use genuine Honda accessories and convert to the same fuseblock as yours or any other non Honda block in terms of wiring. But the stuff you covered was both clear and concise. It seems there's no wires that come with my kit to go from volt meter to fuseblock or my other switch for windshield wiper/washer. Not real sure why a kit would leave this out but I'm trying to sort it all out currently.

Thank you so much for the feedback Greg! The video editing app I use is Pinnacle Studio Ultimate. It’s about $120. You can get a lesser version for about $80, but I knew absolutely nothing about video when I started in March last year due to the pandemic when I was forced into quarantine. A guitar player friend of mine had made a video and I asked if he could recommend something to get started. It had a pretty easy learning curve. It is buggy and has memory leaks and I have to kill it and restart periodically, but it is pretty powerful and I would recommend it. So I have only been making videos for about 9 months.

@@rsparre Well for no longer than you have been making videos, you sure made it look easy. Thanks again for the info, and looking forward to seeing more videos in the future. 👍

@@gregscheikofsky5606 hey Greg let me know how your project goes and let me know if you need any help if you decide to work in pinnacle studio!

You prolly dont give a shit but does anybody know a method to get back into an Instagram account..? I stupidly lost my account password. I would love any assistance you can offer me.

@Karsyn Alexzander instablaster ;)

Haha - gotta embrace the electrons! You can do this! Honestly I really enjoyed it once I got into it. Never did anything like it before. Key for me was to not be in a hurry. Took about a week. And honestly I would be happy to work on yours (with you) if you were near by.

Ralph - Thanks for the feedback! Clearly I am not an electrical engineer and I didn’t even know what a stator was - had to go look it up - lol. I am not clear on your concerns. The accessories that are wired to the 2nd battery can run off the 2nd battery even if the engine is not running, ie if the key is just in the accessory position. Why is this not the same as if the accessories were directly wired to the 2nd battery sitting on a table and not even installed in the vehicle? If I turn on the light bar, it is effectively tied to the battery and would eventually drain it if I left the key in accessory position. Other than the battery being recharged when the vehicle is running, I don’t see the relationship to the stator thingie. The primary battery is not being drained by the accessories. Also after watching and reading many discussions on the topic, I find it curious I have never heard of this position that it is a waste of time to even install a 2nd battery - for which a spot under the hood was specifically created for it - hence it would imply the whole thing is a scam. I look forward to understanding better.

@@rsparre what you have installed will extend the life of the battery running your machine by not using it to run your accessories. Adding the 2nd for the accessories is not really necessary unless you are planning to add way more than you need. This setup would be good if you are running say a plow and a heater being the winch and heater pull the most almost more than it takes to run your machine at around 3k rpms. Now say you add front and back led bars, rock lights amps etc... And you wanted to run them all at the same time. Which I'm sure your not. The best thing you did here was adding the maintainer / trickle charger because you will need it running all that. More simply you can't draw more power than your stator can produce.

@@CaptSpaulding666 great info - thanks for sharing! I do plan to add a plow and a heater. I already have the heater and just need the weather to cool down before I tackle that job. I’m sure I will do a video fir that also. Plow probably not going to happen until next year, but glad I have the 2nd battery.

@@CaptSpaulding666 The primary purpose of the second battery and isolator isn't to extend the life of the main battery by not using it to run accessories. It is to ensure that the primary battery isn't run down (by running accessories), thus leaving you stranded because you can't start or drive the machine. If they go park by the lake, turn the stereo on and fall asleep like Rumpelstiltskin, they can run the 2nd battery dead without affecting the primary and without risking their ability to get home. Sure, the more accessories you run, the more you risk running down the aux, but it doesn't matter -- your primary battery, which on this machine is used to start the machine and is very important to the proper operation of the Honda Dual Clutch Transmission, will be fully charged even with the aux battery is dead.

@@bobbybarnes1652 which is exactly what I said. Will only extend the life

Sorry for delayed reply. I do have a wiring diagram for the on-off-on configuration. It is on the HondaSxS forum since RU-vid does not provide for attachments. The link to that diagram is in this video description.

Here is a link to the wiring diagrams. hondasxs.com/threads/yet-another-pioneer-1000-dual-battery-install-video.24388/#post-727023

Greetings Todd. The video should be pretty clear on how to hook up the battery tender to keep both batteries charged. The main battery gets priority, then the isolator will allow the aux battery to charge once the voltage is up to about 13.x volts. Watch again and focus on the tender hookup for an explanation of this. Let me know if still any questions.

Hey JT - definitely not an option for me to use a single larger battery. The main reason is to isolate the main battery (that is responsible for starting and clutch operations) from all accessories connected to the aux battery. This protects against unexpected load or drain from a rogue accessory on the main battery. I don't want any malfunction or accidental current drain from an accessory affecting the starting battery. It's not a right or wrong thing - so there are options based on the goals you have. My primary goal is to protect the main battery. Thank you for your kind words - I was happy to make the video and glad it could be helpful.

Thanks Matthew! The one trickle charger will charge both batteries as shown in the video. The isolator takes care of allowing the charger to reach the aux battery once the main battery is fully charged. As for the heavier winch wires - you just want them going to the aux battery because that is the “load” carrying heavier current. The small wires are for the low current switch and they go to the fusebox.

Thank you Gary! Yes, the battery tender will also charge the aux battery once the main battery is charged. The isolator will manage this.

Excellent question! Rob, did you consider snaking the trickle charger wires into the cab for simpler charging location? Thanks for your work supporting the group!!

@@rsparre The only question I have is you said it doesn't matter which side of the True isolator you connect the positive cable from each of the batteries to. I don't think that's right. I was reading the FAQ on the DFNA web site and it says, "(The isolator) senses the voltage of the battery 1 line, and when the alternator is outputing 13.8v and up, the switch closes and connects battery 2. When the alternator isn’t outputting power because the engine is off, the voltage of battery 1 is 12.9v or less, the switch opens and the secondary battery is disconnected." Further, the isolator is labeled "MAIN" on one side and "AUX" on the other. Thoughts?

@@MkIVDave not sure what the advantage would be in having the trickle charger wires inside the cab. The cable from the AC adapter to plug in to the connector for charging comes from outside the cab and I have it hanging right in front when I pull into the garage. Very handy. Maybe I am not understanding your suggestion fully.

@@bobbybarnes1652 very interesting! My isolator kit does not have a main and aux designation and I believe the little sheet that came with it explicitly said it did not matter which side was which. I would have to go back and check to be certain, but pretty sure it said that. Maybe there are different isolator models that require it.

Thank you!

That is a great question Steve. Nothing holding it down, and I did not see anyone else try to strap theirs down either. There are certainly only limited centimeters of play in the battery compartment and there are several stiff cables connected. There is not much play to move around - but that is a pretty lame answer - lol.

You can cut two slits in the bottom of the battery box (where the sides meet the bottom), put a thin strap through one (to the exterior of the box), then back up through the other. Then after you put the battery into the battery box, you connect the two ends of the strap together. Something like a 1" wide by 2.5' or so long Velcro strap would work great.

The aux battery goes in a compartment that is made for that purpose. No need to bolt it down. It is not strapped in either. It’s not going anywhere. There will be plenty of cable restraint on it as well once you tie into the bus bars. Never had an issue. You will love it

@@rsparre Thanks So Much For Your Help Sir!

I think you could certainly do that. The downside is that small accessories that don’t have or need inline fuses and relays are now without a simple common connection architecture to tap into. I would anticipate the accessories with inline fuses and relays are the exception, not the rule. Out of about 10 connections, I only have 2 with their own inline fuses and relays.

Thank you. I have attempted to create a step-by-step outline of the process based on my understanding of your schematic and viewing of your video, ad nauseam I might add. How can I get it to you for review, edits, comments? Thanks, again.

@@markmeservey6760 best place to post the schematic is in the HondaSxS.com forum - the thread with my diagrams are posted there. I have a link to the thread in the RU-vid video description. The advantage of doing that is there are many others smarter than me who can weigh in on your question. I will also post the thread link in a reply after this

hondasxs.com/threads/yet-another-pioneer-1000-dual-battery-install-video.24388/#post-727023

Thanks Dale!

Greetings Mr. Henderson. The best place to go for a more detailed wiring diagram is the HondaSxS.com forum where I have PDF attachments. RU-vid does not provide for attachments, so I can't attach to the video here. Link to wiring diagrams on the HondaSxS.com forum: hondasxs.com/threads/yet-another-pioneer-1000-dual-battery-install-video.24388/#post-727023 Summary: 87 goes to the VM neg pin, 86 and 30 go to the negative bus, and 85 goes to the fuse box.

hi Edward. Thank you for the feedback. you are correct that the stinger is not required. I think most people use it though. It isolates current draw to the aux battery and protects the main battery. It is an added layer of protection that I feel is worth it.

Thanks we suspected that we weren’t sure. I also noticed on our True isolator that one of the terminals is marked for the “main” battery and the other for the “auxiliary” battery. We tried to follow that in our installation. The next step is to deal with the Stinger. Thanks!

Thanks John! Yes the aux battery will automatically be charged by the battery tender as soon as the main battery is at full charge - usually around 13 volts. So good to go!

​@@rsparreI have an aux beam 8-gang controller. Would I need the stinger relay when using it. Has solid state relays built in and is wired into keyon

@@codylane4606​​⁠ I am not familiar with controllers and built in relays. The stinger is not likely required in your setup but I am not an expert in that deployment so I would post that to the Hondaxsx.com forum.

Thanks Trey! You are correct - isolator and trickle charger are only items I added to stock (main) battery. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Yes, exactly. Your second battery is what you want to run all of your accessories off of, including your winch etc. This way, your main battery is ONLY used for starting and running your side by side with all of it's stock/factory lights etc. All of your light bars, added equipment including radios, pods, aux heater, air compressor, whips, etc will all draw from your second battery, through the auxiliary fuse box.

Hi Rick - great question. I am not an electrical engineer - but my interpretation would be that the Vent Racing box is using the acc feed for key on power - ie when the key is turned in, the Vent box will be energized. My diagrams show a stinger relay in that role, where the key on power from the accessory circuit goes to the stinger, and the fuse box then being energized from the stinger. So in your case I suspect the fusebox is wired to not get power from the positive connection until the acc wire has power. So I would look into whether you can eliminate or bypass the acc wire, or maybe even connect both the positive and acc wire to the stinger because the acc wire is not really needed - but it may still need power to allow the fusebox to energize. I would check with the manufacturer - maybe a support line or forum that asks how to bypass the acc line or if it is ok to connect together with the positive line since your positive input won’t have power unless the stinger is energized, which already depends on acc power. This of course assumes you are using a stinger. If you are not using a stinger, then just connect the acc wire to the acc circuit in the main fuse box. Good luck with your project! Let me know how it turns out.

@@rsparre Thank you for the quick response (amazing!). Yes, I'm using a Stinger and I think your solution makes sense. If I connect the fuse box ACC and Positive wires then I'll be back to a "always-on" situation and then when I feed both of those wires to the Stinger then it be a "key-on" power again. I did download load your wiring diagram from the link you provided in one of the "replies" and have printed it and posted to my garage wall for reference. I couldn't have started this project with your video's and knowledge. I'll let you know how this goes.

@@Profc317 cool! Hey there are 3 different wiring diagrams to handle several different scenarios such as always on versus key on so you might want to check those alternatives for ideas. (All diagrams are on the same thread on HondaSxS.com.) Looking forward to your results!

Thank Gary! What stops you from taking the plunge yourself? Do you not trust yourself? I am not an electrician and don’t have automotive skills at all - just did some research and went for it. And I didn’t have my video as a guide - lol. You might be surprised how well you can do. The main thing that the video got wrong is the fuse box where I say I won’t need the 12 position model - wrong! Definitely get a large one. Also it’s easy to get to the cigarette lighter once the hole is cut for the switch plate.

The alternator charges the battery when it is running. The tender keeps both batteries charged at rest. If you run your machine a lot you may not need it. However it doesn’t hurt and if you don’t run it regularly the batteries will lose charge especially in cold weather. It’s cheap insurance to avoid a machine that won’t start.

@@rsparre thank you sir, that’s what I assumed, but wanted to makes sure the isolator still allowed the stator to charge the aux battery while running

Glad you enjoyed it!

@@rsparre I'm ACfixer on the SxS forum - just joined there a couple weeks ago. Everyone there, super helpful! I'll probably wire mine a bit different and use a fuse block with integrated buss bars. Maybe a master switch running the stinger rather than the key.

Yes - HondaSxS is super helpful! Integrated buss bars would be cool - success depends on how much space you have with all of that cabling going to the same area. Master switch is nice - I might end up adding a switch later if I find that key-on only is too limiting - but that hasn't happened yet. Good luck!

Thank you Paul! As for the fuse - generally a fuse is to protect wire from current that is too much for the wire gauge. There is no harm in having a fuse unless it is sized too small where it blows too easily. So if they show a fuse, certainly ok to use it. I think I used very low gauge wire to the battery - like 5AWG. That can handle a lot of current. Sorry I don’t have a better explanation.

Thanks Tom. You should use the relays that come with the accessories because they provide protection from hi current at your fingertips. I show a number of these accessories with relays in my “10 accessories” video.

@@rsparre Thank You

Sorry for delayed reply. You are correct about connections without the pos bus bar. And yes you could also eliminate the negative bus and just use the fuse box negative. I still think it is best to use both bus bars for easier connection points. Some of the negative connections are thick low gauge cable that would not sit well on the fuse block. But electrically it is at the same potential. Good luck and thanks for the feedback!

Hey Bob sorry for delayed reply. First let’s make sure I understand the situation. Did you follow the steps in the video that show how to discharge the excess voltage? It starts at about 34:40. The light stays on if the main battery is above about 13.8 volts or so. You can pull the voltage down by placing load on the main battery with the engine off. For example with the engine off, turn on the key to the accessory position, then turn on the headlights for a few moments. You should see the blue light go out as the voltage falls. This is normal behavior and shows the isolator is working properly.

@@rsparre yes I did that and that worked great, I figured it out. I had the black wire from the relay to the voltage meter, which the directions wasn’t very clear, that should have went to the negative bus bar and the green wire to the voltage meter. Your video was great. Thanks so much for your reply.

my pleasure - glad you liked it!

No you don’t need a positive bus bar. However, when you have high current loads such as a winch or maybe light bars, you are not going to tie them to the fuse box as that is only for the switch which is low current. You need to connect the load to the positive bus bar or the battery terminal. The bus bar avoids having to stack multiple connections onto the battery and having to remove and reconnect to the battery post every time you add a new load.

Thanks for the feedback Aaron. The positive bus bar is an electrical connection that is the same no matter where one touches it. This is true for all electrical connection points. For example if you touch a wire on the left side of the positive battery post or the right side of the battery post - it’s still the positive battery post. A bus bar is intended to make additional connections easier than trying to pile numerous wires on top of a single connection point. But the electrical result is the same. So yes - you connect it anywhere on the buss. Hope that helps. This was my first time too - and I was making the video as I was learning, so I I appreciate how things could be confusing to those just starting out.

Thanks Steve - yes there is a schematic. There are several actually. The video description has the link. The diagrams are in the HondaSxS.com forum because RU-vid does not support attachments. Here is the link hondasxs.com/threads/yet-another-pioneer-1000-dual-battery-install-video.24388/#post-727023

Awesome! Thank you, it works perfectly. Very much appreciated.

Hi Rob, as I mentioned before to you, I utilized your excellent wiring schematic on my 2021 Honda Pioneer 1000. Everything has worked wonderful until I used the Honda in Colorado in the cold weather. Issue: When I first start my Honda in cold weather (-10 degrees). The auxiliary switches such as volt meters, LCD lights from and back don’t work. As the unit warms up the switches work. That stated, the winch works regardless of cold and warm weather. This issue is only present when the unit is cold. Baffled why this is happening? Any suggestions or thoughts? Thank you, Steve

Hey snowman - thanks for watching! Did you check out the wiring diagram link in the description? The key on ignition lead goes to the low voltage side of the stinger. Does not matter + or - on the stinger. Just matters low current side and high current side. Low current side is for the switch side with the voltmeter and relay, high current side is for the load, ie the fuse box and the accessory. Best to check out the wiring diagram.

Michael - generally NO! I have a winch video coming out probably tomorrow that will explain why! A contactor is like a heavy duty relay. A basic relay is good for maybe 10-20 amps or so and 250 volts. A contactor is good for higher amps and 1000 volts. A winch is a high current motor, and the contactor provides additional safety features such as arc suppression. Probably a good idea to google difference between relay and contactor.

Here is the link to the new winch video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BNcHdB4nzVk.html

All I can say is there would be no head banging and opportunity for misadventures for us if they did.

Hey Mike - I am not an electrical engineer so can’t give you a technically accurate reason with certainty, but my understanding is you need the relay. It is there for a reason. The positive leads from the meter are tied to the positive battery posts. Other accessories get the positive juice AFTER the fuse box has been energized. So this relay will be negatively triggered. Having the relay isolates the meter from being “on” and drawing current when the ignition is off. When the ignition is turned on, the relay is triggered and the meter is on.

Robert, Ok, I understand- makes sense. I’m going to be wiring in the relay that came with the isolator today. Thank you.

Hi BIll - yes, I did not explicitly draw that frame ground to the negative bus in the video. However, if you download the PDF drawings from the links in the video, you will see that I do show frame ground going to the negative bus. I believe I also mention in the video that the negative bus is tied to frame ground. Good eye.

The stinger relay cuts power to the new fuse box and therefore cuts power to all his accessories when the key is off. I was curious why he would do that. Some people may want to have power from your 2nd battery to some accessories without the key on. The isolator will still protect the primary battery from draining in that case.

I actually ran the extra negative lead from the factory to the second battery and ran another cable from the second battery to the negative bus bar. They are electrically the same thing, but I wanted the least amount of distance for current to travel from the factory ground to the battery. I did not want to have to go to the negative bus and then to the second battery. It's probably negligible, but my general rule of thumb is to have the batteries as close to the source as possible. I am planning to upload my next video shortly and will also post the wiring diagram with a link to it in the HondaSxS.com forum.

@@rsparre So the ground source for the negative bus comes from the negative terminal of the accessory battery? Thank you so much for your time and your video. All my parts should be in today. I will let you know how it goes.

Hey Mike thanks for the comments. Your questions - 1) there is no technical reason why you need separate buss bars - but the fuse box is pretty light duty and I make several connections to the separate bias bars such as from the winch that I would prefer not to connect to the fuse box. Also there are quite a few connections to make and it’s nice to send some elsewhere instead of having a larger jumble at the fuse box. Also note that I say in the video I should have gotten a smaller one. WRONG!! This one was perfect. I’m already up to about 8 circuits and this box has been great. 2) the battery tender will keep both batteries up to charge via the isolator so you just need to connect it to the main.

The purpose of the bus bars is to create more convenient places to connect cables to for the positive and negative circuits. By creating more accessible attachment locations, you don't have to try to remove the bolts from the battery positive and negative every time you want to add something. That's why Robert connected the multiple positive and negatives cables to the aux battery before he dropped it in the battery box - he didn't want to have to dig that heavy battery out of that tight spot once it was there.

Hey Kenny - I have a diagram for how to use a bypass switch, or what we call an “on-off-on” configuration - ie on with key-on power, off middle position, and on with bypass manually. The diagram should be linked in the description - it’s on the HondaSxS.com forum since I cannot attach files in RU-vid. There are many really smart people on the forum that talk about the very thing you are describing and there is no single way to accomplish the task and there are discussions to help navigate various configurations. The dual battery thread with the diagram has many entries that should help you. As for the trickle charger - I don’t recall the isolator light staying on with the trickle charger plugged in. If the main battery is up to about 13+ volts the light comes on - but I didn’t think the trickle charger would send it that high. I will have to check mine.

@@rsparre Thanks for your help I will check out your link on Honda SXS. I like DYI projects but I’m not very good at electrical

without a picture of your wiring, or seeing it myself, I cant be sure, but: if you have power to both sides of the voltmeter, of course both sides will display. The diagram clearly shows that the dual volt meter has TWO SEPERATE connections for EACH battery: one (+) for each battery, and then a common ground (-). As far as the light by the key, I'm not sure what you are talking about. Electricity is like water: it WILL follow the path, the path of least resistance. It is very straight forward and predictable, it is not magic. AC and DC, high and low voltage, single phase and three phase, don't even worry about that. ALL electricity ALWAYS follows a path to ground. If you place a lightbulb in the path, then the lightbulb lights up. A switch is a gate or valve. ON or OFF. So if the switch is closed, then electricity (power) flows. If it is open, then the path is interrupted, and it cannot flow. You should do some research, and watch some basic electricity videos. Look for the ones where the instructor teaches from a diagram, like here. Then you should be able to follow. Simple wiring is as easy as 1+1=2. It is very straight forward, no tricks, no formulas, no gimmicks. This video is one of the simplest and easiest I have seen so far, and I really like how he walks us through the electrical diagram (MAP) of how he plans to build his system (wire everything together). IF you do what he does here, follow this drawing. Please note this is an electrical diagram, NOT a physical blueprint. The physical locations of the components (batteries, switches, fuse boxes, relays, solenoids etc) have nothing to do with the diagram. Electrical diagrams show the PATH (wire) of electricity, and what wire goes where. It is more like a flow chart, not a representation of where something is located at on the side by side. This system can be applied to any side by side, or even your jeep or car or truck or whatever.

You don't have to use key-on power. You can use the "always on" method shown in the wiring diagrams I have listed in the video description - links to the diagrams are in the description.

Lol - nice “what if” scenario. There should be no current from the positive bus flowing back to the main battery. All safe there. Wife should survive.

I did not have any directions on my true wire dual battery kit but your video was great and we figured out the rest. I guess the second green wire with the white stripe was for a second battery gauge. I wired my machine up just like you did and everything went great. Best video on-line for the dual battery install. I have a million options for hooking up any extra's I may want to add in the future. Thanks for a great video.

Hey Natalie - that's great! So glad it worked out - and thanks for the great feedback! Winch video being finished up in the next day or so!

Greetings Master Robin. I “sort of” know a little electrical, but I am not a trained electrical engineer or anything close to that. You are mostly right about everything. Much of it was preference or basically on the fly. In the video I think I even said that I wasn’t sure if I was going to use bus bars when I started the project. The distance from the extra frame ground cable went to the aux battery in my mind to get ground to the battery with the least wire distance. I wanted a solid connection to the battery without adding another hop. Same for the isolator to the positive to the aux battery. But electrically the neg bar and the neg battery post are the same and the isolator post and pos bar are the same. So it’s a matter of wire distance and current flow going the least distance with the least resistance. So if someone smarter than me can make a case for what is “best” - that would be great. But otherwise I think is largely splitting hairs. As long as the wire gauge is appropriate for the load and the distances are kept as short as practical, then it’s just preference.

@@rsparre Thanks. My friend basically told me the same thing, he admitted he wasn't completely sure why, but said like plumbing, you want the flow to all be going the same way with fewest connections possible.

I believe it was 12 gauge for both. Remember that large current loads should not be running through the fuse box - only the switch current.

Hi Jay - I ran it out the back corner of the cover toward the dash - which is not where I showed it in the video if I recall. I would just notch a little channel in the cover to release some of the pressure so the end clips can catch.

Hey Brons - sorry for delayed reply. The part and link are in the description. For some reason RU-vid on my phone won’t let me copy/paste from the description to this reply.

Oh no! I have not heard of isolators freezing. That’s a good question to post on the forum to see what your neighbors say. As for the antenna, I do not have a radio so don’t have any advice for that - but another good question for the forum.

Only need one battery tender. Once the main battery is up to voltage the aux battery will be charged. No need for two chargers. The isolator handles it.

Hey D - did you look at the wiring diagrams I posted on the HondaSxS.com forum? I have links to them in the video description as RU-vid does not provide for attachments. Looking at a diagram might help sort out some confusion. The buss bar is a convenience - not a requirement. Many people like myself decided that it is worth having the positive buss bar so that it is easy to connect new accessories, especially the heavy load items (anything over 15 amps). I don't like putting high current accessories through the fusebox. (The SWITCH for the high current accessory is fine to put through the fusebox, but not the LOAD.) Inline fuses are fine - you don't have to run through a fuse box. So essentially, it's not a right and wrong thing - it's a matter of preference, convenience, and consistency. The main thing to be certain of is the electrical "potential", meaning the voltage potential at any connection point. The fuse box, positive buss bar, anything that is connected directly together is the same electrical potential. So you could use any connection point that is the same electrical potential to accomplish the task. You want to make sure the wiring that you use is able to handle the current/amp load.

I believe it was 12 gauge.

Thank you Mr. Sparre great video keep it up.

I figured it out, I only had one fuse in the accessory fuse switch and I added a second one.

@@johncalhoun3216ah yes, I made the same mistake when I first installed it!

Frank - don't be silly - I'm happy to help! If you look at the video again in that area, you will see I address most of this question. Because the area is tight and I couldn't maneuver the drill and I couldn't really get any force to get through the metal, I simply drilled through the plastic at my two hole marks for the stinger, and the bit stopped at the metal underneath. Then I used the same sheet metal screws I was originally going to use, but I put washers on the top side as needed to provide spacing to allow the screws to only go in about 1/4" or so through the plastic, which was plenty. They then pushed against the metal underneath, buckling the plastic a little bit - but it was nice and tight. I felt that was good enough.

@@rsparre Perfect Robert. Mucho Gracias

Hey Chris - thanks for the feedback. A number of people had the same problem. My suggestion would be to make a little notch in the cover to give the wire a little a space to exit.

@@rsparre thanks!!

I also have the same issue with the cover going back on. The wire isn’t the issue. The jumper that is inserted into the fuse box is to tall for the fuse box lid to go back on. Is there a possibility the fuse box cover comes in different depths? I can tell you mine is to shallow to go back on once the fuse adapter is inserted into the fuse box. I need a solution for this issue. Anyone have a solution for this?

@@jeffjamerson8314 You won't believe it but I wrapped mine in velcro! I suspect cutting a hold in it and gluing additional plastic to allow for the increased height may be the permanent solution.

@@jeffjamerson8314 I would recommend creatively looking at the situation and thinking of a simple work around. For example - maybe some Velcro placed strategically - or a strap of some kind if it can thread under the fuse box. I think Velcro would be the easiest thing.

Hey Gary - rubber under the battery should be fine, but not sure it will actually keep the battery warmer. Guess it can't hurt... I'm afraid I don't have any advice on antennas as I do not have a radio on my machine. Good place to ask would be on the HondaSxS.com forum - lots of folks have tunes in their machines.

Gary I forgot to answer your first question about the key-on harness. The video is WRONG about how hard it is to install the key-on harness because I am an idiot of major magnitude. Once you cut the hole in the dashboard for your switch plate, you can easily reach in to access the back of the cigarette lighter to tap into the accessory power. The fuse-tap option is fine, but a number of people complained that it was hard to snap the cover back on. I did not really have any trouble, but if I did, I would just cut a little notch in the cover to allow for the wire to be out of the way. It's not a right or wrong thing - pick your poison. Either one will do the trick.

Hey Trey - pos bus is not necessary, but I was happy I used one because it makes it convenient to add new accessories without having to add to the battery post directly. As for the stinger, again not required - but it serves a good purpose. There are many excellent discussions on the subject in the HondaSxS forum. You might want to check them out to dive into the details. The thread that has my wiring diagrams is linked in the description here.

@@rsparre with the fuse box having the negative screws, isn't the negative bus redundant?

Try cutting a little notch in the cover to make a path for the wire

Hey TM - thanks for the feedback. There are two larger posts and two smaller posts on the stinger. The larger posts go to the positive bus and the fuse box. It does not matter which of those two posts - just make sure it is the two large posts. The smaller posts go to the key-on power source and the negative bus. Does not matter which of those two posts - just make sure t is the two smaller posts. The smaller posts are the “switch” low current side and the larger posts are the “load” high current side. Lmk f that helps clarify. Thank you!

Thanks for clarifying, Large posts 1 to bus bar 1 to fuse box. Small post 1 to acc fuse (key on switch) and 1 to neg bus bar. Got it. Hopefully I can pick your brain if I have any other questions. Thanks

@@tonyman5417 sure thing - good luck!

Hi Robert, one other question, On the negative side of the aux. battery. My Pioneer came with the pre-wired ground which I connected to the Negative side on the aux. battery, here is the question , Do I need to run another groundless to the negative side of the main battery or just to the negative bus bar ?

@@tonyman5417 when you say your machine came with a pre-wired ground, I assume you mean the extra cable that is tied up in the front compartment that I show in the video that is used to route to the aux battery. If that is the case, you now just run another able from the aux battery to the neg neg buss bar. The main battery is already grounded separately. The ground connections are all the same electrical potential so it wouldn't hurt to do it, but not necessary.

No don’t do that. The isolator relay is not meant for that load. Use the isolator relay as intended. It is a negative triggered connection rather than positive as shown in the wiring diagram.

Hey Curt - there should be 3 positions on the dual voltmeter. One is positive for the main battery meter, one is positive for the aux battery meter, and one is negative. The positive for the main battery meter will go to the isolator terminal that you have tied to the positive of the main battery. The positive for the aux terminal meter will go to the isolator terminal that you have tied to the positive of the aux battery. The negative will go to your negative bus bar, or any negative frame ground. I recommend checking out the wiring diagrams I have on the HondaSxS.com forum which show this in detail. The post is heter: hondasxs.com/threads/yet-another-pioneer-1000-dual-battery-install-video.24388/

@@rsparre I did that, and the dual voltmeter is on even with keyed power off. I was wondering how you tied the relay into the dual voltmeter

@@curtmyers8500 were you able to check out the wiring diagrams? The relay that came with my kit is a standard relay, but it triggers off the negative instead of the positive. Pin 87 goes to the negative of the voltmeter. Pin 86 goes to the negative bus and is also tied to pin 30. Pin 85 is tied to positive from the fuse box. This positive coming from the fuse box is what keeps the voltmeter OFF when the key power is off or the override switch is off.

I'm not sure I follow the question. The positive bus in my wiring diagram is intended for key-on accessories only already. Note also that the switch for the winch would also be tied to the fuse box, which is only on if the key is on. So regardless of where the high current side of the winch is connected, it shouldn't power on unless the low current switch side is energized. The fuse box only has power when the stinger is energized, so the winch switch will do nothing if the key is not on..

​@@rsparre Yup, that makes sense now, I forgot the winch has it's own relay tied into key on power. However, maybe I'm looking at the diagram wrong, but the positive bus bar is before your stinger relay. It's seems for it to be true key on power it should come after the stinger. That way anything tied to the bus would be key on only? Like you said, the relay for the winch only makes connection via Key On power anyway, but I'm trying to think of a scenario this may not be the case. The reason I ask is I'm in the process of designing a dual battery setup and I'm stuck on deciding where I want to put my Positive bus bar. BTW, very informative video and I checked out the PDF versions of the diagram and they are very well done.

Thanks Adam! As for the positive bus bar, I may have misled you in my previous comment. Yes it is hot all the time from the aux battery - but remember the switch for the winch and any other accessory intended for key-on power will be tied to the fuse box, which is only energized when the stinger relay closes. The winch has pos and neg connections, but also has a switch that will not allow the winch to energize until it also closes, which won't happen unless the stinger is energized.

If you click on Mr. Sparre’s link in the description, that’s the size you want. You’ll need to lay it on its side to make it fit.

Yes exactly as Rob New stated - check the battery link in the description. It is the exact one you want.

No apology needed - we are all here to learn and help each other! The pos buss bar connects to the aux battery positive. The negative buss bar is connected to the aux battery negative. Check out the wiring diagrams up on the HondaSxS.com forum - links in the description.

@@rsparre Okay so nothing needs to be attached to the second main post on either Bus Bar?? And thank You for the quick response. Super helpful video!!

@@deervalley350 all connections for both buss bars are electrically the same, ie anything connected at any point on the positive bar is at the same electrical potential as any other connection, and also true for the negative bar. So there really isn’t any “main post” per se, but the larger post allows for a lower gauge (thicker) higher current capacity cable to connect, such as the main battery cable. The smaller screw tap connections on the bar are good for the individual lower current circuits. You can use the 2nd larger (main post) on the bar for anything that needs to connect to that bar. It is not electrically different than the other smaller connection points. I hope that clarifies a bit.

@@rsparre Thank You so much!

I used 12 gauge for that. Unfortunately I did not document that in the wiring diagram - oops!

I know some folks report having this problem. Mine snapped closed ok over the tap wire, but if I did have an issue there, I would make a little notch in the fuse cover to give the wire a little space while keeping the cover snap intact. I routed mine toward the back right corner.

@@rsparre My wire routed fine. There is plenty of space. It’s the fuse tap’s body that sits too high. It won’t allow the cap to seat.

@@tomfoolery5033 I have not heard of that issue before from anyone. Seems like something is not right - like the tap isn’t fully seated or something.

@@rsparre fully seated. It’s 100% the same one you bought. Cap teeters on the body. You can only hook one side in at a time. No big deal. I can drill small holes on the clips and just wire tie it, plus one of my 4awg grounds go across the top holding it pretty snug.

@@rsparre also, I appreciate your responses. I just traded my 700 in for a 1000. Had no idea about the tranny issue and I appreciate your foresight. Saved me some heartache. Your video helped a lot. I was a mechanic on a Nuclear Submarine in the US Navy. I only have basics down when it comes to electric. Your wiring tab reminded me of my ET and EM buddies on the boat.

I do not know if it electrically possible to use one relay for both, but I would counsel against it. Use a stinger for the fuse box which works for that application, and use the relay that came with the isolator for that application for which it is sized and intended. I would avoid taking shortcuts that jeopardize an expensive machine to save a few tens of dollars.

Cut a little notch in the cover where you want the wire to feed

@Robert Sparre mine seems to be hitting the top of the insert.

@@Cephous67 that shouldn’t be happening. I’ve heard issues with the wire being a problem with closing the cover, but never due to the fuse sticking up too high. Only thing I can think of is to make sure the adapter and fuses are pushed in all the way. Otherwise you will have to get creative with a solution. You can do it!