Warn Rear Power Kit (32966)

[Topzide]

Just was given this kit from a friend who cleaned out a relatives garage. It's 24' of 2 ga copper ending in an Anderson connector.
My question being, should this be connected to passenger side battery on both + and - terminals? Wasn't sure if I could connect the - to frame or engine block. The nice thing is that it has a solenoid that controls power out with truck running (ignition on).
Already have additional 175 amp Anderson connectors to make a set of jumper cables and trailer winch hook-up.
Thanks for the input.

 

[Tuesdak]

The ground from the frame to the engine and ultimately the battery generally isn't that big of a wire. As we found from grounding to the frame it's a GREAT SMOKE SHOW as the smaller ground connections burned off. This ultimately saved the truck from burning to the ground as the connector on the rear bumper shorted out from a nearly new Colorado Pickup that was totaled after it rear ended us.

I would use a protected location and ground to the engine. Otherwise you need to add a large ground strap from the frame to the engine.

Using ONE of TWO batteries for both connections makes one battery work harder shorting it's life, unbalancing it's charge, and pushes large current through the connections between the batteries. The engine ground only eliminates the extra ground current. The small current from the alternator is also why you use an engine ground. Some vehicles also have ECM sensors that monitor the batteries state of charge that a direct battery ground connection would be "invisible" to the sensor causing garbage in garbage out for battery charging.

The positive should also be sourced from where the two batteries are joined together.

 

[AH64ID]

I ground my winch connection to the engine block.

 

[Topzide]

Thanks for that input, @Tuesdak & @AH64ID! Had planned on connecting where the x-over cable joins both batteries. The ground location was the one that I wasn't sure about since FSM wiring states that frame ground locations are 50 amp ground points! May add extra heavier ground strap anyway, as we always have ground issues on our trucks!