Light bar questions

[Justinw6210]

Hello everyone! I recently purchased a 2021 Defender Max HD10. I am wanting to put a light bar on the front bumper. I’ve been looking through several and found a few that I like. But, my question is, can I safely put a light bar on that is drawing 250 watts (approximately 20 amps) and not have problems with the battery draining? I am also installing a JBL head unit and 2 6.5 inch speakers. I just don’t want to overload the system. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! 
 

Justin

 

[Andystoy19]

That is a good question, do you have the larger charging system 850 watt or the 650 standard one? The standard 650 charging system supports about 450 watts when running the rest can be taken up by system maintenance. The stator cannot produce the full rated watts until about 4000 RPM so if you are riding slower than that or idling the charge can be lower resulting in drawing power from the battery.

There are several threads on here asking how to correct problems after installation. First thing is connect the light bar to a keyed buss bar that is fused high enough not to blow fuses when the lights are on and make sure the light bar is fused also.

Connect the stereo to a similar keyed connection paying attention to the fuses as above. The reason to connect to a keyed on buss is so that all the load is shut off when you turn the key off. Some folks like to listen to the stereo with the engine off and that will discharge the battery much quicker to the point you may not have enough capacity to start the engine. If you don't have sufficient battery to start the engine in a remote location you have a big problem unless you carry a boost kit.

Learn to manage the total load on the charging system if you see a problem with an undercharged battery. Enjoy the vehicle and your accessories.