how long before a dual battery system becomes unreliable?

Brenton,

All things will malfunction eventually, but unless you are experiencing battery problems, then you can assume the Rotronics Isolator/Controller is still doing its job.
Hell, that is a long time though. It must have a good set of contacts in it.

If you have any doubts at all, then by all means replace it with a new controller, if for nothing else but to give you piece of mind.


Bill.

Reckon with this good report, Rotronics should just give you another one, or promise to support you (wherever you are) until it fails - if it lasts 15 or 20 years or longer that'll be great advertising for them . Cheers

From personal experience they can fail at the most inopportune time. I had an ARB one fail on me on the way to Cape York a few years back - only 2years old as well. Thankfully I was in Longreach and close to an autosparky so was able to get the bits to jury rig a set up. I've now taken to carrying a old time electro-mechanical isolator with me for those 'just in case' scenarious. But seriously a quality solid state isolator should last for donkeys years.

brenton,

If it's not broke, why fix it? It has a good history with no reason to think it won't continue working. No replacement comes with that. If you feel uneasy, maybe carry a replacement, but I wouldn't fit it until you need to (maybe some time in a decade or 2).

Cheers

John

My Rotronics unit is coming up to 10 years in age and has been in two vehicles since I first bought it. About six months ago I thought it was starting to fail as the starting battery was not charging fully. I then discovered that one of the connections had started to work loose from corrugations. No problems since i tightened it up. Good reliable product.

I'm on my 2nd Rotronics unit.

The first unit was used in two vehicles from 1987 to 2000, and was sold in perfect working order with the vehicle.

My second unit (MH10) has been in 3 vehicles and has worked perfectly for the past 10 years.

The reason they last is that they do not have a solenoid. The switching is with FETs (transistorised).

Thanks one and all. I think carrying a spare unit is the way to go. Off to the Rotronics shop I go..

As a finale to this conversation for future readers, Rotronics advised me the service life for their units is 10 years. They say that this is most likely a minimum though. They also said some people mistakenly change out units thinking it is faulty, but in fact it maybe battery or cabling. They have correct testing procedures available on request.

The guys there are super helpful and offer trmendous support and advice.

http://www.rotronics.com.au/
Technical & Information: email at rotronics@bigpond.com
Telephone : -- +61 7 5497 8066