So having installed the physical bits of the winch, I now need a split charge system to run the two batteries. The winch is connected to the second battery in the boot and the main battery runs the normal car systems. A split charge relay connects the two batteries together, but only when the charging situation is good. The relay takes a feed from the alternator and when it is "good" it connects the batteries together. There are many types of split charge relays around but many are only suitable for low current applications such as caravan systems.

The relay below is rated at 200Amps continuous which means it can cope with high currents between the two battery systems when they are connected together.

The previous winch wiring article created a switch panel and a wiring loom that runs through to under the bonnet.

Now the winch equipment needs installing under the bonnet.

So having got the wiring looms in, the next stage is to add in the winch wiring. I want to put a remote switch in the dash board, a second battery in the boot and the winch solenoids under the bonnet.

The winch controls will go into the dashboard. There is a handy pocket in the radio/clock mounting frame (shown with a piece of white card inserted) that will take a switch module.

To see how this progresses look at the "Read More" link......

Once a Jimny has larger wheels fitted it is normal to cut back the flares on the wheel arches to prevent them rubbing. This means that the factory fitted wheel arch liners no longer fit and in my case they have been thrown away at some point in the past.

This then leaves a large open gap in the rear of the wing through to the door hinge. When off-roading this then fills with mud and is impossible to clean. Worse still is that even when cleaned it still seems to bleed mud out down the side of your car and in my case, with a black coloured car, it looks permanently dirty.

SteveW has sent in the solution below. He has cut soft plastic to shape and inserted it into the wheel arches. It certainly looks neat and is therefore high on my own list of things to do - look out for my version in the future.

Many thanks to Steve for sending this in.

As a special treat we went over to the MacMillan Charity 4x4 Drive around at Slab Common. Slab Common is a military driving area where REME practice large vehicle recoverys. Therefore it is chewed up by tanks and strewn with wrecked vehicles. Some very challenging sand (they also practice Army desert maneouvres here) led to some sticky moments.