Piranha Off Road

[D4Dazz Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4Dazz]

Was wondering if anyone in here has dealt with these guys down here in Melbourne and used there systems. I about to embark on a dual battery install and don't have the confidence to do it myself so would prefer a professional install. I have had some good reports from years ago but was interested if anyone had any recent experience with them on their Prado.

Thanks in advance
Dazz

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

No idea about their work but there are better options in my opinion than the Piranha bits.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

IMHO I would bypass Piranha.

If you wanted a mainstream system try Redarc.

If you wanted something not mainstream but very good try http://www.traxide.com.au/isolators/...amp-winch.html

These guys are good and know all about campers/camping as the owner has a Tambo camper

Boronia Automotive Electrical Service
Factory 15/ 15 Macquarie Pl, Boronia VIC 3155
(03) 9729 7299

[D4Dazz Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4Dazz]

Over the past 6 pr 7 years I've used this site for ideas and advice....lately it's purely for entertainment, n most cases..... Great non-information mjrandom!

D4D, I've actually used Boronia Auto Electrical on my previous 3 vehicle and their work is very good and reasonably priced. Funnily enough they do use and recommend some Piranha kit, like their trays.

[jamieprado Member Find all posts View Profile Close jamieprado]

I have used their trays and the quality of their work is excellent. I had to replace some nuts/bolts/washers from the kit after owning it for 6 years and moving it to another vehicle, i gave them a call and they were great on the phone. Within 10 minutes i had a nuts and bolts kit (with guard plate) being sent out to me, at no charge (offered to pay). I now have another Prado and it came with a DBE180-S, very happy with this setup.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Funnily enough they do use and recommend some Piranha kit, like their trays.

Trays are ok, I prefer ARB though, however I wouldn't touch their electronics...

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Over the past 6 pr 7 years I've used this site for ideas and advice....lately it's purely for entertainment, n most cases..... Great non-information mjrandom!.

I assumed you see that as you are a long termer that you did a search and discovered that there was little in the way of information about the Piranha equipment other than battery trays. Thus your request and thus my response.

I used a Piranha dual battery isolator on the 90 and it was rubbish. Didn't isolate worth a damn and while charging the auxiliary kept charging the main as well to some extent. This resulted in cooked main batteries. Old news though. Doubt it is the same but that experience was enough for me to steer clear of their products from then on.

The consensus mentioned many times in here is to fit an isolator like the SBi12 or equivalent and a booster diode if you swing that way. I wouldn't run any of the VSRs on the market but that is just me. But you would have seen all this in the numerous posts about dual battery systems.

I am past fitting batteries under the bonnet so the quality of the trays is now moot.

[150Pete Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close 150Pete]

Dazz
I just fitted the piranha DBE140S, with piranha tray & wiring loom in my V6 petrol 150, found it fairly easy, & saved about $600 on installation
I did post on here today, http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...y-Guide/page19
I'm in SE Melb & would be happy to give you a hand if you close enough

[D4Dazz Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4Dazz]

Thanks Pete. At this stage I think I'm going with the Piranha tray and volt metre and the redarc isolator. Not using Piranha to do the fitting as they quoted 3 times my auto elec. Found a guy in Rowville who seems pretty decent. Mate had his done there and seems pretty neat. Hopefully getting it all done next week.

[MelbournePark Member Find all posts View Profile Close MelbournePark]

Thanks Pete. At this stage I think I'm going with the Piranha tray and volt metre and the redarc isolator. Not using Piranha to do the fitting as they quoted 3 times my auto elec. Found a guy in Rowville who seems pretty decent. Mate had his done there and seems pretty neat. Hopefully getting it all done next week.

Getting a good auto sparkie is the trick. We used to have a guy - Burtons - close to us who everyone went to. Now gone. Everyone misses him.

I took my 90 series to the best auto electrician I could find, as the 90 had its first failure. The starter was playing up. After only 16 or 17 years - quite disgraceful. They swapped it out - so they claimed. I'd rather have had them clean mine etc. Anyway, a week later, I noticed the smaller reserve fuel tank not working. I took it into them and said they must have re-wired things incorrectly. They said no. And that they would put in a new fuel pump, for only $400 maximum. They were sharp - they already knew how much they cost ...

So I took it to a mechanic, who found the loose wire.

So, they'd have charged me $400, to put the wire back that they removed.

Finding a good auto sparkie is really worthwhile IMO. And for me, trust and truth is a lot more important than an auto electrician's hourly rate.

[fido666 Banned Find all posts View Profile Close fido666]

So, they'd have charged me $400, to put the wire back that they removed.

I would have been back there asking for a refund but I know the feeling.

I had an auto sparky re-wire my winch control box as the cables weren't long enough but I had to take it back to them as they left gaps between the end of the insulated part of the cable and the rubber boots going into the box, the excuse was the cable they ordered in was too thick. There solution to make it fit was to cut the rubber boot thereby compromising the seal. They also managed to stuff the seal between the lid of the box and the base (although admittedly the seal was pathetically thin to start with). At that point I gave up and just sixaflex-ed the hell out of the boots and the seam of the box and so far it seems to be holding up but really I should have made them fix it up properly.

It's hard to get a decent job done on anything these days, too much corner cutting from the tradies to make some extra profit.

[Guest Close Guest]

I decided to get mine done by myself. Asked heap of questions on here, then went and got the tools to do the job. Everything seems to be working perfectly. If things go wrong I have myself to blame.

[tassie tiger Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close tassie tiger]

Sidewinder are very helpful too. Or were last time I used them

[Fred63 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fred63]

I agree with AMTS
Educate yourself, get the right tools and DIY
But know your limits

[MelbournePark Member Find all posts View Profile Close MelbournePark]

I would have been back there asking for a refund but I know the feeling.
....

It's hard to get a decent job done on anything these days, too much corner cutting from the tradies to make some extra profit.

I couldn't - they did a great job on the starter motor.

It was just that they removed a wire which made the second fuel tank and fuel gauge operable. They just said that the vehicle required a new fuel pump.

So I got someone to trace the wire issue. Not even a sparkie - just a mechanic. Cost me a few dollars as part of a service.

Cost me a lot more in trust though ...

But if something is installed by 4WD experts - companies who always are servicing 4WDs, you see them outside being queued up etc. - then you'll pay a bit, but you'll know its done very well. When I had my suspension done and my timing chain done on the 90, I went to guys like that. They had a full Toyota tool kit (not cheap to buy those as you now need Toyota tools) etc but new every 4WD and their strength and weaknesses.