Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 09:45:12 -0700
Reply-To: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: 2nd battery Westy questions
In-Reply-To: <BF222B69.10D83%bueses@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Here's the post from my archives:
=================================================================
Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@sympatico.ca> Tue, Dec 21, 1999 at 5:54 PM
Reply-To: Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@sympatico.ca>
To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Piece of cake:
-Remove #3 fuse. Check that the dome light, sink light and radio are disabled. If
not, you got the wrong fuse.
-tape over the upper fuse receptacle hole so that you will be reminded not to use
it.
-make a wire lead with an in-line fuse (15A) with a spade connector on the end.
-remove 15A fuse until you are finished wiring.
-plug the spade connector into the lower fuse receptacle hole and run the line back
toward the "fire wall" (what does one call it on a Vanagon anyway?), down under the
carpet, back to the battery box under the driver's seat.
-secure the wire so that it won't juggle free from the fuse receptacle.
-connect the wire lead to the +ve battery post.
-reinsert the 15A fuse.
-now of course that damned radio is squealing and needs resetting.
You have now connected the dome light, the sink light and radio to your auxiliary
battery.
-Larry
'86 Syncro Westfalia (and maybe a '86 Syncro double-cab pickup for Christmas)
Robin Oomkes wrote:
> Brent Christensen wrote:
>
> > FWIW, I also rewired *all* the accessories in the Westy to run from the aux
> > batteries by tapping into the fuse panel and bypassing the regular battery
> > connection.
>
> Brent,
>
> I'd love to see how you did that. I've been wanting to do this ever since I got
> my first Westy (with factory aux battery and Eberspächer heater), but I've been
> reluctant to do so as everything works so well now. Except of course for the
> interior lights, 12V dash outlet and stereo draining the starter battery.
>
> Regards,
>
> Robin
> 90 Vanagon Westfalia Atlantic TD
> 84 Westfalia Joker D
or try:
vanagon.com aux battery wiring intructions are NOT valid !!!!! (long)
1 message
Jason M. Yasment <vanagon@nycap.rr.com> Thu, Aug 12, 1999 at 7:32 PM
Reply-To: "Jason M. Yasment" <vanagon@nycap.rr.com>
To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
OK,
I had wired up the aux battery per the instructions on the vanagon.com
website. One problem. These directions are NOT valid!!!!!!
I'll list the directions on the website and then show my findings with the
'84.
1. Disconnect the battery at the groundstrap.
1a. No Problems here.
2. Disconnect the 3 red wires leading from the fuse box behind the drivers
seat from the relay terminals. These wires to the fridge and the cabin
light.
2a. This is where I ran into problem #1. Yes one of these wires does run
to the fridge. The other runs to the display panel that shows your
batteries charge. These both rin through the fuse block behind the seat.
The light over the kitchen is wired to the starting battery independent of
the relay. I proved this fact by pulling both wires and turning the light
on.....still worked. Remember this relay is called the REFRIGERATOR 12-volt
HEATER RELAY and has nothing to do with the kitchen light (ref. Bentley page
97.32b)
3. Connect these two wires to the positive terminal on the aux battery.
3a. Yes, this makes sense that the fridge will run from this source. And
the display panel will show the charge level of the aux battery. This was
not tested in my situation however.
4. Run an 8 or 10 ga wire from the + terminal on the aux battery to
terminal #30 on the relay. This terminal supplies current to charge the aux
battery when the van is running.
4a. What the diagram shows when the relay is closed is that it will charge
from the starting battery, drawing that battery down and reducing it's
useful life. Then the alternator would charge the starting battery the
energy that was used for replenishing the aux battery. The starting battery
can only recharge the aux battery with what ever energy it has and will not
fully charge unless you drive for a few hours. In the mean time you will
only put a substantial drain upon the starting battery and still not fully
recharge the aux battery. In other words the aux battery is not directly
charged by the alternator in this configuration.
In the diagram on the referenced page of the Bentley manual it show a
lead going to the D+ terminal on the alternator. This circuit does not
carry a charge but only half of the trigger current, while the ground is on
terminal 50 of the ignition switch.
Steps 5 and 6. reconnect your ground straps.
For the '86 and newer models, the Bentley on page 97.34a, shows a separate
BATTERY CUT-OUT switch designed for this purpose.
Jason M. Yasment
'84 Westfalia
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