Date:         Sat, 5 Nov 2005 11:37:28 -0500
Reply-To:     Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Think I have an electrical problem here.

Here is how the relay is hooked-up.This is a 4 blade fused relay by
Hella,from BD.The origional relay was 5 blade. The difference between the
two relays is that there two 87 labeled blades on the origional relay.This
extra blade provides a power supply to the westy stuff directly from the
main battery at all times,without the engine running.With the auxillery
battery installed, this extra 87 blade is not needed, as power for all the
westy stuff comes directly from the aux battery.The two batteries are now
isolated.This battery is downstream from the relay.The relay is between the
two batteries.This is my understanding about how the relays work for an
auxillery battery.

Here is how I installed the Hella relay: 87-smaller red wire to auxillery
battery.This is the actual down stream power supply to charge the auxillery
battery.
 86 and 85 are the two blades that are in circut with the electro magnet
inside the relay, that closes the relay.Thats all they do is close the
relay so power may then come through the 30 and 87 blades.
86- Blue wire from the alt.(D+).This supplies current to close the relay.

85- Red/black wire to iginiton. I am hoping that this provides a proper
ground for the relay closing circut when the key is turned, and the engine
is running.The auxillery battery charges ok and the circut closes with
a "click"

30-  larger Red wire from the main battery. This is the 12V supply from the
main battery. The other side of this circut at the relay is the 87 wire
described above.The relay is  at the intersection of two circuts so to
speak. When the key is turned, the relay closes and power comes from the
main battery(30) , through the relay and to the 87 wire that goes to the
auxillery battery,charging it.

From the auxillery battery I have two heavy wires that go to the two circut
westy fuse box behind the drivers seat.The negative post of the auxillery
battery is grounded to the chassis of the van.So,at the auxillery battery,
I have hose clamped, the 87 red wire from the relay ,along with 2 wires
that go to the westy fuse box.With this set up the frig will operate with
the key off and on the 12V setting, as power comes directly from the
auxillery battery.I think the 12V setting for the frig only works with the
key on(engine running) with the origional relay.The upside to this Hella
set up is that I can operate the frig with the van parked,key off, on
12V.The down side seems to be that the replacement of power to the
auxillery battery may not may not be fast enough to replace the power
losted due to frig operation.Wire gage sizes in this circut differ.The frig
will suck power from the auxillery battery faster that the main battery can
replace it.In other words, I cant use 12V while the van is running or
parked for more than a few hours, as opposed to indefinant lenghts of time
with the origional relay set up.Is this correct?



The Bentley shows the stock relay set up (with 5 blade) as follows. 87a-red
wire to westy fuse box, then to 12V heater relay
87b-heavy red wire to main battery.
86- Blue wire(D+)from alt.
85-red/black wire to ignition switch.
30 red wire to frig

One comment here is that the blue wire and r/bk wire are different gages.
It would seem to me that the wire sizes should be similar gages if they are
to be in the same circut.

The Hella instructions that came with the relay shows this configuration:87-
to auxillery battery
86-blue wire(D+) from alt to ignition switch.The instructions quote:"This
lead should be connected to a 12V power supply that is alive when either
the ignition is switch on , or when the engine is running". So I used the
blue wire on this 86 blade.
85-Brown wire to ground. Well, I got no brown wire except what came with
the relay,so I used the red/black to the ignition(I hoped this had the
proper ground).
30- red wire from main battery.


 Well , thats it.I have 3 sets of instructions ,and all are different.With
the way I hooked everything up,the o2 and alt. lights will work, and light
up with the key in the on position(engine off),along with all the other
lights(parking brake, oil,ect) , just before start up.The 02 and alt lights
are supposed to remain on after start up and until I hit the gas. They
dont.They go off with the other lights.I suppose I have done something
wrong here, but I have no idea as to what?