Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:48:23 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: is this a ground point?
In-Reply-To: <CAN483vfAd6zeT6GxhZyDzJ+FX_ovVctiNuKOKzescWbbPunyOA@mail.gmail.com>
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hi Mike,
yes,it goes from the left side of the engine compartment ...that body
metal there,
to a good ground on the left side of the engine.
Good to hear they moved the ECU to a better place, than behind the left
tail light.
It's an amazingly short distance, btw ..
from near the black junction box in the engine compartment, left side ..
to the firewall behind the back seat, left side.
Like 20 inchesthere.
Don't know if you have engine plugs or what ...but if your main harness
meets the engine anywhere near that junction box, you don't need 'like
over 4 feet' of harness length to but the ecu under the back seat.
leave extra harness length of course, like a foot or so, at the ecuto
facilitate troubleshooting there if it's ever needed.
*always* build and layout with a thought about how to work on it in the
future.
I see that overlooked quite commonly on engine conversions.
yes...83 to 85 1.9 waterboxer vanagons have their ecu behind the left
tail light.
Just 'hangin' out there in the breeze' ..not in a box.
What I don't like about any sealed box is ...
if no moisture ever gets in it,...fine.
If any does, without some air vent ...the moisture will just stay in
there, corroding away.
gong by my 'do what the manfufacturersdo' ...
all ECU's are the basic metal case, mounted on a bracket, in a safe dry
place in the van.
NO ecu's are ever in a sealed plastic box or anything like that.
lack of ventilation is a MAJOR factor in mold, corrosion etc.
Every nice day at my shop, I have to go out and open up like a dozen to
15 vans and cars to air them out.
I don't perceive that many people ever do this..
there are countless car trunks that are wet inside, all moldy ...
rusted jacks and lug wrenches etc.
if you have a Westy with a cabinet ...
that's another option for ECU location. But it's harder to get to there.
I just got a newcustomer with an already-done subaru conversion ..
he was quite dissappointed that his ecu was hard to get to ..and
possibly on a pretty short harness, in the cabinet.
I suspect you don't have another vanagon around to look at ..
that always helps, like when you wonder how something 'was' before you
took it apart.
do good work ! and always make it easy to work on. Sometime you'll be
real glad you did that.
scott
www.turbovans.com
On 11/19/2012 12:50 PM, Mike South wrote:
> Where did that ground strap lead to? I think I have that strap. Maybe
> about a foot long, about a centimeter wide? Was it bolted to the engine or
> something?
>
> Regarding the Bostig ecu, my setup is old. The newer Bostig kit does put
> the ecu inside the van, I think that's been for at least a couple of years
> now. But even with mine, it's enclosed in a case. But I'm pretty sure the
> ecu on the 85 was in that well, wasn't it? That's what I meant by "where
> the ecu would live", as in, if it was still in the car, since it's one of
> the things I took out.
>
> mike
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 2:31 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
>> hi,
>> remember removing the stock original braided ground strap from one of
>> those threaded holes on the left side of the engine compartment ?
>>
>> those can be ground points for sure ..
>> Hhere's a trick..
>> get a multi-point 'star' lock washer. Put it between the ground wire and
>> metal body of the van..
>> the points dig into both parts ...ensuring very good contact.
>>
>> if you're nutty about it lasting well, consider a dab of dielectric grease
>> there too.
>>
>> Is it standard to put a Bostig ECU behind the left tail light ?
>> not the best location of course.
>> Like most modern cars ..VW moved it to the cabin in 86 and later ..under
>> the back seat.
>> Inside the passenger area is going to be the driest cleanest environement
>> genearlly.
>>
>> as I like to say 'Do what the manufacturers do.'
>>
>> Scott
>>
>> ( how many people preef rood what they wrote before sending it ? )
>>
>>
>> On 11/19/2012 12:16 PM, Mike South wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I took most stuff out of my engine bay in doing my Bostig conversion. I
>> needed a to ground a wire from the new wiring harness and added a wire to
>> this spot. I'm wondering if I've done Yet Another Stupid Novice Thing and
>> connected to something that isn't what I thought it was.
>>
>> This is in the engine bay on the driver's side of an '85 westy auto. The
>> triangular opening on the left side of the picture is the box where the ecu
>> would live, and the wire bundle running through the picture is the wiring
>> that runs to the rear lights.
>>
>> I think I saw the wires coming out of that bundle, screwed to the wall, and
>> thought "well, there's a ground point". I still think that's logical but I
>> just figured I would give everyone a chance for a good laugh in case I'm
>> spectacularly wrong.
>> https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bw4_lQZfcW6PbC1MRnNXb3kzQUk/edit
>>
>> I'm having trouble with my alternator putting out too high a voltage and
>> trying to make sure all ground points I'm using are good.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> mike
>>
>>
>>
>>
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