Date:         Tue, 07 Jan 1997 13:00:37 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Lawrence Johnson <ljohnson@halhinet.on.ca>
Subject:      Re: Connecting  a 2nd battery & fridge questions

David, if you refer to your Bentley page 97.32b for 1980-1985 or page
97.33b for Campers from 1986, you will find a relay labeled REFRIGERATOR
12-VOLT HEATER RELAY.
You will find that the Fridge (and fuse) are connected to post 30. Post
87 is connected to the main power bus 30. The control panel (and fuse)
are also connected to post 87. The switching posts 86 and 85 are
connected to the alternator terminal D+ and the ignition/starter switch
terminal 50 respectively.

I realize that VW designers put the REFRIGERATOR 12-VOLT HEATER RELAY in
backwards to a normal application but what do we mere mortals know.

If you refer to your Bentley page 97.34a for Campers 1986-1989, you will
find a relay labeled BATTERY CUT-OUT RELAY. Here the VW engineers put
the relay in the normal way. Post 30 is connected to the main power bus
30 and the +12v post of the primary battery. Post 87 is connected to the
+12v post of the auxilliary battery. The switching posts 86 and 85 are
connected exactly like the REFRIGERATOR 12-VOLT HEATER RELAY (connected
to the alternator terminal D+ and the ignition/starter switch terminal
50 respectively).

I hope this helps clear up any confusions.

Larry Johnson
_________________________________________________________________________________

David Ruppe wrote:
> 
> hi volks-
> 
> I mostly lurk and appreciate all the great advise I've received here.  While
> making the connections for the second battery in my '88 Westfalia and reading
> in Bentley, I conclude I am either reading the wiring diagram incorrectly, or
> someone else is.  From my reading of the diagram, terminal 87 is switched and
> 30 is direct to the + post on the main battery.  This is definitely not what I
> have seen here and in the Ron's faq.  While I don't have my Bentley at work,
> could someone look at this and tell me who is right?
> 
> TIA
> 
> david
> 
> > Harold,
> > With the original setup, before the aux battery was installed, the
> > fridge was connected to the switched post(30) of the relay while the
> > water pump and control panel were connected to the unswitched post (87)
> > of the relay. The result was that the fridge only received 12v when
> > the engine was running while the control panel and water pump had 12v
> > all of the time (the control panel read the status of the primary
> > battery).
> >
> SNIP