Date:         Thu, 22 Jun 2000 19:40:51 -0600
Reply-To:     Alfred Bagdan <abagdan@powersurfr.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Alfred Bagdan <abagdan@powersurfr.com>
Subject:      Re: Fridge Switch Position
Comments: To: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

On my 85 Westy  the fridge was connected wrong to the refrigerator heater
relay.  The fridge wire was connected to the multiple connector that leads
to the water pump (connection 87) instead of to connection 30.  Since I
bought the van new in 85, and have never touched the wiring, it must have
been done in the factory.  I once forgot to switch the fridge from battery
to propane one night, and the battery was totally dead next morning.
So all you vannagon owners, don't be too trusting about how things should be
from the factory.  Check it out.  Sometimes the people who put these things
together have their minds on something else, and make mistakes, even in
Germany.

Alfred
85 Westy

> That would depend on how the wires are connected between the battery and
the
> fridge.... stock is typically run through a fridge relay that disconnects
> the fridge from the starter battery when the engine is not running.
>
> If the fridge had run overnight on 12 v and connected to your starter
> battery you definitely would not have been able to start the van in the
> morning....
> On the other hand maybe... if the propane kept the fridge cold (or if the
> weather was so cold that the fridge didn't need any power to stay cold)
then
> the thermostat would not be calling for much in the way of 12 volts...
like
> I said it all depends on how the fridge is connected to the starter
battery.
>
> Subject: Fridge Switch Position
>
>
> > I noticed last weekend while camping the fridge switch got moved to the
> 12V
> > DC position.  The propane continued to run, so I am assuming this is
> switch
> > only turns on 12V or 120V, with the middle position doing nothing to the
> > gas side.  Would the switch being on the 12V position draw any extra
> > current?  I was almost not able to start the engine the next morning,
but
> I
> > wrote it off as a weak starter.  (See previous post.)
> >                                                         Jay
> >