Start at the back of your van: Alternator belt ..... tight? Not burnt on the edges? Blue wire with the square connector plugged in? The two wires to your starter on nice and tight? With the ignition off, remove the negative cable from the battery. Tap it a few times to the terminal, there should be very little arcing. You can put an amps gauge between to negative battery terminal and the negative cable and read the amps, you shouldn't get hardly reading of draw. With the battery reconnected check any accessory electrical lug on your fuse panel with the ignition switch off, you can just do this with a neon test light ....... you shouldn't get any light. If you do it'll be your ignition switch that is bad. Also if accessories have been added like driving lights, additional horns the relay sometimes stays closed and draws current, even if the accessory doesn't operate unless the ignition is on or the accessory position is actuated. Your AFM has a switch (tiny points) that run your fuel pump, they should be open when the actuator rod is in neutral location. If you have a battery cutout devise, be sure its wired to be active only with the ignition switch in the run position. (I'm dead set against additional solenoids at the starter and additioinal batteries but I hope this has been of some use to you.) Stan Wilder 83 Air Cooled Westfalia
On Wed, 29 May 2002 12:16:08 -0400 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG> writes: > But the clock, radio, etc. draw already. What is normal? > > Thanks, > Chris > > ---- Original message ---- > >Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 09:17:02 -0400 > >From: Jay L Snyder <Jay.L.Snyder@USA.DUPONT.COM> > >Subject: Re: Air Cooled Alternator (Was: aux battery > draining primary) > >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > > >Put an ammeter across the neg. cable and the neg. post to > see if any > >current is flowing. This will show any leakage. > > > > > Jay > > > > > > > > > >80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG>@gerry.vanagon.com> on > 05/29/2002 > >08:59:58 AM > > > >Please respond to 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@VANAGON.ORG> > > > >Sent by: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> > > > > > >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >cc: > >Subject: Re: Air Cooled Alternator (Was: aux battery > draining primary) > > > > > >There was no fridge relay per se, but I bought the EXACT same > >relay and used it for the install. > > > >The fridge switch is NOT in the 12V position, so I can't > >understand why the battery is draining. Plus the aux battery > >(from the admittedly micky mouse LEDs on the fridge stove > >unit still has a partial charge). > > > >The alternator is a seperate problem that is just making > >things worse. > > > >Thanks, > >Chris > > > >---- Original message ---- > >>Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 08:33:23 -0400 > >>From: "Vanagon man" <vgonman@msn.com> > >>Subject: Re: Air Cooled Alternator (Was: aux battery > >draining primary) > >>To: "80 Westy Pokey" <pokey@VANAGON.ORG> > >> > >>Did you use the existing fridge relay or install another? > >If you used the > >>existing one, then i can help.....let me know. > >> > >>PS the brush box is available anywhere..vanagain has them. > >The problem lies > >>within your wiring. It wounds like you have them in > >parallel. The > >>alternator output is not the issue, it is the way it is > >wired. I have had > >>my aux battery wired for 2 years with stock alternator with > >nothing but 2 > >>fully charged batteries. > >> > >>PS using the fridge on 12v drains any battery fast, ant it > >is not very > >>efficient. Propane is the way to go. > >> > >> > >>Adam P > >> > >>81 Vanagon Westy (The Brick) > >>70 Single Cab "Whitey" > >>74 Beetle "Ol Yeller" > >>73 Transporter (STILL at paint shop) > >>1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg > >>Used Vanagon Parts for sale (mostly aircooled) > >>----- Original Message ----- > >>From: "80 Westy Pokey" <pokey@VANAGON.ORG> > >>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > >>Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 8:24 AM > >>Subject: Air Cooled Alternator (Was: aux battery draining > >primary) > >> > >> > >>> OK, my alternator is certainly part of the problem so > >rather > >>> than repaire I would like to upgrade. > >>> > >>> I searched the Vanagon archives and checked out Tom's VW > >>> Pages: > >>> http://volksweb.relitech.com/90alt.htm > >>> > >>> But most upgrades are for WBX. Anyone ever upgrade an air > >>> cooled Alternator? > >>> > >>> Anyone have any comments on my aux battery below? > >>> > >>> Thanks, > >>> Chris > >>> > >>> ---- Original message ---- > >>> >Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 21:38:09 -0400 > >>> >From: 80 Westy Pokey <pokey@vanagon.org> > >>> >Subject: Is my aux battery draining my primary? > >>> >To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com, > >the_bug_pack@yahoogroups.com, > >>> type2@type2.com > >>> > > >>> >I thought I hooked up my second battery right. Given the > >>> >fact that it was totally dead today I clearly didn't. > >>> > > >>> >Before I get into the battery let me also say that I ALSO > >>> >suspect my alternator brushes to be worn out. Anyone know > >>> >the partnumber for the replacement cartridge? > >>> > > >>> >Anyway... I jump started the vehicle and as soon as I > >>> >unhooked the negative terminal the engine died. This > >happend > >>> >twice. So the battery was DEAD. > >>> > > >>> >Now here is how the second battery was hooked up. First > >off > >>> >remeber this is a 1980 westy, with no stock second > battery > >>> >and no relay under the drivers seat. > >>> > > >>> >Secondly, I don't know much about electrical systems and > >>> >hooked this up with someone else's instruction. I won't > be > >>> >able to follow a complex answer, nor is my explanation of > >>> >the setup complex. > >>> > > >>> >1) The black sheath to the fridge was cut to do the > >install. > >>> >The rear part has a red wire (with an inline fuse) and a > >>> >white wire. The front part has a blue and a red. The red > >was > >>> >one wire before it was cut and the blue and the white > were > >>> >also the same wire. > >>> > > >>> >2) The rear portion of the sheathed wire, the one with > the > >>> >white and the red is setup like this: The red goes from > >the > >>> >inline fuse to the positive terminal on battery number 2. > >>> >The white goes to some kind rectangular clear connector, > >>> >then on the other side of the connector the wire turns > >blue. > >>> >That blue wire goes to the 86 on the relay... then > >continues > >>> >to the front part of the sheathed wire and dissapears > >under > >>> >the drivers seat. > >>> > > >>> >3) The red from the front sheathing goes to the 85 on the > >>> >relay. > >>> > > >>> >4) There is a wire running from the 87 on the relay to > the > >>> >positive terminal on battery number 2. > >>> > > >>> >5) There is a wire running from the 30 on the relay to > the > >>> >positive terminal on battery number ONE. > >>> > > >>> >I just cant figure out where the power is being sucked > >from. > >>> >Any ideas? > >>> > > >>> >Thanks, > >>> >Chris > >>> > ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! 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