Date:         Tue, 22 Oct 2002 14:38:37 -0700
Reply-To:     Timothy Hannink <tjhannink@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Timothy Hannink <tjhannink@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mystery Battery
Comments: To: Arthur Anderson <rgylpunk@MAINE.RR.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <3DB5C214.6090000@maine.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

The relay is controlled by a blue wire which connects
directly to the output of the alternator. The relay
switches and connects the batteries in parallel only
when the alternator is producing current.

I was camping this weekend and used my 10A battery
charger on the aux battery while watching movies. I
ran a jumper from the "+" on the aux battery and
energized the relay so both batteries would charge.

The only thing would have been connected to the
auxiliary battery from the factory was the 12V outlet
under the passenger seat. That outlet was for the
portable Dometic RC160E fridge that was originally
part of the camper package for your particular
"Westy".

For more info on your type of camper go to the Yahoo!
Wolsburg_Campers group. See my signature for the
hyperlink.

Good luck,

Tim


--- Arthur Anderson <rgylpunk@MAINE.RR.COM> wrote:
> Hi all! This is my first question to this list,
> first car and I'm not a
> mechanical person so you may have to bear with me
> here while I try to
> make this make sense...
> I have a slightly quirky 85 Wolfsburg ed. Westy
> Weekender. I've been
> puzzling through the electrical system with a very
> electrically minded
> friend, and we've come upon a deep cycle battery
> (quite dead) under the
> drivers seat. The thing is that even with this
> battery dead, everything
> in the van runs whenever we need it to. The deep
> cycle was only wired to
> a lighter outlet under the front passenger seat. So
> what did the battery
> power when it was live? There is a relay which would
> potentially connect
> the deep cycle to the alternator/starting
> battery/main electrical system
> but we cannot figure out what controls the relay.
> Anyone know? My buddys
> best guess at this was that originally the deep
> cycle would power the
> electrical system when the ignition key was off and
> then when the engine
> was running the alternator would charge both
> batteries in parallel.
> Thanks for any help you can give, and I hope this
> all makes sense...
>
> -Arthur Anderson
> Portland, ME.


=====
Tim Hannink
Goldibox - 1987 Vanagon Camper, Wolfsburg Edition
Winter Park, Florida
http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wolfsburg_campers
http://photos.yahoo.com/tjhannink [Vanagon] Album

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