Date:         Sun, 28 Dec 2003 03:15:47 -0500
Reply-To:     Laurence Smith <laurence@ALANASMITH.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Laurence Smith <laurence@ALANASMITH.COM>
Subject:      Re: 2nd battery info, not quite there yet
Comments: To: Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <482584A9-3893-11D8-AE34-000A959B3796@knology.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Of the 2 larger red wires going to the camping stuff:
* one is hot all the time - it runs the water pump, little lights
(water level etc), perhaps the fridge fan (propane mode).
* the other red is only hot when the engine is running - for fridge in
12v node.

I can't remember which red wire is which, but if you check them for
voltage when the engine is off then you'll know.

By-the-way, the ground for the trigger wires for the relay (red/black
I think) uses the starter solenoid via the ignition switch (which IMHO
is a strange VW engineering decision).  If the relay starts clicking
rapidly it is due to this strange ground setup - then just ground it
straight to the body.

- Laurence

----------------------------------------
 Laurence Smith
 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
 90 Westy / 90 Subie 2.2 (in progress)
 87 GL / 91 Subie 2.2
----------------------------------------

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List
> [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
> Of Jim Felder
> Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 12:37 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: 2nd battery info, not quite there yet
>
>
> I've look over the input I've gotten from several folks who
> answered my
> question about how to set up a second battery. Here's what
> I know and
> what I don't know:
>
> The ideal place seems under the drivers seat. Since mine is a Westy,
> there's already a silver relay under there with a part
> number ending in
> 9813, 12 v 30 a.
>
> What does this do?
>
> Into that relay, coming from the front of the car, is a blue wire, a
> red wire and a red/black wire.
>
> Out of that relay, heading to the fuse terminal and going
> back to the
> camper stuff, are two larger red wires.
>
> I've looked at the Bus Depot wiring diagram long enough to
> know that if
> I know which of the two red wires to put on terminal 87 of the new
> relay, and where to conveniently grab a wire that's only
> hot when the
> motor is running (or the car is switched on is OK with me)
> then I can
> complete this task.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jim
>