Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2003 08:44:03 -0500
Reply-To: Ron & Marianne Mighton <rmighton@COGECO.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ron & Marianne Mighton <rmighton@COGECO.CA>
Subject: Second battery install instructions
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I have imbedded the second battery install instructions from the file developed by the Toronto vanagon group.
The instructions were created from the work of others on the list.
INSTALLING AN AUXILIARY BATTERY IN A VANAGON WESTFALIA
Take a look in the battery compartment under your driver's seat. Many Westy's came from the factory wired to accept an auxiliary battery. Look for a relay (silver or black cube about 1" by 1" by 1" with several electrical terminals). If you have one of these
Then the following instructions are for you.
Note These instructions are modifications of the works of others who have provided auxiliary battery instructions for the vanagon list.
Objective: To install a spare battery to run utilities, interior lights, radio, fridge etc rather than use the main battery during camping trips.
What you need for the installation:
TOOLS
A simple set of tools, which should include
Electrical crimping tool
Multi purpose screwdriver with Phillips bits
Small crescent wrench
Metric wrench set, which includes 13mm wrench
Needle nose pliers
Small piece of coarse sandpaper
THE PARTS LIST (Parts and Prices are Canadian)
Cost of installing is as follows
Battery $58.99 COSTCO 207280 41-650 650 CCA
Negative bat.cable $4.29 CanadianTire Corp. 11-0931-8 (9 Inch cable)
Pos. Bat. terminal $1.99 Canadian Tire Corp. 11-3510-2 Universal top post with two ¼ inch connectors
Metric 8mm bolt .32 Canadian Tire 61-2421-0 ¾ inch bolt for ground
It is suggested that you use 12 gage or preferably the larger 10 gage wire so you will also need the following.
10 Gage wire 10ft $5.99 Canadian Tire 20-7511-4 (12 ft required )
You need 12 feet of wire so buy two of above or say 12 feet by the foot
4 ring terminals $2.39 Canadian Tire 20-6908-8 (10/12 gage fit ¼ post
1 butt connecter $2.39 Canadian Tire 20-6918-4 (10/12 gage pkt 4 )
1 female connector $2.39 Canadian Tire 20-6923-0 (10/12 gage pkt 4)
1 self strip connecter $2.39 Canadian Tire 20-6932-8 (110/12 Gage pkt 4 )
1 20 amp in line fuse $3.49 Canadian Tire 20-0025-4
INSTALLATION OF AN AUXILIARY BATTERY
Look in the battery compartment under your driver's seat. Many Westy's came from the factory wired to accept an auxiliary battery. Look for a relay (silver or black cube about 1" by 1" by 1" with several electrical terminals). If you have one of these then read on.
Note that the factory setup for the auxiliary battery will only supply power to your fridge and possibly your cabin light. You will have to run an additional power line to your dash
to power your radio and lighter socket if you want them on auxiliary power. The fridge running on 12 volts will deplete the battery in two or three hours.
Here's what you need to do to connect an auxiliary battery if your bus comes with the relay installed.
Please read all instructions before beginning.
You should have a few basic electrical skills, if not, get some help from someone who does.
1.Rotate passenger seat to rear and disconnect your primary battery at the ground strap.
2.Slide drivers seat all the way forward then lift the small discreet latch that allows further forward travel and remove drivers seat. Rotate drivers seat swivel base to rear to give full clearance to the battery box. Disconnect the 2 red wires leading from the fuse box behind the drivers seat from the relay terminals. These wires lead to your fridge and cabin light.
3.Cut off the two connecters (on the red wires in step one) and connect these two wires (using the crimping tool) to a ring connector which you can then bolt to the positive + terminal for the aux battery.
NOTE: OK hold on for a moment to plan ahead. From reading ahead you will realize that In step 4 you are going to run a new wire from the relay to the positive terminal. In step 5 you are going to connect the ground strap to one of the VW prethreaded connect sites and in step 6 you are going to run a new wire from the aux battery positive terminal under the carpet and up to the dash. So this is a good time to do a trial fit of the auxiliary battery and figure out if you want are OK mounting the battery with the terminals forward and the ground (negative -) towards the passenger seat. You will probably have to change the relay location slightly to accommodate the battery. OK having decided which way to put in the battery you now know where the positive terminal will be and how long to make the wires in step 4 and 6. So take out the battery and continue the installation.
4. Run a 10 gage wire from the + terminal on the aux battery to terminal #30 on the relay.
(Crimp on a ring connecter to one end of the wire for the positive terminal connection and crimp on the female connecter for the relay connection.)
This wire supplies current to charge the auxiliary battery when the van is running.
5. Put the battery in the battery box and (using the 8mm bolt) connect the ground strap to one of the two 8mm threaded holes already provided by VW .
6. We suggest you add one more wire so that the radio, lighter socket and some interior lights will run off the auxiliary battery. The objective is to run a wire from the auxiliary battery positive to the 12 gage red wire that connects to the back of the lighter socket. You should be able to find a wire bundle up under the dash and just to the right of the steering column that contains two red wires. One of these wires will be a larger size 12 gage wire. You can confirm you have the right wire by removing the ash tray and glove compartment. Reach in from the glove compartment to access the back of the lighter terminal while someone else looks down through the glove box hole to confirm you have the right wire and correct wire bundle. Follow this bundle over near the steering column where you can get enough access to make a connection to the 12 gage red wire using the self strip connecter to make a tee connection. Now run the new wire over the steering column and behind the dash. Be careful to keep the new wire up behind the dash and well out of the way of the steering mechanism. Insert the inline fuse somewhere you can access it when required and run the wire under the floor mat to the left of the drivers seat (lloking forward and back to the positive auxiliary battery connecter. REMOVE FUSE 3 thus ensuring that the radio, lighter socket and some interior lights will run ONLY from the auxiliary battery. Consider writing a brief note on the back of these instructions describing where the inline fuse is located and then duct taping this to the inside of the fuse cover as documentation.
7.Connect the positive and negative terminals to the auxiliary battery.
8.Reconnect the ground strap on the primary battery.
That's it. With this configuration, the aux battery supplies cabin power whenever your engine is not running. When your engine is running, the alternator charges both batteries and supplies cabin power. (Note: To start your engine with the aux battery, you'll have to jump it to the main battery.)
Note that there aren't any deep cycle batteries that fit well into this space (11"l x 7"w x 6"h). A wheelchair battery fits, and gives you about 33 amp-hours. If anyone knows of any perfect-fit deep-cycle batteries, please advise the list.
Apologies for not giving direct credit to original authors who placed instructions on www.vanagon.com/info/faq
