Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 14:50:50 -0600
Reply-To: bueses <bueses@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: bueses <bueses@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: 2nd battery Westy questions
In-Reply-To: <20050812164512.52675.qmail@web30215.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
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I installed an Optima D34/78 deep cycle/starting battery in the 2nd battery
location over the weekend & it works. I did have some confusion w/ the
different emails of advice. Just to make sure it was working properly, I
turned on the kitchen, dome lights & the stereo & left them on over nite for
almost 12 hours. The 84 Westy then started right up this am on the regular
battery! My questions, confusion, concerns are below next to the orig.
post:
> Piece of cake:
> -Remove #3 fuse. Check that the dome light, sink light and radio are disabled.
> If
> not, you got the wrong fuse.
Good point, those items were on 2 different fuses.
In my case it was the #8 fuse which also showed on the fuse cover as the 30
connection. My radio was on #9 & the lights were on #8 so switched the radio
over to #8 so that they would all be on the same circuit off the 2nd
battery. Any problema w/ this???
> -tape over the upper fuse receptacle hole so that you will be reminded not to
> use
> it.
Not quite sure what hole you are referring to-the hole in the top fuse
holder?
> -make a wire lead with an in-line fuse (15A) with a spade connector on the
> end.
> -remove 15A fuse until you are finished wiring.
> -plug the spade connector into the lower fuse receptacle hole and run the line
> back
> toward the "fire wall" (what does one call it on a Vanagon anyway?), down
> under the
> carpet, back to the battery box under the driver's seat.
> -secure the wire so that it won't juggle free from the fuse receptacle.
Connect to the bottom fuse holder connector from the front or onto a female
conn. In the back of the fuse block? Couldn't see a place to connect in back
so did it in front (temporarily?) which does not allow moi to reinstall fuse
cover. Put fuse back in place at this spot. Wouldn't work w/o it? Seems
like a hack?
> -connect the wire lead to the +ve battery post.
> -reinsert the 15A fuse.
> -now of course that damned radio is squealing and needs resetting.
> You have now connected the dome light, the sink light and radio to your
> auxiliary
> battery.
Yes, it worked!
> -Larry
> '86 Syncro Westfalia (and maybe a '86 Syncro double-cab pickup for Christmas)
>
> Robin Oomkes wrote:
>
>> Brent Christensen wrote:
>>
>>> FWIW, I also rewired *all* the accessories in the Westy to run from the aux
>>> batteries by tapping into the fuse panel and bypassing the regular battery
>>> connection.
>>
>> Brent,
>>
>> I'd love to see how you did that. I've been wanting to do this ever since I
...............
> or try:
>
> vanagon.com aux battery wiring intructions are NOT valid !!!!! (long)
> 1 message
> Jason M. Yasment <vanagon@nycap.rr.com> Thu, Aug 12, 1999 at 7:32 PM
> Reply-To: "Jason M. Yasment" <vanagon@nycap.rr.com>
> To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> OK,
> I had wired up the aux battery per the instructions on the vanagon.com
> website. One problem. These directions are NOT valid!!!!!!
>
> I'll list the directions on the website and then show my findings with the
> '84.
>
> 1. Disconnect the battery at the groundstrap.
> 1a. No Problems here.
>
> 2. Disconnect the 3 red wires leading from the fuse box behind the drivers
> seat from the relay terminals.
3 wires or just the 2 coming from the fridge?
> These wires to the fridge and the cabin
> light.
> 2a. This is where I ran into problem #1. Yes one of these wires does run
> to the fridge. The other runs to the display panel that shows your
> batteries charge. These both rin through the fuse block behind the seat.
> The light over the kitchen is wired to the starting battery independent of
> the relay. I proved this fact by pulling both wires and turning the light
> on.....still worked.
> Remember this relay is called the REFRIGERATOR 12-volt
> HEATER RELAY and has nothing to do with the kitchen light (ref. Bentley page
> 97.32b)
Hmmmmm, After moving these 2 wires, the display panel, the kitchen lite & my
dome lite now all work off the 2nd battery only.
>
> 3. Connect these two wires to the positive terminal on the aux battery.
> 3a. Yes, this makes sense that the fridge will run from this source. And
> the display panel will show the charge level of the aux battery. This was
> not tested in my situation however.
>
> 4. Run an 8 or 10 ga wire from the + terminal on the aux battery to
> terminal #30 on the relay. This terminal supplies current to charge the aux
> battery when the van is running.
> 4a. What the diagram shows when the relay is closed is that it will charge
> from the starting battery, drawing that battery down and reducing it's
> useful life. Then the alternator would charge the starting battery the
> energy that was used for replenishing the aux battery. The starting battery
> can only recharge the aux battery with what ever energy it has and will not
> fully charge unless you drive for a few hours. In the mean time you will
> only put a substantial drain upon the starting battery and still not fully
> recharge the aux battery. In other words the aux battery is not directly
> charged by the alternator in this configuration.
> In the diagram on the referenced page of the Bentley manual it show a
> lead going to the D+ terminal on the alternator. This circuit does not
> carry a charge but only half of the trigger current, while the ground is on
> terminal 50 of the ignition switch.
Hmmmm? Not sure if I have a problem here or not, but do not want to
prematurely kill a $180 battery! Do I need to rewire to the D+ terminal to
avoid not fully charging both batteries????
FWIW, I also had to carefully cut the seat base below the seat turntable w/
an air driven die grinder to allow the battery to sit on it's side in the
compartment, but only where the battery posts would not clear the frame of
the seat base. Very tight getting it in & connecting battery connections
but it fits nicely inside & is covered up like stock! The battery
instructions also said not to use the side of battery connections to run
auxiliary items but only to jump start other devices! So I used the top
posts that are on their side under the seat.
Any problems w/ my installation????
Thanks,
Tom
