Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:59:04 -0700
Reply-To: neil <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: THANKS! --- Was: Elec. Questions. yes... Aux Batt...
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Hi all.
Thanks so much for help from listers. As it turns out, things were
pretty much stock save for the 20 amp fuse where a 16 amp should be.
I really appreciate the help.
Not entirely sure how to hook up refer to aux batt, but it looks like:
connect the #12 red wire via a 16 amp fuse to positive on aux batt and
also connect white (that was connected to blue) to positive on aux.
FWIW, thanks to listers, I have found that I can use the #12 wire that
used to take power from fuse box to refer, to supply power from aux.
batt to S7 on fuse box. There was a jumper from S8 supplying power to
S7 that I had to remove (**important!**), but after that I simply
plugged the new #12 supply line in one side of fuse and hooked up my
fancy silver socket hooked and interior dome lights to the other. Just
for fun. If I can get a male plug for silver socket, I'm laughing!
Unfourtunately cig lighter is hardwired to brake light switch wire so
am not messing with that. For now.....
This is all untested at this point, but It's a start. It's now clear
to me how one can send power to fuse box from aux. batt. I'll tackle
getting the kitchen light wired up to aux. at a later date......
It takes time to study wiring diagrams and scrutinize physical
locations of wires under dash, and trace the #12 back to aux batt
area, but is well worth it. In fact while examining fuse box, I found
a heavy gauge wire that had melted most of the plastic on female
spade. THAT'S getting replaced.
Of note:
I assume one has to make sure that the gauges of wire match up. i.e.
one can't use a small gauge wire to supply accesories that use larger
gauge wire. They would obviously draw too much for the little wire to
handle. Of course this point is almost moot in my case as the silver
socket uses the same guage wire as new supply. I will double check
though. The dome lights use a #20 wire, so they're ok.
Now calculating size of fuse, that's another story. Things should be
ok as S7 was supplying silver socket as it was.
Cheers,
--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia.
http://web.mac.com/tubaneil