Date:         Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:51:25 -0800
Reply-To:     "Gregory S. Morrison" <gsm@GREGORYSMORRISON.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Gregory S. Morrison" <gsm@GREGORYSMORRISON.COM>
Organization: Declude, Inc.
Subject:      Re: Battery recharge and stereo
Comments: To: Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <C5C86B77.7E9D%mwmiller@cwnet.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Are frequent dead batteries a common problem with Vanagon/Westys? What have
other owners done to deal with it?

Our PO had a cut out switch installed to prevent the stereo's "ghost draw"
from draining the battery. The PO's charging system was OK but they were
still going through batteries way too fast. Apparently that wasn't doing the
trick so the PO had battery cut out switches installed on both batteries.
So, when we turn off the stereo cut out switch we lose all of our presets.
Or, when we use the battery cut out switch and then turn it back on the
alarm goes off.

All this stuff (cut out switches and alarms) are from the PO. When we
originally owned this Westy (yes, we bought it back) we never had these
problems. I'm figuring it has something to do with the alarm or its
installation because those things tend to breed subsequent electrical
problems.

Any thoughts, suggestions, etc?

-Greg
86 Syncro Westy


On 2/23/09 3:04 PM, "Mike Miller" <mwmiller@CWNET.COM> wrote:

> All,
>
> When I got my van, an 87, I put in a Sony head unit because the night before
> I bought it the van had been burglarized of its old one.
>
> Worst piece of electronics I ever paid for. Bad FM, incredibly bad
> ergonomics, just terrible. In addition when I don't drive the van for four
> days or so it draws the battery flat. And no, it's not on but the display is
> lit. Doesn't seem possible that it could draw that much but the battery's OK
> if I just disconnected the display face plate when I leave it for a while.
>
> Question is how long driving at highway speeds to completely charge a
> battery? Group 46 I think.
>
> Mike
>