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Date:         Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:07:16 -0400
Reply-To:     Rick Foster <redhawkf@PEOPLEPC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rick Foster <redhawkf@PEOPLEPC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Help with Dometic 12v wiring
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Thanx Mark, Neil and Dennis! With your great help I found my problem. To re-cap: My Dometic had not worked in years. With the help of this list and Frak Condelli's web page I removed and refurbished and thoroughly bench tested the fridg and all worked well. I was testing the 12v connections under the drivers seat and I couldn't get any power. After checking continuity of all wires, Alt led working I checked the relay and IT was not working! Went to my FLAPS who did not have an exact replacement but did have a 87-87a 30amp relay($2.99). A 50 cent 2spade T connector allowed me to make the two 87 terminal connections, started the engine, alt led off and viola! Power! Now to reinstall the dometic and finish a few other things. Thanx again guys!!

Rick Foster 85 Westy >> >> >> >> > > >Is there a ground connection to 86 of relay in question? > >How many batteries do you have installed? > >Likely you know this, but a relay is basically a switch. > >If VW # 411915511B is the "fridge" relay, assuming fridge turned on to >12V setting, relay does this: > >engine running: relay energized (internal switch closed), power >allowed to flow from alternator to Dometic. Engine off, relay NOT >energized, (internal switch open) battery Dometic connected to doesn't >get drained. Bear in mind that power from alt basically goes to >starter battery, then from + post of this battery, to 30 buss which >I'm pretty sure Dometic is connected to. (check Bentley.... mine >outside) > >2nd battery relay (aka isolator relay). Works same way as above. > >If a 2nd battery (aka "aux." or "house") is installed, it is >connected, via an isolator relay to the + post of your starter >battery. Wired correctly, when engine off, relay isolates, or >disconnects the aux. battery from starter battery. That way any loads >wired to aux. battery, will only draw power from it. (and when >cranking engine, power only comes from starter battery) When engine >running, relay energizes via the blue wire, making connection between >starter and aux. batteries to allow power to flow from alternator to >charge it. > >Diagram > >http://www.keithandsylvia.co.uk/tech%20pages/splitcharge.htm > >note the text on fuses. "split charge" relay means same thing as isolator r= >elay. > >Both relays behave the same way and do similar jobs. > >To test either one: > >Disconnect wires from 30 and 87 of relay. Make sure a ground is >connected to 86 and that blue alt wire connected to 85. Check for >continuity between 30 and 87. There shouldn't be any. Fire up your >engine. Check for continuity again. There should be continuity between >30 and 87. If there is, the relay is working. > >Thought this page shows relays with the 87a pin, the theories are the same. > >http://www.bcae1.com/relays.htm > >Hope that helps > >Neil. > >> >------------------------------ > >Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:45:21 -0400 >From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> >Subject: Re: Help with Dometic 12v wiring > >You won't see real voltage there until the alternator is "kicked" in, = >(ignition on and light off). The concept of using the blue wire is that = >if the alternator should fail the fridge will turn off.=20 > >Dennis > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf = >Of Rick Foster >Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 12:07 AM >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: Re: Help with Dometic 12v wiring > >Being new to posting on this list and my computer doing funky things at = >times I know not if at times my follow-up post's didn't make it here, = >I've been waiting for replies, so I venture again: (thanx Craig, robert, = >Mark and Scott) > >This thread took the direction of 'The Incredible Journey' thru my = >relay. Facinating, and possibly why my relay is fried, the input wiring = >(thanx Robert) was wrong. I'm still stumped about how to know my house = >wiring is OK before installing the Dometic! > > - I checked output at my Alt blue wire spade while running and got = >0.12v. My alt lite goes on when I turn ign on but get no voltage from = >the relay at that spade on the relay. > > -? my relay is fried? It is VW # 411915511B. > > - ? GW has a 'second battery relay' that has the same spade #'s; is = >this the same relay? > > - ? Do I need a new Alt? > > - ? Should I get a 'aux bat wiring kit'? > >Thanx, and count me in too! > >(Freebo, Dometic Harmony is the Goal!) > >Rick Foster >'85 Westy, 2.1 >So. OR > > > > > > > > >>Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 3:48 PM >>Subject: Re: Help with 12v Dometic wiring >> >> >>> No, the wire that seems to come from the ignition switch is really a >>> ground wire of sorts, through the starter motor coil. The voltage = >that >>> triggers the relay comes in on the blue wire, from the alternator. If >>> you have something other than a Bosch alternator the blue wire may = >not >>> work anymore. >>> >>> Mark >>>

>>>> >>>> >>>> Now I'm stumped and stymied with getting back on the road with my >>>> Dometic working. It never has, but with help of Lorean and Ken, I = >took >>>> it out, refurbished it, bench tested each system and it worked. = >Before >>>> putting it in, I tested the 12v input and here's what I've got: >>>> >>>> 1- no auxillary battery, just stock wiring to'refrigerator heater >>>> relay'(bently 97.32.e), plan to put in aux bat in future. >>>> >>>> 2- clean wiring from relay thru fuse block and to ignition switch. >>>> >>>> 3- + Power from bat at term 87 thru term 30 to frig connection. >>>> >>>> 4- continuity in blue wire from term 87 to D connection at the >>>> alternator. >>>> >>>> 5- No Power at term 85 from the ignition switch but + continuity = >thru >>>> this wire to the ingnition terminal (term 50). This term is coupled = >with >>>> a #10 wire that goes I know not where. Bently (97.62) looks like = >it's >>>> track 78, but it looks like it goes off where 'no man has been = >before'! I >>>> can't read any 'track 78' anything functional and I'm not spark = >engineer. >>>> Spock where you! > >>Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:13:25 -0700 >From: mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET> >Subject: Re: Help with Dometic 12v wiring > >You need to make sure the alternator part of the circuit is working >correctly first, then connect the relay to it. > >With the blue wire not connected to the relay, make sure the dash alt >led comes on when the key is turned on and then goes out when the engine >is running. > >If the alt led behaves as it should, connect the blue wire back to the >relay, pin 86. Pin 85 should be connected to ground. With the engine >running and the alt led off, touching the blue wire to pin 86 of the >relay should make the relay click, every time. If not, the ground is >missing from pin 85 or the relay may be bad, or the blue wire is not >connected to the alt led circuit anymore. > >You must verify that the dash alt led is behaving as it should since >that signal is what controls the relay. Then the blue wire should >provide +12v to the pin 86 of the relay. > >Mark > > > >>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 3:48 PM >>> Subject: Re: Help with 12v Dometic wiring >>> >>> >>>> No, the wire that seems to come from the ignition switch is really a >>>> ground wire of sorts, through the starter motor coil. The voltage that >>>> triggers the relay comes in on the blue wire, from the alternator. If >>>> you have something other than a Bosch alternator the blue wire may not >>>> work anymore. >>>> >>>> Mark >>>> >>>>

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