Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:01:06 -0700
Reply-To: Tim King-syncrowesty <syncrowesty@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tim King-syncrowesty <syncrowesty@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Updating an old dual battery/suby install: Can I ditch the fridge
relay and just a SurePower 1315?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hey Folks - One problem with never driving your van is that you don't
remember how you fixed it last time....
I recently had an issue where my starter battery died. I went to jump it
from my house battery and it was down to 10v also... turns out my relays
were "stuck" (and hot to the touch) on and keeping the batteries joined when
engine off. I'm not sure if the dying battery caused this, or the relay
situation hastened the death of the battery. I've now replaced the battery
and need to deal with the house battery relay situation.
Currently I use the Stancor 901, triggered off the stock westy fridge relay.
It's worked well for five years. But now I'm having trouble getting the
relays triggered. Either the fridge or Stancor is bad and drawing too many
amps (the Stancor trigger might just pull a lot. I measure .75 amps. Anyone
else ever measure this?).
Bottom line is that I can't activate the Stancor with my blue alt wire. I
can activate the fridge relay with the alternator wire, but then the voltage
on that wire drops a lot (from about 13v to 8v) and my alt light comes on.
This leads me to believe the fridge relay is bad (though if you disregard
the blue alt wire issue, it seems to otherwise work ok - I can even trigger
the stancor of terminal 30 - but my battery light stays on).
Adding another layer of complication - and the reason I added the suby list
here - I have a little interface board that was designed to fix the Subaru
tach issue and also boost the alternator signal to make dash the alt light
turn off (I think this was a Weird Stuff We Make's design that I got it from
SmallCar as a prototype). That's been fine for 6.5 years, but the booster
could have died, I suppose, instead of (or maybe in addition to) the relay
deaths.
In other words, it could be a bunch of things. And did I mention that we
want to go to Yellowstone on Tuesday?
So I'm hoping I can say the heck with it and simplify.
My understanding is that 1315 can be triggered from the X-signal (actually
rereading this, I'm now thinking I don't even need the X-signal - the 1315
doesn't need a trigger, correct?) and I can bypass the whole alternator
signal/light/booster mess. That sounds great. What I don't understand is how
this affects the fridge.
Can I just run the fridge off my house battery and fuse block and skip the
fridge relay? I assume this means I need to remember not to leave the fridge
on battery in camp or at home. Or is there some kind of signal I can tap
into on the 1315 that will act like the fridge relay (I know, I'm dreaming).
I suppose I could get another fridge relay, assuming this one is bad, and
trigger that off the 1315 or the X-signal. Or is there another way to wire
up the fridge to get similar functionality (sidenote: have you priced the
fridge relays? They are crazy expensive: $45-$60!)
What about the other wires from the fridge relay? 86/Blue wire gets taped
up. Red/blk term 85 from ground/starter solenoid; taped? How about the
others?
Whew. If anyone has any suggestions (ranging from "it'll work" to "you're an
idiot" is fine), I'm glad to hear it all.
Tim
PS One project at a time: Next I'm hoping my recently deceased syncro gas
gauge is a ground, (Please, please be a bad ground.)
--
Tim King
Seattle WA
87 Syncro Westy/ 01 Suby 2.5
