Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:06:02 -0400
Reply-To: David Katsuki <dkatsuki@WORLD.STD.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Katsuki <dkatsuki@WORLD.STD.COM>
Subject: Re: Adding the second battery to the early vanagon ('80)
In-Reply-To: <199810081432.HAA11044@diamond.sierra.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Bill,
Actually mine does have the factory relay (called battery cutout relay on
the wiring diagram), and it is almost as you describe, except that the
factory relay doesn't turn on when the ignition switch is turned on, but
rather when the alternator is putting out current (it connects to a
separate terminal on the alternator ("D+") which produces juice only when
the alternator is spinning fast enough. That terminal is also conected to
the alternator warning light on the dash.)
I have also heard that the diode isolators have too great a voltage drop to
be used in VW systems, but in a previous thread, someone on the list also
said that he had used them with no problems. I only have experience with
the relay isolator, but I could easily imagine that the regulator might
have problems with an additional ~.6v-.8v drop in series.
Dave
87 Wolfsburg
90 Westfalia
At 07:35 AM 10/8/98 -0700, davidson wrote:
>David:
>So I assume your van does not have the factory relay under the driver's
>seat.
>Before I knew that my 90 Westy did have the factory relay,
>I installed one of those expensive isolators with the blue cooling fins. I
>paid a German Auto mechanic who said he knew how to do this (he even had a
>German accent). It required running a couple of wires from the alternator
>in the engine compartment all the way up to the new isolator which he
>mounted in the box behind the driver's seat. It was an expensive
>proposition, but it never did work right. I called the manufacturer of the
>isolator, etc. Finally, I started asking around. This was before I
>discovered 'the list'. A knowledgeable guy at the Camping World parts
>counter said he had the same problem. He said that the Vanagon alternator
>did not put out enough volts to work the switch in the isolator properly.
>(I even bought the 4 post version that is supposed to solve this problem.)
>Anyway the guy said that what worked for his was simply to use a celenoid
>switch which is less expensive than the isolator and requires less wiring.
>To use the celenoid you simply run one wire into it from the main battery,
>one wire out of it to the auxiliary battery, and one small wire from the
>third post to the ignition switch. When the ignition is turned on, the
>switch opens and the main battery is connected to the auxiliary battery
>(and gets charge from the alternator through the main battery). When the
>ignition is turned off, the switch closes and the main battery is isolated
>from the auxiliary battery.
>
>Well, I was going to pull out the isolator and install the celenoid when I
>discovered the information at vanagon.com on installing a second battery. I
>looked for the factory relay and it was there. The long and the short of it
>is that I wasted a lot of time and money on the German accent when I was
>sitting on the best solution all the time: the factory relay!
>Hope this helps:
>Bill
>90 Westy Syncro
>
>----------
>> From: David Katsuki <dkatsuki@WORLD.STD.COM>
>> To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: Adding the second battery to the early vanagon ('80)
>> Date: Wednesday, October 07, 1998 8:59 PM
>>
>> The problem with just connecting the second battery in parallel is that
>> they both discharge at the same rate and at the same time. A primary
>> reason for wanting a second battery is to avoid the embarrassment of
>> needing a jump start after using your 12v camping appliances too much
>(12v
>> blender for the fish, 12v dishwasher, etc.)
>> When the aux battery is hooked up either with a diode isolator, or with a
>> relay isolator, the two batteries can discharge (or not) independently
>but
>> are both charged from the alternator when it is making whizzies. Late
>> model campers (at least) have a relay under the driver's seat that
>prevents
>> the fridge from running off 12v unless the alternator is making the
>> previously mentioned wizzies (a technical term), and so the easy way to
>> hook up an aux battery when the isolation relay is there, is simply to
>put
>> it in parallel with the fridge. I actually connected mine through a 30A
>> fuse to avoid even more embarrassing fires.
>>
>> Dave
>> 87 Wolfsburg
>> 90 Westfalia
>>
>> At 08:34 AM 10/7/98 +0800, Steven Cu wrote:
>> >Philip,
>> >
>> >I added a 2nd battery to my 82 Westy, it was just connected in parallel(
>> >The two batteries are new), the ground wire is bolted to the body, the
>> >positive is just connected to the other battery. The hard part is
>routing
>> >the positive wire to the main battery, some people would use an isolator
>> >but I have been using this set up for 3 years and it has not given me
>any
>> >problems sofar
>> >
>> >Steven
>> >82 Westy
>> >
>> >----------
>> >> From: Philip Hanson (Volt Computer) <a-phanso@MICROSOFT.COM>
>> >> To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
>> >> Subject: Adding the second battery to the early vanagon ('80)
>> >> Date: Tuesday, October 06, 1998 2:34 PM
>> >>
>> >> I have an 80 Westy. In the aux battery compartment is a heavy wire
>pack
>> >and
>> >> something that looks like a fuse holder. I want to add the battery
>here.
>> >>
>> >> Can anyone suggest where to go in the archive for instructions. One I
>> >found
>> >> only addressed the newer vanagons which seem to have a different setup
>> >than
>> >> mine. Or, has someone done this job and can give me hints? Thanks.
>ph
>> >
>
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