Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 16:53:03 -0800
Reply-To: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Subject: Re: Aux battery & isolator
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Harold:
Thanks for your input... But
It was the tech support guy at Sure Power who said that 13.7 or so volts was
not enough for the sure power to work correctly. If you read my post again,
I believe you will find that I stated that it was the correct isolator for
my vanagon. The tech support guy confirmed that.
Haven't notice the wires over heating. My guess is that the only way that
would happen would be if you drained the aux battery completely. Then,
perhaps, it would draw enough amps to overheat. But it is fused. And you
don't want that many amps for an Optima any way because it is specifically
recommended against on the Optima spec sheet. In this case I'll go with the
stock set up, thanks. My current mechanic (without german accent) likes the
stock set up better than the isolator too. He drives a syncro and has been
in the business many years.
By the way, thanks for your post regarding the sink P-trap last fall. I'm
going to look for they one you got. Any ideas where I might find it?
Thanks
Bill
90 Westy Syncro
Lake Tahoe
-----Original Message-----
From: harald_nancy <harald_nancy@EARTHLINK.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: Aux battery & isolator
>Bill,
>There could be several reasons why the isolator on your 90 vanagon
>did not work. But one thing is for sure, the vanagon alternator does
>put out plenty of power to make them work.
>I get 13.8 volts with lights off.
>First the mechanic told you he knew what he was doing.
>Later he tells you the vanagon alt. does not put out enough power.
>Hmmm...if he knew that, why did he try the installation in
>the first place?
>I am just guessing, but maybe the reason your installation didn't work:
>The mechanic used the wrong isolator. There are many different models
>for different cars, made by the same company. They all look the same.
>Nobody ever has the two models for the VW in stock. Always had to
>order them.
>(First everybody tries to talk you into something for a ford or chevy
>etc.).
>Or maybe the isolator was defective. Or the tab on the regulator still
>made contact. All I can say is, the installation works on my westy.
>I used the SurePower isolator on vanagon campers for 14 years.
>
>The reason that I use the isolator and not the little relay under
>the seat is that I don't want to risk overheating the wiring
>going from under the dash to the relay. (imho)
>Harald
>90 westy
>
>Bill wrote:
>> About a year ago I went to the expense of having a mechanic with an
>> impressive German accent install a solid state battery isolator. It may
>have
>> been a SurePower; I'm not sure. It was blue with fins and four connecting
>> terminals on it. It was definitely the one that was listed by the company
>> for the Vanagon. Even though the mechanic said he knew how to hook it up
>> and had done it before, he could not get the isolator to work properly.
>He
>> even called the isolator tech support number and their suggestions didn't
>> work either. I think the problem turned out to be that the Vanagon
>> alternators just don't put out quite enough power to make the solid state
>> isolator work properly.
>
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