Dual Battery Relay

Moderators: Sluggo, Amskeptic

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Sluggo
Wishin' I was Fishin'
Wishin' I was Fishin'
Location: Portland, Or.
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Post by Sluggo » Wed Sep 09, 2009 7:11 pm

Ritter wrote:It is so clean!

Is that a baby (starting) battery? Mine is much larger (having upgraded after my little one died and Colin made fun of it).
Had to scrub the hell out of it before painting. I don't think it had ever been cleaned before. We'll see how hard it is to keep it white. It's already getting dirty without an engine.

Both batteries are babies. Didn't go for a deep cycle since the aux battery is just an assist for stereo & lights. The Autobone, Valucrap, baby battery has served me well for 2 years so far.

I also have a big battery that came with the new Bus, but I like having the room.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

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Ritter
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Location: Sonoma County, CA
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Post by Ritter » Sat Oct 24, 2009 9:59 am

I finally got around to this project (even later than Sluggo).

Here's the relay from German Supply that's been sitting in my to-do pile for a few years. Very nice kit and easy install.

[albumimg]2881[/albumimg]

Mounted:

[albumimg]2882[/albumimg]

Auxiliary battery. I used a deep cycle from Costco. I think it's a Group 24 rated to 80 amp-hours. Wiring is still preliminary and will be tidied at some unknown time in the future (please don't judge me on it!).

[albumimg]2879[/albumimg]

Front auxiliary fuse panel. I used a BlueSea Systems fuse block (part number 5028).

[albumimg]2880[/albumimg]

All interior lights are now LED and connected to the aux battery as is the stereo. I ran the stock interior light circuit from the stock fuse panel #8 to the new fuse block. I can now rock out with the lights on all night long.... :blackeye:
1978 Westfalia 2.0 FI

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Manfred
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Post by Manfred » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:02 am

Can you supply links to the LED lights you used and pictures?
1978 Westy FI
hambone wrote:Some times ya gotta wing it.

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Ritter
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Post by Ritter » Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:08 pm

Manfred wrote:Can you supply links to the LED lights you used and pictures?
Take a look here mid-page here:

http://itinerant-air-cooled.com/viewtop ... 7&start=15

Earlier in the thread is some great info re: festoons!
1978 Westfalia 2.0 FI

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Sluggo
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Post by Sluggo » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:38 am

Just wanted to mention that the Ford Starter Relay went out the day before our road trip. It would switch intermittently. Hooked up a new German Bosch relay and all is good.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

vdubyah73
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Post by vdubyah73 » Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:30 pm

The Ford starter relay is/was designed for intermittent use, as in energizing a starter. It was never meant to be energized for any length of time. High power, short duration.
1/20/2013 end of an error
never owned a gun. have fired a few.

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Sluggo
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Location: Portland, Or.
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Post by Sluggo » Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:10 pm

vdubyah73 wrote:The Ford starter relay is/was designed for intermittent use, as in energizing a starter. It was never meant to be energized for any length of time. High power, short duration.
That was my guess. Two very different applications.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

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twinfalls
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Post by twinfalls » Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:10 pm

I like the two above posts.

We say in France ( word by word translation ) : Better is the enemy of Good.

I have a personal corollary : Improving something that does work can only make it fail.
1974 stock US Westy 1800cc PDSIT 34 2-3.

jbru824
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Re:

Post by jbru824 » Sun Oct 22, 2023 8:00 am

germansupplyscott wrote:
Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:20 am
Sluggo wrote: I'm just wondering if this is like the "Hot Start Relay".
The relay we use in our kit:

http://germansupply.com/xcart/customer/ ... ctid=16766

is this one:

http://germansupply.com/xcart/customer/ ... ctid=17061

and is the exact same relay used in the genuine bosch WR-1 hot start relay kit.

The relays above are both 5 pole, however the dual battery kit needs only one switched pole. Bosch doesn't make a nice relay with the mounting tang that has 4 poles. Hella makes one but it costs 2x what the Bosch one does. So we use the Bosch 5-pole in our kits, one 87 pole stays empty.

Any 4-pole relay with terminals 30, 85, 86, 87 will work for the dual battery relay circuit. We use Bosch relays in our kit because they are better quality than generic ones, which are mostly made in Asia. Bosch relays are still German.

Our dual battery kits cost more than the others I have seen, for a reason. It has a custom-made wiring harness that is fitted exactly for the VW bus, with correct factory terminals and shrink-wrapped looms. The Hella kit that everyone else sells is just a relay and a bundle of wires, "cut to suit". Ours is designed for the application. It is a turnkey kit that you can install in under an hour and it is completely "reversible" in that you can install and remove it without making any permanent modifications to the vehicle wiring.

The typical cheap battery isolators do not, in fact, isolate very well. They "leak". The dual relay does not have this problem. I also do not like having to take large gauge wires to and from the isolator and alternator, something about having 8ga hot wires running all over the place makes me queasy.
I know it has been 16 years since this thread was live but It has given great information. Thank you
Will German Supply carry the relay kit again? It seems that is the most logical solution to the dual battery issue.

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