What wire where who?

[jhutcher]

I don't really understand what the previous owner did to the wiring. I have a starter battery with all the wires attached (See below) and an electric hook-up. Does the hook-up connect to this battery and so charge it as it works everything else? Or does that tiny relay box switch everything from battery to mains when its plugged in? How hard to fit a relay of some sort?

Justin

 

[Firefox]

The 12V and 240V systems are separate. The hook up does not connect to the battery direct, it should connect to a 240V to 12V charger which then charges the 12V battery.

You would generally still use the 12V lights etc when hooked up, but the battery is being charged to compensate. You would also have the option to plug lighting and other appliances into the 240V sockets.

The relay usually relates to charging the leisure battery from the engine battery while driving and isolating it when stopped, or operating the fridge off 12 V while moving. A relay is quite easy to fit, it is just a switch which is controlled by another current.

 

[maingate]

You really need to know if your van battery is being charged when on hook up.

Check your battery voltage and then hook up. Check the battery voltage again. If it has gone up then your van battery is being charged.

Maybe a previous owner fitted an aftermarket device (badly :scared.

It might help if we knew the year and make of motorhome/campervan.

 

[n brown]

if you want to tackle electrics you need one of these DIGITAL LCD MULTIMETER VOLTMETER AMMETER VOLT OHM METER - Images hosted at BiggerBids.com have many functions you'll only use some of them;measuring voltage from batteries and alternator=dc voltage
checking for broken wires blown bulbs and fuses=continuity tester
checking if 240 volts is live=ac voltage.
without one of these you can't easily check things out or understand advice.treat yourself

 

[oldish hippy]

1 how many wires coming from alternator

2 bosch battery {in photo} should have a wire coming from alternator to battery

3 if two wires coming from alternator one should go to car battery

4 one should go to relay {take it the green box is the relay} pin 86 via a fuse

5 black negative wire to chassis from pin 85 on relay make sure it is a good earth point clean back metal that you fix it to

6 take a red wire from bosch battery {car battery) to pin 30 on relay fuse in line

7 take red wire to lesuire battery positive from pin 87 fuse in line

8 take a negative from lesuire battery to good earth point

leasuire battery wired

then run wire from lesuire battery to fuses for light water pump etc can yo udo picture of the green box pleas front and back thanks as not sure what it is

 

[oldish hippy]

You really need to know if your van battery is being charged when on hook up.

Check your battery voltage and then hook up. Check the battery voltage again. If it has gone up then your van battery is being charged.

Maybe a previous owner fitted an aftermarket device (badly :scared.

It might help if we knew the year and make of motorhome/campervan.

it is bedford rascal and from what he has said to me it does not have a control panel ie zig unit for 240 volt if it like mine then it will go to a rcd then onto a single sockets or a couple of single socket

 

[jhutcher]

Right getting there - think i'm going to need to unwrap some of the vehicle wiring and trace some of the wires. There is one thick cable coming from the alternator as you can see in the picture below. That obviously ends up at the battery. The thinner wires i assume are for some sort of indicator?

The relay is the green box. A green wire disappears into somewhere under the front of the vehicle near the fan. An earth connected up where the other earthing wires connect and a couple of others that go who knows where. Take a look at my pictures. I know I'm being dumb but I'll get there!

 

[Firefox]

Terminals 3 and 5 should be connected to your thicker wire for charging.

Terminals 1 and 2 are probably earth on the coil and a +ve feed which contact 3 and 5 together only when the coil is energised ie ignition is on and engine running.

 

[oldish hippy]

Hi, I have a copy of the wiring for a zig relay, and could e-mail you the information if you e-mail me.
Tim@bedfordrascal.com.

Usually the black wire is the earth and is connected to an earth point next to the battery, on the left as you look at it.
the green is the ignition switch supply to turn the relay on.
the red ones are the input and output, the red that comes from the battery + is the input and is usually fused.
This of course could be different if your one has been altered.
Regards Rascalvan

 

[jhutcher]

Hi, I have a copy of the wiring for a zig relay, and could e-mail you the information if you e-mail me.
Tim@bedfordrascal.com.

Usually the black wire is the earth and is connected to an earth point next to the battery, on the left as you look at it.
the green is the ignition switch supply to turn the relay on.
the red ones are the input and output, the red that comes from the battery + is the input and is usually fused.
This of course could be different if your one has been altered.
Regards Rascalvan

Right that makes sense. All the wires are as you have described them. Just need to find out what its for?

Thanks Tim I'll drop you an email when i'm back on my own computer.

 

[oldish hippy]

it came from the other forum the wire coming from it wil probaly goe to A FUSE BLOCK see diagram for example

 

[jhutcher]

Right that makes sense. All the wires are as you have described them. Just need to find out what its for?

Thanks Tim I'll drop you an email when i'm back on my own computer.

I think its the fridge. The relay stops it drawing on the battery when the engine isn't running so it can't drain the starter battery. If the fridge is drawing on the starter batter whilst the engine is on, will the alternator still keep the starter battery charged or will it just end up draining the starter battery?