At 01:11 6/24/2000, Bill Davidson wrote:
>What difference, if any, will the two different wiring schemes have:
>(Assume the relay closes when ignition activates the starting process,  the
>auxiliary battery has been deeply discharged and is connected with #4 wire.)

I'll assume it, but in fact the relay should not bring the aux batt. into
the circuit until the alternator is charging, *after* the engine has started.

So, assuming away...the differences, if any, will result from how much wire
it takes to do the job.  The longer wire (and the more connections) you
need btw the two batteries, the less effect they will have on each
other.  In general I'd expect the #2 setup to require more wire.

Removing the assumption, i.e. reverting to the state where the batteries
are only paralleled when the alternator is actually charging, then during
start the #1 batt doesn't even know the #2 is there.

david
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"