thanks to the folks who pointed out the fridge 12v setting.  that was the
problem.

i like easy solutions, even if they make me feel a little foolish.

aaron
'87 syncro westy ej22

>From: mark drillock <drillock@earthlink.net>
>To: Aaron Pearson <aarondpearson@HOTMAIL.COM>
>CC: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: gowesty aux battery problems
>Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2006 17:05:03 -0700
>
>Too late now but there was no need to clip any wires to connect the cig
>lighter, int lights, and stereo to the aux battery. Not with an 86+ with
>the modern fuse panel setup as they are easily separated from the main
>electrical as described here many times. GoWesty should tell you the easy
>way but I guess they don't.
>
>What does it mean when you say "with the fridge/sink cord unplugged "???
>
>Make sure that the fridge rocker switch is turned to 110 Volts. I suspect
>that the fridge12 volt element is somehow being powered all the time. Are
>the original 2 fuses for the kitchen still wired in? You could pull them
>one at a time to see if it makes a difference.
>
>Mark
>
>
>Aaron Pearson wrote:
>
>>last weekend, i:
>>
>>pulled the fridge, cleaned it, and installed gowesty's increased airflow
>>starter kit
>>added gowesty's bright light relays, and put in new brighter bulbs
>>replaced the antenna
>>put in gowesty's aux battery kit
>>
>>everything worked fine, i drove it a couple times, no problem. now it is
>>clear that there is some load on my aux battery. i pulled the battery,
>>checked all my new wiring, and confirmed that the aux battery was
>>connected
>>to the fridge/sink, cig lighter, int lights, and stereo. with all of those
>>things turned off, and the fridge/sink cord unplugged, my aux battery
>>voltage was dropping. i lost a 1/3 volt in 5 minutes. there's a 30amp
>>breaker in gowesty's kit, that remained untripped. when the van is on, all
>>the aux connections work fine, the aux battery charges fine.
>>
>>understand that the only things tapped into the aux battery are the things
>>i
>>listed.
>>
>>one thing i changed was i used a wire nut (like for installing light
>>fixtures in your house) instead of the peculiar four-socket plastic
>>connector. this is to connect the aux battery to the freshly clipped leads
>>for int lights, stereo and cig lighter. i couldn't get the wires into the
>>plastic connector without destroying them, and figured if the nut is good
>>for household 110, it must be okay for 12v.
>>
>>obviously, i'm not an automotive electrician, but i know how to strip and
>>crimp and run a dmm.
>>
>>any thoughts???
>>
>>aaron
>>'87 syncro westy ej22
>>
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>

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