HI Patti,

If your Aux battery is hooked up as recommended you can’t use the dash lighter.  There are  also other reasons that might not be a good alternative. 

People have different relay set ups.  Some allow one charger to keep both batteries charged. I have one small charger on both batteries. one is tucked under the driver seat with my sub woofer. the other is in the sink cabinet.  I have the pig tail plug coming out of the left rear corner of the battery cover.  There was a gap there perfect for the wire. I keep both trickle chargers on when the van is parked.  The chargers are plugged in under the sink so once I connect power and attach to the pig tail they are on.

Hope this helps.

Eric Caron 
85 GL Auto Westfalia 

> On Jan 30, 2017, at 8:59 PM, PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> I had posted about new battery being drained.  Battery and alternator seem
> to be OK.  As per replies, it was probably due to lack of driving and
> insufficient charging.
> 
> I have a Battery Tender for trickle charging.  Can I use  this 12 volt
> adapter <http://products.batterytender.com/081-0069-5.jpg> connected to the
> dash when I don't drive that much? Is the dash cig lighter connected to the
> starter battery? (I have an aux battery, too.)  If not, where is the best
> place near the main battery cavity to drill a 3/4" hole so I can leave the
> Battery Tender pigtail permanently connected and available when needed?
> Patti
> 90 Westy Automatic
> 
> On Thu, Jan 26, 2017 at 6:34 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
> 
>> See if you can measure the parasitic drain when van off. I think others
>> have outlined method. And, and I'm a practitioner of this approach, plug in
>> a battery charger on some sort of schedule. I am of the mind that we don't
>> fully charge our batteries all the time with just driving.
>> 
>> Alistair
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jan 26, 2017, at 2:34 PM, PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Just got a brand new 36 month free replacement battery on Jan. 2. Due to
>>> recent bad weather, I drove it fairly short distances 2 days in a row,
>>> didn't drive it for about 2 weeks, and now the battery's dead again.  I
>>> can't see that any lights were left on, and the stereo kill switch is
>>> turned off. I did notice, however that the second time I drove it,  it
>> was
>>> a little harder to start so I checked the battery voltage.  I don't
>>> remember exactly what it showed, but it was less than 12 volts, and
>>> although the van started, it didn't start as easily as it should. At that
>>> time, I noticed that I had an unused plug connected to the aux battery,
>> and
>>> there was a blue light on around the plug.  I promptly disconnected it
>> when
>>> I noticed it. I also made sure that the dash cig lighter plug was not
>>> pushed in.
>>> 
>>> When I first got my van, I didn't know there was a stereo kill switch, so
>>> the stereo was drawing current, and it killed the battery.  Got a new
>>> battery then, and that battery lasted nearly 10 years without any issues
>> at
>>> all.
>>> 
>>> What could be drawing current this time?  Or is it just not charging
>> while
>>> I drive?
>>> Patti
>>> 90 Westy Automatic
>>> Los Angeles
>>> 
>>> --
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
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