Matthew,

Battery isolators (solid state and relay) require a connection to the
alternator to supply the charging current to the battery when the
vehicle is running. Most Vanagon installations get this connection from
the main battery compartment rather than run another big wire back to
the alternator.

There is another connection used by isolators that can come from the
alternator--a signal indicating that the alternator is producing power.
This signal is used to "switch" the isolator between the "isolated" and
"non-isolated" states. This connection is also available inside the
Vanagon and you don't usually have to run a wire to the alternator for
this.

Exactly what kind of "alternator tinkering" is required to install your
isolator

Mark McCulley
87 syncro Westfalia
TRNSPTR

>Date:         Tue, 19 Jan 1999 09:48:58 -0800
>Reply-To:     "Pollard, Matthew" <Matthew.Pollard@OREADCA.COM>
>From:         "Pollard, Matthew" <Matthew.Pollard@OREADCA.COM>
>Subject:      Aux battery & isolator
>To:           vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>I have a SurePower battery isolator. It is of the solid state (as
opposed to
>relay) variety. It is made for vanagons specifically.  Has anybody had
any
>experience with installing these jobbies? The instructions call for
some
>alternator tinkering, why? Can some one explain what the internal
regulator
>does and why that function needs to be routed to the isolator.  Will
this
>tinkering jeopardize the integrity and reliability of my alternator?
>
>How does the VW isolator work? Where is it connected and to what? Is
this
>something that someone with some electrical background can quickly
fashion ?
>
>Thanks
>Matthew Pollard
>84 Wolfsy
>89 7' 6" Doug Haut "gun"
>

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