[Tom White]

How do you run some wires from under the bonnet (I need to connect to the battery terminals) and into the back of the van?

I've been looking for something obvious, under the bonnet where I could pass a couple of wires into the cab and beyond, but I can't see anything.  It's to charge up my leisure battery via my split charge relay.

Is there a simple solution to this other than getting a professional to do it for me? 

[Matt Gibson]

Tosh,

There should be a ''grommet'' somewhere on the firewall under the bonnet. its like a black rubber cap that plugs up any holes. usually there will already be wires going through. Best thing to do is look for some wires already running from the engine into the van, then just use whatever hole/grommet they use. You might have to fiddle around or cut a little bit of rubber out. i found it easy if you have a thick cable tie, and tape the wires to it, you can push the rigid cable tie through the grommet easier than you can some flimsy wires.

Good luck!

[Tom White]

I'm off out to look now, Matt, cheers.

[Perfect Windows]

If you've not found it, look under the steering column inside the van as there will be plenty of wires going through from there to the engine bay.

Vin

[Pope vader]

just get a cig connect and run off the cig lighter

[Tom White]

just get a cig connect and run off the cig lighter

I like the sound of this, since I can't get access to where all the wires come into the van.  There's a big bunch of cables, all neatly tied up and they go into the cab via a really tough foam and rubber plug.  It'd need drilling through, but you can't get a drill in there.  Maybe a Dremell would do it, but then it's still not easy to get at it through the other side, and I've removed as much dashboard as I dare.

So, just to make sure the problem is fully understood:

I have a leisure battery and a flow controller which is also a split charge relay thingy, which will charge my leisure battery up when the van is running.  According to the instructions, I join both the van battery and the leisure battery together, via the flow controller (aka split charge relay).

So, is it possible to use a cig lighter attachment which will charge my leisure battery up, if I wire it up with my split charge relay?  I can do the wiring, I know what wire goes where, but would a 'cig lighter attachment' be just the same as wiring it directly to the van battery?

Waiting in anticipation for a hopefully positive reply! 

[Pope vader]

dump battery and just run of a cig light to run your system,  as long as battery is good on van you will be ok, dave morris runs all his vans this way

[Tom White]

dump battery and just run of a cig light to run your system,  as long as battery is good on van you will be ok, dave morris runs all his vans this way

Thanks, and I know he does, and that's an option, but I've got the gear so I may as well use it and see how I get on.

So would the cig lighter option be the same as directly connecting it to the battery?

[Pope vader]

yes tosh  the battery will charge as you drive and the worst thing that happens is you need to run the van whilst working  but the chances of this happening are very very slim

[Tom White]

yes tosh  the battery will charge as you drive and the worst thing that happens is you need to run the van whilst working  but the chances of this happening are very very slim

Thanks, mate; you've been brilliant.  I guess even if the leisure battery conks out I could then run it straight from the van battery via the cig lighter?  And my leisure battery is a big one; it was out of my caravan which I flogged but kept the battery since it was pretty much brand new and unused.

[D F WINDOW CLEANERS]

you can wire into back light  if its easier just find the permanent live for hazards

[Matt Gibson]

Tosh,

dd you search the whole way across the firewall? cause theres usually two or three grommets that are there, sometimes they arent being used for anything, and you can usually pop em out with a flat head screwdriver. some of em can be smallish.

Otherwise, drill a small hole on the passenger side through the firewall.

Otherwise, this cig lighter sounds like the way to go.

[Matt Gibson]

Backlight sounds good..

[Spruce]

Tosh

I don't know how the controller with the built in charger works. If it has just one wire from the van battery to the controller and you are instructed to wire it up to the van battery terminal, then I presume that the electronics in the controller will only kick the charging cycle on once the van engine starts and the alternator begins charging. If the instructions ask you to connect it to the van's battery with no other wires then it should be okay to use the connection to the cig lighter anyway. I would protect the wire from the cig lighter cable with a 10 amp fuse, although the cig lighter will have it's own fuse, probably with the internal courtesy lights of 10amp. Remember not to use the lighter when the engine is charging the leisure battery as the current draw will blow the fuse. (Irrelevant if using a plug to couple directly into the lighter socket - relevant if splicing it into the wire supplying the lighter.)

I certailnly wouldn't listen to the advise to use the van battery - when there are 2 of you running 2 pumps, you could easily flatten your van battery, especially if you don't do much mileage.

I would also suggest that you invest in an intelligent leisure battery charger to top up the charge every few days.

Spruce

[steve123]

dump battery and just run of a cig light to run your system,  as long as battery is good on van you will be ok, dave morris runs all his vans this way

Is this as simple as it sounds?

If I understand this right you just need a plug in the cig lighter socket with wires from it going directly to the flow controler/pump?

Instead of running from a seperate battery in the rear of the van it would draw power from the vehicle battery. This sounds so simple I cant help thinking there must be a catch?

[Tom White]

Tosh

I don't know how the controller with the built in charger works. If it has just one wire from the van battery to the controller and you are instructed to wire it up to the van battery terminal, then I presume that the electronics in the controller will only kick the charging cycle on once the van engine starts and the alternator begins charging. If the instructions ask you to connect it to the van's battery with no other wires then it should be okay to use the connection to the cig lighter anyway. I would protect the wire from the cig lighter cable with a 10 amp fuse, although the cig lighter will have it's own fuse, probably with the internal courtesy lights of 10amp. Remember not to use the lighter when the engine is charging the leisure battery as the current draw will blow the fuse. (Irrelevant if using a plug to couple directly into the lighter socket - relevant if splicing it into the wire supplying the lighter.)

I certailnly wouldn't listen to the advise to use the van battery - when there are 2 of you running 2 pumps, you could easily flatten your van battery, especially if you don't do much mileage.

I would also suggest that you invest in an intelligent leisure battery charger to top up the charge every few days.

Spruce

Thanks Spruce.

As for cig lighter plugs, is this suitable?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12v-24v-Cigarette-Lighter-Plug-Illuminated-Switch-/230488918003?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35aa35c7f3#ht_1997wt_1139

I'm confident I can wire it up.  I like this one because it's got a light on it and I can see if power is going through it.

And is this suitable to charge the battery up?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Motorhome-12v-Intelligent-leisure-Battery-Charger-3-5A-/120698374718?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories&hash=item1c1a2f0a3e#ht_1941wt_905

I just like to check? 

[Spruce]

Tosh

I don't know how the controller with the built in charger works. If it has just one wire from the van battery to the controller and you are instructed to wire it up to the van battery terminal, then I presume that the electronics in the controller will only kick the charging cycle on once the van engine starts and the alternator begins charging. If the instructions ask you to connect it to the van's battery with no other wires then it should be okay to use the connection to the cig lighter anyway. I would protect the wire from the cig lighter cable with a 10 amp fuse, although the cig lighter will have it's own fuse, probably with the internal courtesy lights of 10amp. Remember not to use the lighter when the engine is charging the leisure battery as the current draw will blow the fuse. (Irrelevant if using a plug to couple directly into the lighter socket - relevant if splicing it into the wire supplying the lighter.)

I certailnly wouldn't listen to the advise to use the van battery - when there are 2 of you running 2 pumps, you could easily flatten your van battery, especially if you don't do much mileage.

I would also suggest that you invest in an intelligent leisure battery charger to top up the charge every few days.

Spruce

Thanks Spruce.

As for cig lighter plugs, is this suitable?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12v-24v-Cigarette-Lighter-Plug-Illuminated-Switch-/230488918003?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35aa35c7f3#ht_1997wt_1139

I'm confident I can wire it up.  I like this one because it's got a light on it and I can see if power is going through it.

And is this suitable to charge the battery up?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Motorhome-12v-Intelligent-leisure-Battery-Charger-3-5A-/120698374718?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories&hash=item1c1a2f0a3e#ht_1941wt_905

I just like to check?  

Hi Tosh,

Plug looks okay to me providing you can wire it up. Before I order it, I would suggest you contact them and ask what amperage it will handle. I would suggest anything under 10 amps is not suitable.  As with all accessories, this plug must be pushed into the socket firmly to ensure that a proper contact is made with the positive centre pin. (Personally I would try to get the plug out and splice a wire into the cable running to it so it becomes a fixture. The plug I have on my Citroen Relay is just held in with a couple of clips so is quite easy to take out from the front. Your Dispatch is a Fiat built van as is my Relay, so they should have the same lighter sockets - Fiat. I would suggest you find and remove the cig lighter fuse before doing this to prevent any shorts.)

I have the following charger  http://www.tayna.co.uk/Numax-Leisure-Battery-Charger-10A-P6127.html
You will probably get it on Ebay a little cheaper. It's the one for motorhomes & caravans. Will charge a leisure battery up to 135amp hour. Must be 12v obviously.

Spruce

[Tom White]

Thanks, Spruce.

I've had a right ruddy day of it.  I connected my Cleaning Warehouse flow controller up; and it really buggered me about, so I cut it off and attached my variflow flo controller; and that buggered me about too.

I phoned Ian_Giles twice (I interupted him and his good lady the second time   but he was still kind enough to phone me back), only to discover that my problem was my leisure battery is KNACKERED.

Sigh!

I've only connected one pump and controller up at present, because I need some more connections; but I'm nearly there.

I'm going to go to a local shop, with a counter, and get a leisure battery, charger, cig plug thingy with a 10 amp rating, and some other gubbins.

I can't wait to stop spending and start earning.

Thanks for your help, mate.

[Andy Prittchard]

Tosh, almost EXACTLY 24 hours have elapsed between you posting this topic and your last post on the same matter.

In that time, you could have engaged and paid for an auto-electrician to have supplied a SCR and walked away making you goof forever and all time.

What is it in the Bhuddist in you that topped you from taking the easiest course of action?

[Tom White]

Flip off, Mr Prittchard; the knowledge I'm gaining from doing it myself will save me money in the long run when my system goes pear-shaped.  Imagine, I spend £2000K on having a system fitted, or maybe £100 on having a spark do the wiring for me, what would've I learnt?  Nothing.

At least this way, when things go wrong, I can fault find more effectively, sort the problem out and get back working, rather than having to rely on another tradesman to sort it out for me.

So there! 

[C.C.S.]

you may have to leave the ignition on if you intend to use the cig socket which may not be ideal in all cases

[rosskesava]

What about running the wire underneath the van and cable tying it to the brake line before drilling a hole upwards through the floor at the back and then seal the hole with resin?

[mci services]

you may have to leave the ignition on if you intend to use the cig socket which may not be ideal in all cases

I was going to say that but he is only using the live feed to charge a leisure battery so it won't matter

[WinTech]

Am I corect in my asumption that a split relay will only kick in when the van bat is fully charged.

I was chating to a guy about this the other day and he recons it is about 30mins befor the pump bat will start charging after the van has been fired up?

The cig lighter sound a brill idea.

[Spruce]

Am I corect in my asumption that a split relay will only kick in when the van bat is fully charged.

I was chating to a guy about this the other day and he recons it is about 30mins befor the pump bat will start charging after the van has been fired up?

The cig lighter sound a brill idea.

My son has an intelligent split charge relay (Smartcom 30A) and you can hear it click in within a few moments (probably 10 secs at most) after starting the van and that was in the cold weather.

[dave carroll]

when my battery was on its last legs i had to use the ciggy lighter method. i didn't have a light on mine but i don't think it means any thing really as you can have it connected to your battery without being inserted (or fuse blown) and it will light up with the power from the leisure battery, so it makes you believe that all is ok when in fact it isn't.

                             dave

ps. tosh you're right about doing it yourself as you then know how it works and if it goes wrong when you're working you stand a better chance of fixing it without stopping for the day

pps. i believe you also have to pull out the ciggy connector when you start the vehicle as you'll be using the leisure battery as a starter battery which it's not designed to do. thats the beauty of a split charge relay, they don't allow the current to pass the wrong way

[FCS]

TOSH!

did you get sorted finally?

I've had a split relay in for a year, with a brand new battery, and I'm suspecting the relay might be bust as I can't hear it clicking any more..   

What and who is that video on your signature, it makes me laugh every time I see it, she looks so sheepish!!

[JS_Cleaning]

after my van got hit and i was moving system to the new van, i couldnt find a way into the engine, so i drilled 2 small holes into the roof of the passengers wheel arch and got it in that way, when everthings hooked up a bit of silicone to fill the holes, was handy enough