Electrical Source with no X145 Terminal (EK1) or Aux Battery

tac83

New member
Of course hindsight is always 20/20...

I got a great deal on my 2016 170 and it doesn't have the aux battery option, which I was ok with thinking I would upgrade to a dual battery/inverter system. I thought the x145 driver seat power terminal was standard equipment. After a few months of road tripping, I decided I don't need a fridge, so don't need a large battery bank or solar. Now that Im ready to wire in my 2 x Maxxair fans and 4 low wattage led ceiling lights, I realized my van is one of the rare ones that didn't come with the terminal. For my low power needs, I really wish now that my van had the aux battery package.

I temporarily wired the Maxxairs to a cigarette lighter adapter and just plug them in if I have to flush the van, mostly I just open the vents. I could do the same for the lights, but not a very elegant solution.

Since I don't have the terminal, does anyone have any suggestions?
Do I need a fused line directly to the battery, should I look for an aftermarket terminal? I didn't see the oem x145 for sale online.

Follow up ? - does anyone have any recommendations for electrical work in san diego/southern california - oak tree said they aren't taking small jobs at this point. Im not that comfortable with electrical work, I was going to do the wiring to the terminal my self, but this seems like a little above my abilities, and would hate to cause a small power drain or worse, the potential for frying the system or fire.
 
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HarryN

Well-known member
There are advantages and disadvantages to tapping into the Sprinter's electrical system for power. The conventional method is to use the terminals under the seat to activate / deactivate a battery to battery charger, and pull the power from a healthy tap point.

The 2017 170 4x4 sprinter that I am working on now we (the customer and I) decided to not tap into the existing van's electrical system at all and just use solar (and a charger if needed) for the entirely parallel auxiliary electrical system.

IMHO, this is one of the safer approaches for these types of situations as it entirely isolates the existing sprinter software / controllers / electrical system from the auxiliary power needs. That doesn't make it perfect, but it does work and is low risk.

The project is slightly delayed due to finding rust on the sprinter's roof just before installing the panels, but that is not something that I could predict ahead of time.

We went ahead and installed one of our entry level auxiliary power units into the van and it is currently being charged using a generator every 4 - 5 days until the panels can be installed. The van is used heavily, running 2 fans, usb, and a 12 volt frig. (actually the frig reduced the run time to about 2 - 3 days)

I have a shop in Livermore (in the SF bay area) and could help you if you want to bring it up. It would be tight but potentially possible to complete before Christmas. If we plan things well, potentially could complete it in 2 -3 days.
 

avanti

2022 Ford Transit 3500
The X145 terminal is better known by its option number, which is "EK1".

Are you sure you don't have one? This would be the first I have heard of a recent-build Sprinter that came without one.

If you really don't have one, then I wouldn't spend too much time tracking one down. It is a passive device--basically just a fused connector. A fused connection to the battery would be fine for your purposes. If I were you, I would track down the wiring diagram and just set up your own terminal in a way that is electrically-equivalent to the EK1. IIRC, there is a power distribution bus (i.e., a row of studs) on or near the positive battery terminal. That would be a good place to wire in your pseudo-EK1.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Enter your VIN at http://carinfo.kiev.ua/cars/vin/mercedes/vin_check
and see if you have "EK1 TERMINAL STRIP FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION"
(or supply your VIN to sailquik or me (along with an email address, or i'll just post the datacard here))

As Pete said, as far as we know it's a "standard option" for US- and Canada-delivered Sprinters

The posts are under a protective cover....


PowerTapsNCV3.png

PowerTaps.jpg

--dick
 
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