thanks Jack.Search can be your friend.
Tapping in to the van’s factory Aux battery
Hey, I am looking to tap into the Aux battery, and add a fuse panel off of it. Just curious where is the best spot to tap into?sprinter-source.com
Jack
Thanks, I’ll have a look tomorrow and follow up.If you have the MB auxiliary battery, then connecting the BtoB to its fuse block (F150/5) will be seeing the alternator's output when you're driving.
If you're not driving the BtoB would be seeing the MB-installed Aux battery as a power source.
Most BtoBs have either a wire to attach to a signal like the Sprinter's "D+" terminal on the EK1 strip (which tells it when the alternator is operating) *or* they have the smarts to NOT draw from the input source when it's below some threshold (say, 12.9 or 13.2) voltage.
If you DON'T have the MB-supplied auxiliary battery, then tell us and we'll adjust our suggestions.
(and you'll be introduced to the "pre-fuse" block called F150/1 in your Fuse Allocation booklet.)
--dick
Ok, so it would seem like I dont have the aux battery. Here is what my setup looks like.If you have the MB auxiliary battery, then connecting the BtoB to its fuse block (F150/5) will be seeing the alternator's output when you're driving.
If you're not driving the BtoB would be seeing the MB-installed Aux battery as a power source.
Most BtoBs have either a wire to attach to a signal like the Sprinter's "D+" terminal on the EK1 strip (which tells it when the alternator is operating) *or* they have the smarts to NOT draw from the input source when it's below some threshold (say, 12.9 or 13.2) voltage.
If you DON'T have the MB-supplied auxiliary battery, then tell us and we'll adjust our suggestions.
(and you'll be introduced to the "pre-fuse" block called F150/1 in your Fuse Allocation booklet.)
--dick
That sounds awesome Dick, but there must have been a problem with the uploads of the pictures. Any chance you can try to upload them again?Well, here's what a VS30's pre-fuse block (F150/1) looks like:
First, where to find it (tucked in beside the starter battery ... on the right edge of this photo):
View attachment 156845
Here's what it looks lie if/when you extract it:
View attachment 156842
What at least one forum member has done is to bridge the circled "here?" with a metal bar, then place a fuse between that and the empty post (labeled "2"). The result looks like this:
View attachment 156844
The "new fuse" in that photo is 150 amps.
-------------------
Another approach is to attach your cable to the bolt (stud) that's just to the right of the word "Varta" on the battery photo above. The disadvantage of that is that it's NOT fused ... so you would want to put a (in-line?) fuse in that cable.
But it's a lot easier to access....
--dick
I can see all Dick's photos so you must have a setting wrong in your control panel.That sound
That sounds awesome Dick, but there must have been a problem with the uploads of the pictures. Any chance you can try to upload them again?
Thanks mate!
As Cheyenne wrote, you want to tweak your User settings to show attachments (and signature blocks!)That sounds awesome Dick, but there must have been a problem with the uploads of the pictures. Any chance you can try to upload them again?
Thanks mate!
My most recent post-with-photos is for the "no Aux battery" case .. you're tapping the starter battery's pre-fuse block.This may be a dumb question but I'll ask it anyway -- I do not have an auxiliary battery (on a VS30). Do you need to connect to the f150 block on the main battery? Or can you connect to the positive bus bar under the driver's seat? Any reason the latter wouldn't work? There is a thread where someone did this instead, but if there is some reason tapping power there is an inferior choice, it would be great to benefit from the knowledge here.
Makes sense, thank you. My thought from looking at it was the #4 was bringing power in from the battery and the other slots are for whatever they are powering. Along those lines, the idea was to add a jumper to one of the empty slots and use it to power the BB1260. But wasn't sure if someone knew why this might be a poor or suboptimal choice relative to just tapping into the power distribution block that is generally recommended.My most recent post-with-photos is for the "no Aux battery" case .. you're tapping the starter battery's pre-fuse block.
The "bus bar" you're asking about comes to this block (i think): F150/4.
View attachment 156914
I have to admit that i don't "push" that as a solution merely due to not knowing enough about it.
If you have a fuse position for electric steering, that might be a valid spot to use.
I assume position (5) is coming from the Pre-fuse block, and i have no idea what (4) is.
Please feel encouraged to attack it with a voltmeter and careful thought and see if it's a good choice.
--dick
Just tie into the F150/5 fuse block. There is a spot for a MIDI fuse there with proper strain relief. If that isn't possible, just get an inline midi fuse holder for your 4ga wire similar to this.Also installing a Sterling BB1260 and last weekend was running 4 gauge wire pair from the driver's side rear "garage" area to the driver seat pedestal, so I had the seat removed and was looking at both the Power Distribution Box in the battery compartment as well as the power block under the seat shown in the photo above. Position #6 was empty (Position #7 is not empty in my van) so I came to the same conclusion that it was easier to tie in there than navigate the wire through the floor channel to the PDB in the battery compartment. My only concern is how/where to mount the fuse so that it has proper strain relief. Would be interested to know why folks seem to choose the battery compartment PDB over this more easily accessible spot.
Thanks, but since I don't have an aux battery, I don't have f150/5. And I had just hit "buy" on that exact inline midi fuse holder at Digikey.Just tie into the F150/5 fuse block. There is a spot for a MIDI fuse there with proper strain relief. If that isn't possible, just get an inline midi fuse holder for your 4ga wire similar to this.
MIDI® 498-IL 58 V In-Line Fuse Holder - Littelfuse
www.littelfuse.com
Hi Dick,My most recent post-with-photos is for the "no Aux battery" case .. you're tapping the starter battery's pre-fuse block.
The "bus bar" you're asking about comes to this block (i think): F150/4.
View attachment 156914
I have to admit that i don't "push" that as a solution merely due to not knowing enough about it.
If you have a fuse position for electric steering, that might be a valid spot to use.
I assume position (5) is coming from the Pre-fuse block, and i have no idea what (4) is.
Please feel encouraged to attack it with a voltmeter and careful thought and see if it's a good choice.
--dick
Ummm... what country are you in? (triggered by the "Thanks, mate!")this is my current setup. I have my positive going directly to the van’s battery, and the positive going to the bar, with a150A fuse just before.
Any thoughts? Still get the error message/warning from the car’s dashboard though ?