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Electric hook up

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panalvan View Drop Down
Yardie
Yardie


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote panalvan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Electric hook up
    Posted: 30 Aug 10 at 17:40
Hi just sorting out my 89 westy and have a few questions .When i plug into mains supply the charging unit under the seat buzzes is this normal it also gets hot.How long does the fridge take to cool on hook up.Ive put some pics of the charger is this the original unit.
When the van is swiched off with no hook up the test light flashs when i plug in the red light under the test ligh comes on and the charger buzzs and you get a reading on the gauge .Is this correct
Thanks alot please help as wife is moaning about fridge im happy with my old cooler and iceBig smile
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RichardN View Drop Down
Yardie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RichardN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Aug 10 at 17:54
It's not the standard charger. That's black and a lot simpler, no dials or switches (although it does buzz and get hot - that's why they are called the Black Buzzing Box or BBB). This looks like a later addition by a previous owner as the originals don't last forever and you cannot really fix them - or at least it isn't worth fixing them as you are dealing with a 20 year old charger.

Sorry, cannot help you with the flashing lights. Have you looked up the model name on t'Internet?

Richard

oops, forgot to mention that the fridge can take some time to get really cold (i.e several hours) but it all depends on the condition of the fridge. Look through all the fridge posts on here. It's well covered.


Edited by RichardN - 30 Aug 10 at 17:55
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Groupie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote reddwarf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Aug 10 at 19:31
I can confirm Richard's comment that this is not original. Also have a 1989 Westy and replaced my BBB with a nice new unit a couple of months ago.
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panalvan View Drop Down
Yardie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote panalvan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Aug 10 at 21:58
Does your new BBB look anything like mine.Does mine do the same job as the original
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Vanorak
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Joker_Club Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Aug 10 at 08:38
Panalvan, have you got a multimeter ?? Can you use one ?? With the engine off, check the battery voltage at the leisure battery and also the main battery, write it down so you don`t get mixed up later. Then start the engine and check both battery voltages again, have they gone up?
 
Stop the engine, check voltages, then plug in you hook-up, orange charger switched on? now check the voltages again, leisure battery voltage should be up again as the charger is doing what it should, check the main starter battery and see if that one is getting charged as well. The original charger did both, at the same time. The new one is probably just charging the leisure battery, which isn`t a problem.
 
Charger looks like a decent quality German item, so nothing to worry about there. Until you find the user manual data or whatever, I`d not leave it switched on indefinitely as it may fry your battery if it isn`t a modern charger-sensing type that "knows" when to stop charging and goes into trickle-charge mode. Like Richard said, try Googling the model number and see what you get.
 
The charger would have been at the opposite end of the under-seat area originally, sat on top of the Eber heater outlet. It will buzz, and it will get warm, so don`t let it get covered under the seat with anything.
Sunny Lancs
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reddwarf View Drop Down
Groupie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote reddwarf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Aug 10 at 09:42
Hi panalvan. No, I bought mine new in England following a recommendation in a thread here, which I will try and find if it helps.
 
It's one of the modern charger-sensing types that "knows" when to stop charging and goes into trickle-charge mode.
 
JC is right, it would have been fitted on the offside (right hand side) on a box on top of the Eber outlet (if you had one) and needs good airflow.
 
If you check as suggested and it works it's OK!
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panalvan View Drop Down
Yardie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote panalvan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Aug 10 at 18:10
Cheers guys i will give it a look all a bit new to me electrics my 1970 westy has non of this modern luxury
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Vanorak
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Joker_Club Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Aug 10 at 20:26
Post is here about what yours has had done, just in case you need to get a new charger
 
Sunny Lancs
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panalvan View Drop Down
Yardie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote panalvan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Aug 10 at 23:04
Just found the instructions for the charger looks like it will be ok
Cheers guys
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Red Westie View Drop Down
Yardie
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Red Westie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Sep 10 at 08:04
Chargers do get hot and most buzz.
This is not the original but it's Bosch (good brand) and looks to be 12 amps, so double the power of the original. I would be pretty please to have something like this fitted instead of the original 6 amp BBB.
 
Martin
shelly
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