Forget to Purge Buzzer Wiring

[Frisch]

I'm not having much luck finding a wire that is positive when the key is on, and is grounded when the key is not on. Does anyone have any ideas for me?
My plant drive instructions say it is common for the accessories to "go to ground" when the key is off, but I tried the window switches and did not find such a wire. Most of my wiring is near the battery and none is in the dash, so I'd prefer not to go to the dash.

[Adam]

Sorry, I can't help you. I've got my forgot to purge buzzer installed, but not wired. It hasn't been a problem for me yet, both my wife and I are very aware when we are driving on veg. I'm still struggling with the VegTherm wiring. My auto reseting circuit break keep tripping and cutting power to the VegTherm.

[Frisch]

Adam,
I just burned my first litre of oil tonight, so I'm no expert, but I did wire my components (with much advice from Sean). So, your circuit breaker, which gets power directly from the battery (wired to the post that says "bat") and then sends power to terminal 30 on the relay, is tripping? How do you know this?

[Adam]

So, your circuit breaker, which gets power directly from the battery (wired to the post that says "bat") and then sends power to terminal 30 on the relay, is tripping? How do you know this?

Yup, I can tell the circuit breaker is tripping because the temp of the vegtherm drops (I have a digital BBQ themometer probe attached to the VegTherm). Also I can hear it trip when I've got the hood open, engine off and the switch on Veg. Finally I've also used a test light on the Aux post of the circuit breaker and it shuts off when the circuit breaker trips. So somehow I'm overloading the 40A auto reseting circuit breaker with the VegTherm Mega, could be a short somewhere. The wires coming off the circuit breaker are also really hot, to the point where they smoke and melt the plastic wrap around their connectors.

So I've got the Bat post wired directly to the positive battery terminal, and wire 30 of the relay wired tothe Aux post of the circuit breaker. I also had the power to wire of the the toggle switch coming off the Aux terminal of the circuit breaker, but I didn't think this would cause the overheating issue, but then again, first year physics was a long time ago, and I barely paid attention at the time

[Frisch]

Adam,

I seem to remember it saying somewhere that the toggle switch needed to supply 10A to maybe the motor valve. In any case, it recommended wiring in a 15A breaker from the battery to the toggle and the diagram shows it on it's own circuit. So.....I'm thinking, perhaps your vegtherm mega uses 30A or more and your toggle circuit is bumping it up to 40A or more.

Just a thought.

David

[Adam]

That's most likely my problem. What did you wire your toggle switch to?

[Frisch]

I wired my toggle directly to the extra terminal on my battery (with a 15A fuse between).

[Schwa]

I think there's a wire going to the radio that is +12 with the key on and grounded with the key off - people sometimes mistakenly wire it up to their new stereo as ground... might be illumination tho, I'll have to check.

[Frisch]

Eric,
Do tell me more.... What wire is this you speak of? Color, harness, terminal.
Thanks,
David

[EricN]

The wire he is talking about is for the lights. I had thought the acc terminal grounded when off (test it with a test light, seem to remember it wasnt a very good ground but should have worked) but if not, just use a relay and 87a-30 circuit. Have the relay energize when the ignition is on, that way the circuit will break, turn key off, circuit is close and if your veggie switch is on, buzzer buzzes

[SpyderCS]

If anyone could please post a pic or some more detail as to how to get to the wire that is positive when the engine is running and grounded when turned off I would greatly appreciate it. Two days ago I left my system on and the heater killed the battery and it was a very hard start with cold veg oil in the lines. I could have sworn that I turned it off but it was on in the morning and it SUCKED!

So, I NEED the buzzer, badly. I'm going to connect the other line to the positive side of the pollack valve when on the VO side.

Do I have to take the dash apart? (I don't want to do this if I can help it) or can I cut a wire that is just under the carpet in the front?

[Schwa]

There may not be a wire that does what you're looking for, but if you get an automotive relay and connect the coil wires to accessory and ground, and also connect pin 30 to ground, then pin 87a (the middle one) will give you ground only when the van is off, from what I understand it doesn't need to be positive when the van is on.

[BCDelica]

If anyone could please post a pic or some more detail as to how to get to the wire that is positive when the engine is running and grounded when turned off I would greatly appreciate it. Two days ago I left my system on and the heater killed the battery and it was a very hard start with cold veg oil in the lines. I could have sworn that I turned it off but it was on in the morning and it SUCKED!

So, I NEED the buzzer, badly. I'm going to connect the other line to the positive side of the pollack valve when on the VO side.

Do I have to take the dash apart? (I don't want to do this if I can help it) or can I cut a wire that is just under the carpet in the front?

A thermocouple and a relay, mounted and wired into your vegtherm, could be your best friend; cheap, easy and switches off the veg therm for you when needed. Though your vegtherm should be switch via a relay, allowing it to turn on only when the ignition is in the run position.