Power & Ground Connection for Vintage Air

[OldTimer]

Its time to make a decision and I have to ask... why does Vintage Air want you to connect power and ground directly to the battery? I've replaced the factory single post Terminal Block with a Jegs 2-post unit, and I'm setting it up so its a split power supply, one post is always Hot, and the other post is only hot when the ignition is switched on. Using a relay thats switched controlled to provide a switched power source under the hood.

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So from the positive battery terminal to the terminal block, I'm using a #8 wire with a #12 fusible link. Total length is about 18". Likewise, I installed a heavy duty ground block on the apron section in front of the inner fender well right next to the battery. Ground both sides down to bare metal, the ground post has a 5/16" post with lock and star washers on both sides and a flange cover for the base. Will run a 12" wire from the battery ground to that post just to make sure.

I hate the look of multiple wires coming off the battery terminals and since the VA is being powered by the "Hot" side of the terminal block, what would be the advantage of connecting it directly to the battery. And since the two white ground wires are gonna be connected to a Ground Block that's linked directly to battery, what would be the issue there? Again, note that I'm using #8 wire for both jumpers from the battery to the respective blocks. I may add pix/diagram.

Mike

[Tsaints1115]

For EFI they want you to do that to help avoid RFI. A/c wouldn't have that issue so I can only assume it's their way to keep an amateur wiring pro from tying it in to a too small a circuit that already has ten other loads on it. I think, with proper gauge wire you should be ok using your supply posts.

[dontlifttoshift]

The ECU on the vintage air GENIV units is every bit as susceptible to RFI. They also do it that way to take the load off of the ignition switch in a mostly stock application.

The only time I have had an issue tying the Vintage Air to a power stud like that is when the charge back wire was also connected to it. I think what you are proposing will work fine.

[OldTimer]

The ECU on the vintage air GENIV units is every bit as susceptible to RFI. They also do it that way to take the load off of the ignition switch in a mostly stock application.

The only time I have had an issue tying the Vintage Air to a power stud like that is when the charge back wire was also connected to it. I think what you are proposing will work fine.

Donny... The VA power line runs through the circuit breaker which is about 30" back from the battery, just forward of the firewall pass-thru. Its wired that way from VA, they suggest getting it as close to the battery (or in my case the Junction Block) as possible. The power line running from the battery to the block has a fusible link. Would it make sense to put an inline fuse in the VA power line or is that just redundant? Or would it make sense to connect the VA power to the Relay side of the Junction Block? I'm thinking that the way I drew it up makes the most sense since it is going to be hot all the time just like the battery. I'm not an EE and certainly not an automotive EE LOL.

Mike

[dontlifttoshift]

Do exactly as you said and connect at the battery side of the junction block. Leave the breaker, or use a fuse, either one is fine, both is redundant for no reason.

[OldTimer]

Somewhat related... trying to get some meaningful work done today. About to start connecting wires on the Vintage Air setup. I have one question and they're closed today LOL. The Trinary switch has two (2) Blue wires, and two (2) Green/Black wires. All the instructions say is one blue wire goes to ground, othe other goes to the fan controlling device. One Green/Black wire goes to the compressor, the other Green/Black goes to the Blue wire in the harness coming from the circuit breaker.


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Does it matter which Green/Black goes to the Compressor? Or which Blue wire goes to Chassis Ground? There's no apparent indicator on the Trinary switch to tell you which is which unless its microscopic. The wires are 180° opposite on the switch, and even in the VA video instructions, the guy never says the two blue wires are "different" in any way, same with the green/black wires.



Mike

[Tim C]

It won't matter. The wires just go to two separate switches internally and the current doesn't care which way it flows across the contacts.

[OldTimer]

It won't matter. The wires just go to two separate switches internally and the current doesn't care which way it flows across the contacts.

Thanks Tim... I was hoping it was that simple. You'd think they'd point that out for the dummies like me LOL!-Mike

[OldTimer]

Just a FYI Update. The car is finally on the road or at least I'm taking shakedown rides LOL. Still haven't had it DMV inspected, and once that's done I will make an appointment with the local AC shop to charge the system and hopefully not find any leaks in my hose-making with the EZ-Clips. As far as wiring goes I had the battery out for well over a month because I had a bad gasket seal on one side of the water pump... had to remove the entire serpentine setup and start with fresh FelPro gaskets. No leaks in the pump now. But like Donny said, the ECU in these systems can act up. I had previously programmed the slider controls, and when I started it up last week, it was just blowing hot air at full speed, could not shut the fan down. Apparently, the internal non-volatile memory did not like being connected to power then having power pulled and re-installed a couple times as its a PITA to work with the wiring behind the battery unless you pull it. Long story short... I did a reprogram and it seems OK now, fan shuts down and vents work properly. One of the guys suggested its a "rare" occurrence LOL. Well, sh*t apparently happens and it happened to me. Anyway, I decided not to risk anything and the VA power is wired direct to the battery.

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Headlight Doors work almost instantaneously and simultaneously, no delay. Horns working fine, dash LEDs working fine, PWM seems to be working fine... fans come on at about 180-185 and since I haven't been on the highway or faster than about 40-45 mph, I haven't seen the temp drop enough for the fans to shut down while driving. I'm running a 180° thermostat for the first time and its a Dorman generic... bought a EMP/Stewart 180° and will install it this week. The fans do shut down after I pull back in the garage and its a interesting gradual shutdown not an On-Off deal. It's like turning off my big vintage Delta table saw, like a flywheel winding down.

Mike