Bericht von der CBR

[jinx]

Hi JOker,

sometime ago I have posted this

"Original von jinx
Würde es funktionieren, um diesen Verstärker (www.reimo.de) anzubringen um Brettbatterien völlig aufzuladen, als fahrend? Ist so, wo man es setzt?

"Booster WA 1214/8

Art.Nr.: 80075
Booster WA 1214-8

Booster mit Trennrelais, damit auch bei langen Leitungswegen genügend Spannung zur Batterieladung ankommt. Die Batterie wird im Fahrbetrieb optimal geladen und Absinken der Ladespannung verhindert. Das Gerät hält die Ladespannung bei konstant 14,2 Volt. Für Caravan entwickelt: Strom wird nur bei laufendem Motor entnommen. Entladung der Caravan-Batterie durch Kriechströme wird vermieden. Einfache Montage durch integriertes Trennrelais

Maße: Eingangsspannung: 11-14,5 Volt. Ausgangsspannung: 14,2 Volt. Ladestrom 8 A. Maß: H 110/B 80/T 128 mm.
Gewicht: 550 g

128,95 Euro"

Unfortunatelly no one replied - probably because my attempt at German was too awful :-)

The thing is that I consider the fact that:
1) the 220V does not load the engine battery and
2) the fact that the alternator (engine generator) does not fuilly load the board batteries (according to the manual they need to be loaded via 220V once a month)
as not bast though through design choices.

Considering that the radio and the electric doors and front cabin lights are comming from the engine battery I do not want to get stranded after a week at camping where the engine battery could be dead no matter that the car was on 220V. I have solved this problem but the 2nd one remains - how to load fully all batteries by just driving.

My idea was that the product above coul help but I am not sure and have no idea where the relay separating the house battery and the engine battery is.

Have you given a thought to this problem?

Have a good weekend,
Jinx

P.S. Yopu can reply in German if you prefer

 

[jinx]

P.S. Do you know if the door step on the picture attached here is standard issue on California now? I am looking for something (a foot mat or something) to get all the dirt and mud from the shoes while entering the car.

Ciao,
Jinx.

 

[Cali-Schwiiz]

Hello Jinx,

Because the charging situation of the board Battery I woory as well.
If I start a big journey I'm going to stay a few nights on a camping side where I get electricy. To solve the problem with the engine battery I just take a tickle charger (Schwebelader auf deutsch) with me and stick it on the right side of the kitchen on the 220V slot. This charger is very small, size of 5x5 cm, and loads just a few milli-Ampere. I normaly use it for my motorbike.

About the door steps, those are pictures of mine. I ordered a smith in Switzerland to cut those chrome-stell parts with laser. Not really cheap i guess, the bill I haven't get jet. If you wish a cheaper solution watch up on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.ch/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9887&item=7956102468&rd=1

Simon

 

[jinx]

Hi Simon,

Thanks for your message and the info.

I also use a charger (a smart one that switches to tickle when needed) from 200V to the cigarrette lighter plug (it is about 15x5x3 cm).

I do not have enough technical info to tackle the second problem.
I wonder why VW did not install a booster at the relay to get the different technology of the board baterries to fully load properlly while driving (but then there is no trunk light either). Other than that after my initial many calls to the workshop to fix the remote control for the heater, the front interior lights (a screw from the wardrobe was causing a short circuit), the camper controlboard (my version was not fully in french) the parking "radar" and the gearbox logic update (I insisted on it having had once about 2s without acceleration) I am very happy with the car and now waiting for spring!

Is your solution for the door step working well? How did you install it (glue?)

gruß
Jinx

 

[Cali-Schwiiz]

Hello Jinx,

I also don't know enough to look up for the part(s) we need to solve this problem. My contact person of my dealer knows a lot about the California and already told me about that. I'm going to ask him.

My door steps are sticked with very thin tape which doesn't fit on the plastic side. If I had those plastic parts taken off again I would screw it certainly, but this is a lot of work.

Greets Simon

 

[JOker]

Hello jinx,

unfortunately I do not have notion from electric motorcar equipments and must on my mechanic rely. In an emergency I charge the starting battery with a battery charger in connection with a generator 220V.

Dirt the problem remove I with a piece carpet soil and 12Volt vacuum cleaner.

Greeting from Cologne JOker

 

[jinx]

Hello JOker,

Thanks for your message.

Cutting a grey carpet for the 3 doorsteps is something that I consider too (the other alternative being a metalic plate).

How did you fix your carpet (I am thinking about two-way adhesive strips)?

Considering the vacumcleaner I have a 12V one but of course it is not very strong. There is a €55 much stronger one but for each 15 minutes of operation one needs to load it 10 hours from 220V so I am not sure that it represents a pratical solution...

Gruß von Genf
Jinx

 

[jinx]

Hello Simon,

Thank you for your message.

I also live in CH (Geneva). Please let me know when you know the cost of your plate (I find it more aestetical than the one on e-bay). Have you also had the 2 plates for the front entrances made?

By the way I have bought the my California from AMAG (the garage belongs to AMAG the official importer for VW in CH). I probably did a lous job on negotiating. I have got 6% on price without VAT so it is 5% and someting of the end price. Because it was delayed (ordered in Dec 2003 for delivery at latest in June 2004) significantly (I ordered an automatic transmission) I got additional free multivan rent 3 times and L.A. wheels with larger tires replacing the Miato ones.

What about you?

Gruß von Genf
Jinx

 

[Cali-Schwiiz]

Hi Jinx,

I guess you haven't read my thread about the plates. There you see more details and later also the price.

Riffelblech aus Chromstahl

I've made really bad experiences with my Audi A4 in AMAG in Schinznach. I bought it as a used 2-year old car at AMAG. At the first inspection 3 month later they told me I almost lost my front weels and they fixed it in order to the warranty. In fact it was a constructional mistake. After waiting a several days more I suddenly ought to pay the full cost because of te higher risk while my car was 4cm deeper which I haven't done. They also have the most expensive wage (cost per hour).
You can read in the following thread more details about....

Welche Wintersportgebiete habt Ihr mit dem Cali schon besucht?

So I got offers also from AMAG for 7% on the price without vat. Finally I ordered at another dealer a very good one who knows a lot about the Cali and camping gear. He offered 9.1%.
Considered that the T5's in Germany are approx. 15% more expensive than here we both made a good deal.
I ordered at Dez. the 5th and got within 7 weeks, and this over the christmas! Until now I haven't got any troubles.

Why don't we start a new "english gossip" thread ? We are extremely off topic !
I haven't written english for at least 2 years. It's time to practise !

Simon

 

[jinx]

Hi Simon,

Your door step inserts look truly great. It is a pitty that the original plastic parts must be dismounted at expense of long work (this is what I understood at least). I willl probably find some kind of doormat and cut it and attach it using 2-way adhesive strips. The difficult part will be to find appropriate doormat.

My experience with AMAG was not as bad but they do not have even any electrical schemas of California (this is why some repairs took long) and were not even aware about things as the gearbox software upgrade (I had to show them a picture of VW the upgrade disk I got from Jeuwa site). Anyway with 9% I wish I had known about your dealer a year ago... Here in Geneva all VW cars come through AMAG (importer) to either AMAG garages/dealerships or smaller independent garages/dealerships.

It is good to hear that you have no troubles. Have you had the oportunity to test the car and take some trips though? We went to Venice(IT), Valais(Walis) and also to Viene (France) and had a lot of fun but that was before the winter. Just after the first 3000 km I had the oil warning light up and poured 1l of oil.

I know that we drifted off topic but did not want to pollute with English messages everywhere. Great idea with a new tread. Could you start it with some explanation in good German so peole would not get upset that the globalisation language is attacking them :-). We sometimes have that feeling in Geneva too.

Gruß von Genf
Jinx