Ignition switch/Brake warning light, Bentley error/omission?

[a2d2]

I have a 1981 Canadian Kombi that I am converting to a camper.

I am adding in the camper wiring harness from a 1980 Westfalia and adding the fridge relay to the circuit.

In the process of deciding where where to add the Red/Black wire between Terminal 50 on the ignition switch and Terminal 85 on the relay I ran into some weirdness.

Terminal 50 on my ignition switch has a 20awg Red/Blk wire connected along with the expected 8awg Red/Blk. This wire goes directly to Terminal 1 on the T8 connector for the brake warning light. I can't find this extra wire anywhere in the Bentley.

Here is what I'm looking at:

Only the 8 and 4 terminals match the Bentley and the Red/Black wire on Terminal 1 does not appear anywhere.

The Blue/Black wire on Terminal 4 (and Terminal 1 for '81 only) should normally connect to the Oil Pressure light at the T4C connector.

I can't comprehend why I have a wire in that position that connects to Terminal 50 on the ignition switch. Can anyone explain this to me?

Sorry about the long-winded post, hard to explain these problems quickly.

The "shorter" answers I'm looking for are: Is this Red/Black wire a good candidate to connect to Terminal 85 on the fridge relay? Is 20awg the right choice of gauge for this job?

Thanks
_________________
1981 Vanagon, Aircooled 2.0 AFC
1978 Baywindow Bus (R.I.P.)

[Vanagon Nut]

The Dometic in the early model year Vanagon had the fridge relay on the fridge itself.
Check P 97.32b It shows the fridge relay. aka "HTR RES RLY". The blue alternator D+ wire controls the switch inside fridge relay.

There's a note re: '81 brake warning light in P. 97.16 diagram. Seems to me there's the same amount of wires in each case but different pinout. Ok....

P 97.27 shows a #18 R/BK wire from ign. switch 50 to brake warning light module. (semi conductor)

Hope that sheds some light.

Neil.

[a2d2]

[Vanagon Nut]

You're totally welcome for the parts.

I'd use the same gauge wire as shown for fridge relay as shown in the later MY diagram. ( 0.5 ) That said, looking online, it appears this is equal to #20 AWG as shown for the earlier model fridges.

Was suggesting that "yes" there is a fridge relay in the earlier model year Westy.

If you're installing a generic 4 pin relay, it may have a suppressing diode or resistor (not needed in this case AFAIK). If so, I'd connect D+ wire to 86. As per the '81 camper diagram, I'd connect 85 to vehicle frame. Be sure to fuse the new circuits.

The stock "fridge relay", as installed in battery box under driver seat in later model years, has been referred to as the "silver" fridge relay. IIRC, the 50 connection from (edit: this) relay to starter disarms relay when cranking engine. crazyvwvanman has posted of this relay. I guess the thinking is that since the Dometic draws something like 5-7 Amps in DC mode, why have it sucking juice when cranking the starter (?). The early models don't appear to connect the fridge relay to the starter so it may not be a big deal (?)

I'm not intimate with the details, but it seems to me that the difference in ign. switch 50 wiring has to do with the seatbelt interlock as shown on P 97.27 I bet there's info here on that.
_________________
1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN