| Author | Message | ||
     Gordon Norris Experienced User Username: crewes_missile Post Number: 13 Registered: 2-2005 |
I'm posting this for info for anyone else as my query was started on another BB and solved by the eminent Bill Coburn by email. Here is my original query: "Can anyone please tell me the polarity of the 3 pin battery-charging socket on the right hand boot trim on 1996 and onward vehicles? Only 2 of the pins are used, one for battery positive and one for earth. If someone can tell me which pins are which when, say, viewing the socket from the front, it would be most helpful. I'm re-soldering some wires pulled off the socket on a friends car, presumably by a stereo installer. It's a simple job which he understandably doesn't want to pay the dealer squillions for, but I don't want to get it wrong and have a short circuit occur the next time someone plugs a RR/Bentley charger in. I can't help as my car is a 1990 Turbo R without the socket. I also don't have a genuine RR charger to test with a meter and the wiring diagram doesn't say whether the orientation is viewing the socket from the front or back. So, you see my dilemma" And Bill's reply: "Gordaon I finally got the word today on polarity. Hope the following makes sense. First off he defined the ‘Factory’ charger and part number PM33718PA with Bentley labelling. If you holed the charging plug in your left hand and look at the terminals the terminal marked number 1 is the live one. It is also the left hand one." PLEASE NOTE: that means the actual socket in the boot has the live/positive on the RIGHT when looking at the face of the socket, to mate with the charger plug. (It also means the wiring diagram is viewing the socket from the BACK, which to some could be counter-intuitive.) Hope this is helpful if you ever need to fix yours, or if you want to fit an accessory plug yourself. GN. | ||
| Gordon Norris Experienced User Username: crewes_missile Post Number: 16 Registered: 2-2005 |
Further to the above post, I am now installing a charging socket in my car, (to save lifting the carpet and battery lid all the time and fiddling with alligator clips), and an extra cigarette type accessory socket at the same time for running....? well, accessories!(eg/ portable fridge). For info, the charging socket is a standard Cannon type 3 pin female socket (mainly used for microphone plugs in PA's) and Dick Smith or Jaycar have suitable units for $2.40 to $5 depending on quality. Of course you also need a corresponding male plug to adapt to your battery charger leads and these are about $5.50 to $7.50. I would recommend the Amphenol brand from Jaycar electronics.(Jaycar part numbers: Socket PS-1014 Plug PP-1052) Solid, durable, nickel plated, look the part. NOTE:Basic wiring and soldering skills are assumed. Also solderless plugs and sockets ARE available, but would not be as durable for this use, and short circuits are not nice to these vehicles. GN. | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 603 Registered: 4-2003 |
Note 1: if you drive the car, it never needs charging. Warning 1: never jump start the car. Warning 2: Never charge the battery with a boost charger unless you isolate the battery. Forgetting these warnings will fry your cruise control ECU, memory seats and mirrors ECU, and possibly your vehicle contol ECUs. Avoid chargers altogether unless you disconnect the battery. Be warned. | ||
| Gordon Norris Frequent User Username: crewes_missile Post Number: 53 Registered: 2-2005 |
Richard, Whilst I always value your input highly, some things are not black and white, and with all due respect I would like to qualify some of your comments: Re: NOTE 1: Correct, but not everybody uses their RR/B as a daily driver as you do. I have a stable of 10 cars, counting my and my wife's daily drivers. They just can't all get used every day. Without some auxiliary charging the batteries deteriorate rapidly, and flat batteries become common even after quite short cycles. On the post-30000 RR/B's, especially those fitted with factory Motorola phones,(mine has one front and rear)they will discharge the battery to below a reasonable cranking level after only 1 week. Stupid when a hand held cell-phone can be on standby for days on a teeny-weeny battery, but that's the way it is. May be another reason they changed to Nokia in the Arnages, after decades with Motorola. Re: Warning 1: Correct,NEVER JUMP START THE CAR. Re: Warning 2: Correct, but I should have been clearer about chargers..the factory charger is a variable "float" charger, available for the usual factory price of "think of a number and multiply by ten". An electronically similar item can be had from Jaycar electronics Cat. No. MB3602, for $79. Dick Smith also has one, Cat. No. M9826, same price. These chargers apply the correct peak charge then reduce and maintain the battery at the perfect float voltage which eliminates the damaging effects of trickle chargers, and battery destroying sulphation. They are great and cost less than one replacement battery. Finally, I try and avoid removing the battery unecessarily as the Motronic leans out the mixtures after the battery switch has been turned off or the battery disconnected. Don't know why, but it is mentioned in the workshop manual. This may not be noticeable on naturally aspirateds, but on the Turbo's it takes between 150 and 300 km for it to resume the normal boost curve (I run Shell Optimax) as the knock sensors cut boost back to baseline until it "re-learns". I am referring to post 30000 cars here, I don't know if the same occurs with yours Richard, but it is a royal pain in mine. So having a factory format socket will be a boon, and safer and more convenient than alligator clips on the battery. The battery charging socket was re-introduced around 1994 I think for the reasons above, and remains on the dealer accessory list for earlier cars. I was offering advice on a cheaper identical alternative, and passing on advice for fixing one that had been vandalised on a 1996 car. It won't be the first or last to have had this happen. Hope this is helpful.  GN. |
