Suzuki V-Strom (VStrom) Owners Club DL250, DL650, DL1000 & DL1050

V-Strom specific discussion => V-Strom specific discussion => Topic started by: MartinW on November 10, 2013, 17:50:44

Title: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on November 10, 2013, 17:50:44
I've got too many battery connections now and it's not easy to get the bolts too tighten on the terminals.

So, longer bolt or a secondary bus-bar type arrangement for the additional connections? What's the right way to go, and if it's the latter (which I think it should be) where's a good place to get something useful?
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Jeff999 on November 10, 2013, 18:28:46
http://www.versatilemarine.co.uk/index.html (http://www.versatilemarine.co.uk/index.html)
Give the above firm a call and ask for Abby, and ask for one of these.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Sea-System ... ea+systems (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Sea-Systems-Circuit-Ground/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1384108057&sr=1-3&keywords=blue+sea+systems)
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Firestorm on November 10, 2013, 18:30:31
I'm about to fit one of these with a relay. Someone who really knows what they are doing will be along soon!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151124154036?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on November 10, 2013, 18:42:07
Thanks both - I was hoping to avoid putting in an aux-box, but I know you are both right. Will have to go and get on with it.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Oop North John on November 10, 2013, 19:08:29
Some good kit here, which might have a solution to what you need:

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Bike_ ... strom.html (http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Bike_Specific/VStrom/vstrom.html)
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Locky on November 10, 2013, 19:18:17
Got all my stuff from  http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/V ... mepage.php (http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/home/homepage.php)  this was the aux fusebox I used  http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/V ... HAL106.jpg (http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/fuses/photo/FHAL106.jpg)  via a relay .
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Gassoon on November 10, 2013, 19:22:40
Heres a cheaper alternative to the bluesea box...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380485287092? ... 1423.l2649 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380485287092?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on November 10, 2013, 19:24:01
Nice one Gassoon - I like that one.
 :)
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Juvecu on November 11, 2013, 19:13:56
I have a 6 way BlueSea with the Negative bus. If I had to do it again I'd probably buy something that just has an individually fused positive bus and screw the negatives together with a bolt through some ring terminals. Space is at a premium under my seat.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Firestorm on November 11, 2013, 19:33:26
that's exactly what I do. Ring connectors on each earth and a bolt through them. Takes up hardly any room, makes a great connection and saves £20 on the fuse box :grin:
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on November 11, 2013, 19:38:29
I was planning to do the ring connector and bolt fix for the grounds, but that's a bit dodgy for the 12V feeds. I reckon I will go with Mr Gassoon's suggestion.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Firestorm on November 11, 2013, 22:11:38
Just to clarify - I only do it for the earths. I use a proper fusebox with a positive bus for the 12v feeds.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: UK_Vstrom650 on November 11, 2013, 23:09:40
Pics would help the electrically challenged like me...
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on November 12, 2013, 20:38:51
OK, ordered the item Gassoon pointed out. Thanks for all the inputs.

Will do a formal review and photo's when it arrives.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on November 15, 2013, 20:47:17
Got the new aux fuse box today. It's a bit big! Does fit under the seat and will be pretty future proof when it's fitted though. I'll get some photo's sorted when I fit it.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: UK_Vstrom650 on November 15, 2013, 21:51:47
Good luck fitting & thanks in advance. I need to sort out my electrics soon so look forward to see how you get on :thumb:
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: jabmotorsport on November 29, 2013, 08:20:23
Hi mate,

Did you fit the box? Wanting to do the same thing but don't know how it works haha,

Please could some explain exactly what this box does and how to fit it to bike, has anyone got pics too please cos I'm a bit electrically challenged  :shy:

Any help greatly welcomed!!!

Cheers
Josh
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: UK_Vstrom650 on November 29, 2013, 13:26:14
I have limited knowledge too Josh, but we can get together and bodge it together if you fancy?
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: greywolf on November 29, 2013, 13:33:10
Here is one example of an under seat installation. The earth connection goes from the battery - to the fuse block. The live connection goes from the battery + to a 30A inline fuse on to a relay and then to the live side of the fuse block. The blue trigger wire in the diagram is the small white wire in the picture that goes to a connector which is attached to the brown wire in the sheath that runs by the left side of the under seat tray. Red wires are live and black wires are earth. The small red and black wires from the battery go to a connector which is plugged into a battery tender to keep the battery properly charged when the snow takes over my world for up to four months.

(http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1292/1374496223_b0f1e05385_o.jpg)

A typical schematic is shown below.

(http://www.canyonchasers.net/shop/generic/_img/relay/relay-diagram-final.jpg)
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on November 29, 2013, 14:36:51
Josh - I haven't fitted it yet, but will put up some detailed instructions and photo's when I do.

As for connections, Greywolf has already given some great details. The block I have bought has two common positive rails though, each of 6 connections, so one can then be direct to the battery (So Alarms, Optimisers etc) and one can be relay switched for utilities (Heated Grips, GPS etc). The grounds are common.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: greywolf on November 29, 2013, 14:52:01
The tray under the seat is just one place the fuse block can be placed. On my Wee, adding electrical accessories wound up with most of them at the front, so I moved the fuse block to the front when I replaced the 6 connection Blue Seas fuse block with a physically smaller Eastern Beaver PC8.

(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6163/6241578606_49a853f930_o.jpg)

On the Glee that had little front end electrical additions, the best and maybe only place for the Rostra electronic cruise control servo required displacing the tool kit and left room for the PC8 in back.  Positive and negative buses on the battery also added connectivity.

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8637887757_c20d886ea8_h.jpg)
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: jabmotorsport on November 29, 2013, 18:06:31
Wow!!

Thanks very much for the help, this is now deffinatley on my to do list, really clarified in my mind what I need to do.

Without being too thick, can anyone recommend a relay for this??

Once again many thanks
Josh
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: frez on November 29, 2013, 18:40:45
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/12v-40a-dc-sp ... elay-n02aw (http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/12v-40a-dc-spno-automotive-relay-n02aw)
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on January 26, 2014, 17:28:10
Finally finished wiring the Aux Fuse Box in. The one I purchased is quite big, which meant it took me a bit longer to do. However, it also means it has been future-proofed.

I had to do something as my battery had too many separate wires on it, and I couldn't get the screws to go through into the threaded section of the terminal. This is the horrific scene I had before the fuse box went in. It didn't just need the electrics tidying up, it needed all the muck removing as well.

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/12154941986_d488635bb1.jpg)

I really needed to fix the relay to something too as the sticky pad it came with is past its use by date.

I ended up buying this fuse box (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-way-fusebox-with-twin-positive-busbars-and-neg-bus-/380485287092) as I liked the idea of two separate positive rails. One for a straight to the battery connection and one for a switched live for when the ignition is on. The problem is, it's quite big!

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3726/12154946696_346bb8f571.jpg)
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5491/12154529773_bb708bc29d.jpg)

This is where the problems started. Although it fitted in the tray under the seat, there was not really any room for the cables to go in and out. I started to drill some holes through for the cables, but that really didn't work, expecially with the thicker cables coming direct from the battery. I ended up cutting down the sides of the tray until they were the same height as the connectors on the fuse box. It wasn't hard to do, just using a stanley knife, but it didn't feel right doing it. However, once done it's a good fit.

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7302/12154940106_f81214ca0f.jpg)

Relay bolted down properly too.

Next, how to wire it. Now I am not too confident on mechanics, but not worried by electrics. So this is how I designed and connected the electrons.

(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/13929474832_6c5b13bcee.jpg)

With this configuration, the odd numbered connections (L1, L3, L5, L7, L9 and L11) all work when the ignition is on and the even numbered connections (L2, L4, L6, L8, L10 and L12) are all live all the time.

So wired up and lid on, with fuses fitted.

(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2825/12154521803_f44b52b5cc.jpg)

The alarm has been disabled at the moment by not putting a fuse in FUSE10, but the fuse can be put in again if needed and the alarm's back on.

The other spaces will be used for a 12V socket and a PD Oiler, which are still to fit.

Now the battery only has the two wires that run the rest of the bike and the two wires to the Fuse Box.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: tallpaul on January 26, 2014, 17:52:17
Asda beans! Quality! Top install. Tidies it up nicely. Result!
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: james.t on January 26, 2014, 18:19:05
nice. just one thing can you put the relay the right way up (OK its me. it annoys me sorry)
but good job and pictures too.
j
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: greywolf on April 20, 2014, 20:09:07
That little sign under the battery in the diagram can be confusing. One possible relay trigger wire can be the orange/green power wire to the rear brake light switch. If you use the actual brake light wire, the fuse block will only be on when the brakes are on.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: MartinW on April 20, 2014, 20:20:41
Good Point Greywolf.

To avoid confusion, I have changed the picture to only show the number plate light connection.
Title: Re: Too many battery connections
Post by: Hilldweller on April 20, 2014, 22:30:31
Quote from: "MartinW"
I've got too many battery connections now and it's not easy to get the bolts too tighten on the terminals.

If you want simple, two 6mm terminals and 100mm thick flex and an M6 locknut and bolt and a roll of tape.