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Topic: Ford Focus Spilt Charge Relay Help

Trance-Elbow

06/4/2013 at 5:05pm
Location: Sussex
Outfit: Bailey Ranger 460 2 (2006)

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Hi,

I've just fitted a towbar kit to my Ford Focus Mk2 and I am having a spot of trouble connecting up the split charge relay. It requires a permanent feed from the battery.

The problem I have is that I can't find a way of feeding the wire from the engine compartment to the inside. There is a wiring loom which passes through the bulkhead, but it's tightly packed, sealed to the gromit and I can't get to the engine side of the hole as it's hidden behind panels that I can't seem to remove. Has anyone got an ideas how to proceed?

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T-E
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Tea cures everything except drowning.

tango55

06/4/2013 at 5:41pm
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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Yes, my advice is to take it to a professional towbar fitter as I had a towbar fitted to a Focus MkII by a professional company but they didn't have to feed a relay to the car battery at all. Everything was wired at the rear with an independent in-line fuse to the trailer lights but some of these cars have a designated wiring loom so unless you know what you are doing I would take it to someone that does know. If it's not wired correctly it could potentially be a fire risk and it would be unlikely that any insurance company will pay out for fire damage on a DIY job as you have no paperwork of any proof that it is safe.

Trance-Elbow

06/4/2013 at 6:26pm
Location: Sussex
Outfit: Bailey Ranger 460 2 (2006)

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That's a fair point, but I'm an Electronics Engineer and I'm willing to take the chance. The problem is that I can't get the wire for the direct battery feed through the car's bulkhead and I am reluctant to drill it.

I was just wondering if any other DIYer with a Mk2 Focus found a simple solution?

Fitting the towbar itself was very easy, the wiring was a little trickier as I had to remove even panel in the boot to access the wiring. All the lighting circuits worked first time, but I haven't sorted the power feed to the Split charge relay yet.

For those who don't know, the split charge relay is used to ensure the van battery is charged and the fridge powered while the car engine is running (ie. travelling). Without one the car battery could run flat.

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T-E
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Tea cures everything except drowning.

mattlad

06/4/2013 at 6:36pm
Location: Worcestershire
Outfit: Defender 90 and MyWay Voyager Raid

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The boot light will be a permanent feed, but it won't carry the kind of current for charging a battery. The vehicle may have been manufactured with a wire already in place.

The trouble is that for security reasons wiring diagrams are not readily available so you may need to take the vehicle to a bona fide auto electrician to identify the wire even if you do the rest of the job yourself.

Has the vehicle got a CANBUS electrical system?

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rabbin8

06/4/2013 at 9:49pm
Location: Powys Wales
Outfit: Abbey 2 berth. Astra sports tourer .

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I had a Cmax which is more or less the same but a bit bigger. It had a cigarette lighter type socket in the boot which is rated at 10 amps. I used that. worked fine for years no probs. It was situated on the O/S of the boot side panel and easy to get at.

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Rob

Trance-Elbow

06/4/2013 at 10:36pm
Location: Sussex
Outfit: Bailey Ranger 460 2 (2006)

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I did find an Orange wire on the right side of the boot which is tied back to the loom. It is a live feed but I don't know where it comes from or its fuse rating. I've studied the wiring diagram in the Haynes manual, but can't identify it. Should I chance it as the cable is thick enough ?

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T-E
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Tea cures everything except drowning.

rabbin8

07/4/2013 at 11:12am
Location: Powys Wales
Outfit: Abbey 2 berth. Astra sports tourer .

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Cigarette socket wiring used to be what they called 28/12 cable. ie 28 strands of 12 thou wire. Its all metric now so I dont know what they call it now. Anyhow, if its there and has a 12v feed I would say go for it. the worst you can do is blow a fuse on the main board.

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Rob

rabbin8

07/4/2013 at 11:20am
Location: Powys Wales
Outfit: Abbey 2 berth. Astra sports tourer .

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Quote: Originally posted by rabbin8 on 07/4/2013
Cigarette socket wiring used to be what they called 28/12 cable. ie 28 strands of 12 thou wire. Its all metric now so I dont know what they call it now. Anyhow, if its there and has a 12v feed I would say go for it. the worst you can do is blow a fuse on the main board.

Ive had a look around, and the orange cable is rated at 20 amps.

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Rob

DaveCoaches

08/4/2013 at 5:14pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Coachman Pastiche

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I managed to poke a hole in the grommet on my Mk 3 Mondeo for the split charging relay, but had to take the plate off the top of the passenger side suspension off and the glove box out from inside in order to do it.

Trance-Elbow

10/4/2013 at 6:34pm
Location: Sussex
Outfit: Bailey Ranger 460 2 (2006)

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I've discovered on another forum that the orange wire that I found in the boot is in fact for an additional power socket in the boot. It's just not fitted on my model.

I have also found a really useful device which allows you to add an extra fused circuit to the existing Passenger Cabin fuse box. You remove an existing fuse, plug this device in its place and put back the fuse you removed into the unit. There is a second socket in it for another fuse and a wire to connect your new circuit. Simples

I found it on eBay - Here

This will allow me to run a separate fused wire all the way from the passenger cabin fuse box to the split charge relay in the boot

I'm hoping the piggyback unit arrives before the weekend so I can try it out. I'll let you know how this goes.

Post last edited on 10/04/2013 18:40:48

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Regards
T-E
-------------------------
Tea cures everything except drowning.

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