Operating blower motors without keys/ignition on

[dan1554]

Final update: works great installed. I'm using a 4A fuse for this whole setup so I think it is pretty clear I went WAY overkill with all the 30A gear. The Webasto now controls the fan, however it is overridden when the ignition is on. Control in that case is passed to the AC system. Here is a schematic for how things ended up. Note that fuses are not pictured.

 

[bloc]

Great tech! I really like seeing this stuff.

 

[superjuice]

Nice work! What type of connectors did you use there?

 

[dan1554]

Thanks! I used weather pack connectors, since I had them available. Kinda wish I had an 8-pin for the relay. They are a little large for my taste, especially for interior work, but that makes them easier to assemble. In hindsight I think I would have checked out Deutsche connectors as they are more compact, but I'm not going to mix and match now.

 

[asutherland]

Hey @dan1554 , it's been a little while, how is your Webasto controlled low-blow setup working? Still like it? Any issues? Will be doing this to mine if your report back is positive!

Can't wait to pre-defrost my windows in the morning. Heh

 

[dan1554]

Works great! Left it on all night once and it about cooked me out of the cruiser. Sadly I needed a jump in the morning.

All things considered it works great as a block heater with defrost but I might get an air top to heat the cab for sleeping. No sense in heating the block for that. I would also wire it in to an aux battery if you have one.

Also it takes a while to get things up to temp. I would probably start it 30 min to 1hr before you need to leave if you're relying on it for defrost. Again it has a giant heat sink (engine) to warm up first.