Yellow cable (1 Viewer)

[gj1023]

The previous owner fitted an inverter, as I have no need for it , I have just taken it out. First off it had a 70amp car not leisure battery fitted to it.

It had a red and black lead that fitted to the battery . On top of the inverter it had a yellow cable fitted . Brown Blue and yellow/green. I detached those and took it out.

Now I followed the yellow cable and it ends up in the cupboard next to the fridge. There is a block in there with a strange fuse with pins at the end. It has at the back of the cupboard, like a fuse box with a on / off switch.
It has two white cables , one from the fuse box and one from somewhere under the back.

These all end at the block with the fuse. The yellow cable is attached to the block and the earth (yellow and green) has a block connector which the earth`s from the white cables attach.

What I need to know is what do I do with the yellow cable in the wardrobe now as it is not attached to anything ?

Sorry so long winded. Gary

 

[Simannjo]

Hi Gary,

Just disconnect the yellow cable within the relay itself and leave everything else as it is.
Make sure cables aren't live beforehand, and that the earths in the connector block from the white cables remain connected.

Simannjo

 

[haganap]

Hi Gary, what wattage is the inverter? do you want to sell it? Im looking for a more high powered one to power my laptops.

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[gj1023]

Thank you for the reply , there is a bit of a problem with totally disconnecting the yellow cable. The yellow/green (earth I assume) wires from the two white cables go into a elec block (2 into 1) with the one from the yellow cable .

Now I have disconnected the yellow cables from the inverter , that relay in the cupboard must not be earthed now.
Do you think the yellow cable originally for the fridge battery connection ? The cable would reach to the leisure battery under the drivers seat. The problem there is it has 3 wires , doh

 

[gj1023]

Hi hag a nap , it is a 1200w izzy power inverter and yes I was going to put it on Ebay I can send you a pic if you like

 

[Simannjo]

Thank you for the reply , there is a bit of a problem with totally disconnecting the yellow cable. The yellow/green (earth I assume) wires from the two white cables go into a elec block (2 into 1) with the one from the yellow cable .

Now I have disconnected the yellow cables from the inverter , that relay in the cupboard must not be earthed now.
Do you think the yellow cable originally for the fridge battery connection ? The cable would reach to the leisure battery under the drivers seat. The problem there is it has 3 wires , doh

I suspect the yellow cable supplied mains voltage from the inverter to the relay then onwards through the white cables to fridge or whatever...
It's unlikely that this is the only connection to earth on the white cables.

To be more certain I would need the answer to a couple of questions...

1 - What other forms of mains power is there? (Shore-line, genny etc)
2 - Other requirements for mains power? (sockets, fridge etc)
3 - What do the white cables supply?
4 - Can you use a multimeter?

Simannjo

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[gj1023]

There is just a hook up .

Fridge. 2 , 240 sockets

One white cable, goes to the box in pic and supplys outside hook up plug
the other disapears down behind cupboard shelf

I have a multi meter and am getting the hang of it

Both white cables have brown blue and yellow/green. the Y/G go into a elec bloc one side and other side the one from the yellow cable

 

[Simannjo]

Right...

Lets call the white cable that goes to the hook-up cable 1.
And the other white cable that goes behind the cupboard cable 2.

Originally the power came from the yellow lead (inverter - no hookup) or cable 1 (on hookup) and supplied the unit with mains through cable 2.
The relay would have been used as a manual or automatic switch to switch over from hookup to inverter.

Removing the inverter and the yellow cable should not interfere with the hookups (cable 1) ability to provide the unit (cable 2) with power as I am assuming they are connected together through the 'at rest' contacts of the relay.

The 2 earth wires from cable 1 and cable 2 are connected in the terminal block and should in effect connect the unit (cable 2) to the hookup earth (cable 1).

To make sure of this...
With absolutley no mains power connected, check for continuity with the mulltimeter between the male earth pin of the hookup cable (The end that connects to the post) and the earth pin of a socket outlet and let me know the reading.
(I'd expect fractions of an ohm so check if the multimeter will go this low 0.1 etc)

If this is confusing at all then don't do it and give me a PM so I can give you my number to talk you through it...

SAFETY FIRST!

Simannjo

 

[gj1023]

Hi Siman I think I see where you are coming from now.

What you are saying is the person who put the inverter in, ran this yellow cable through the van to the cupboard. He then spilt the white cable into 2,, He fitted a relay and wired the 2 white and 1 yellow cables into it. He wired all 3 earths to a block , cable 2 that runs down back of cupboard is where the real earth is and where it actually earths out to..

The idea I assume was to run the inverter off hook up , when on it and not the battery.

As for test you would like me to run I understand what you are saying I think ,lol ,
I plug in the hook up cable and touch the earth on it at post end. I find a 240v socket and touch the earth on that at same time, The idea being to see if I have a continuos circuit


Have I got it right

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[pappajohn]

as simannjo said, it appears to be an auto switchover relay from mains to inverter when no hookup is available.

remove ALL the wires from the relay.

connect the two white cables together in a proper electrical joint box.

brown to brown, blue to blue, G/Y to G/Y.

remove the relay and the yellow flex completely.

as it is now the mains hookup will activate the relay and switch to the N/O position giving mains power, no hookup and the relay will switch to N/C position and connect the inverter to the sockets etc.

if you leave the relay in circuit then the relay will still need to switch to the N/O position for the hookup to work and could cause problems if it fails in the future.


the inverter will not run off mains voltage.....it provides 230v from the battery only so what you say about running the inverter off the hookup is not correct.

 

[gj1023]

Thank you PJ half of it went over my head, lol, but I get the gist of it. You are saying what I thought from Simannajo posts.

Also you seem to be saying that the battery connected to the inverter connected to the mains lead , provided power to the 240v plug sockets in the van , when not connected to hook up , via a switching relay . Is that correct ?


Now just got find a electrical joint box, Maplins , Halford or B+Q ?

 

[pappajohn]

Thank you PJ half of it went over my head, lol, but I get the gist of it. You are saying what I thought from Simannajo posts.

Also you seem to be saying that the battery connected to the inverter connected to the mains lead , provided power to the 240v plug sockets in the van , when not connected to hook up , via a switching relay . Is that correct ?


Now just got find a electrical joint box, Maplins , Halford or B+Q ?

yep...spot on.
connect to hookup and the relay disconnects the inverter.

B+Q.....round, plastic, about 75mm across X 15mm deep. standard junction box

as long as the yellow wire is disconnected at BOTH ends it could be left in place if difficult to get to.

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[gj1023]

Thanks you two , you are most helpful, on the other side all I got was one reply, that was not that helpful.

You have helped me to understand my yellow cable, and what it does.
I have just took the front seat off and removed the earth and live cable from the battery.. As I thought a bit dangerous to leave them just hanging in the wardrobe
One last thing, can I ask PJ if this is the box I should get

Link Removed.

 

[pappajohn]

just one point......the yellow wire in your first picture, was that connected to the output of the inverter and went to the relay?

and in your last post you refered to the live and earth under the seat...where did they go?

 

[gj1023]

The answer to your first ? , is yes , it was a two screw terminal and the earth screwed to the inverter and they routed the yellow cable out of the van along then up to the cupboard.

Under my seat is a leisure battery I got from towsure as the one with the van was dead, attached to it was a live and earth which ran out the back and into the wardrobe. Here they attached to another battery, which the inverter was attached to l. The battery was a Halford HB053 70 amp, which was a ordinary battery not leisure..


Is this the box I should be looking for ?

ehttp://www.screwfix.com/prods/84274/Electrical-Supplies/Cable-Accessories/Junction-Boxes/Crabtree-3-Terminal-30A-Junction-Box.

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[pappajohn]

now i understand :thumb:

good move disconnecting it as it would still be live in the wardrobe.

yes, thats the box.
bit fiddly to get the wires in if its hard to get to but your looks ok.

 

[gj1023]

Well I understand why they fitted a car battery , as the space is only 160mm wide and a ordinary leisure battery won`t fit. If I could have fitted another Towsure 85amp battery I would have left them attached. As it is I will have to live with one battery.

When I get joining box and fit it, I`ll let you know how it went.

Again thanks
Gary

 

[Simannjo]

Hi Gary,

Just in from an evening out, but can see PJ got it covered...:thumb:

Simannjo

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[gj1023]

Yes Siman , PJ and yourself have been so helpful. I now ,thanks to you two, understand my yellow cable and why it was fitted and what to do now. It is just the doing left now , to get it back to what it was.

Gary.

 

[gj1023]

Hi PJ again I have taken the relay and yellow cable off and rewired the hook up cable inside the van. As advised I used a electrical joining block ( got it a boot sale 50p new, homebase 20amp). It is all working now ok, on hook up right now.

Just one ? what would you suggest I fill the 2 holes up they have made in the van floor, I have left a bit of the yellow cable blocking it at the moment. I need a suggestion, for something to fill the metal underneath and the wooden floor in the wardrobe.

Regards and thanks Gary

 

[pappajohn]

personnaly i'd use a good quality silicone bath sealer (unless you have any sikaflex) and fill the hole fully.

just smooth it off a little in the van but leave it protruding slightly outside.

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[gj1023]

Thanks again PJ, I think I am all sorted now .