Controller and injection line heaters
December 17, 2011 - 10:16pm
I have added injection line heaters to my greasecar kit. (Actually it's a frybrid kit with the greasecar controller.) The orange line from the controller is supposed to control the heater. I am using the orange wire as the trigger for the relay to control the heaters. The problem is I have constant power of the orange line no matter what the temperature of the radiator antifreeze is. The net result is that the injection line heaters are always on once the car is turned on.
1. Is the orange wire always supposed to have power once the car is on?
2. how is the orange the wire supposed to control the injector line heaters?
Thank you very much,
Gérald (gmrjnd)
December 18, 2011 - 11:40pm
#2
Thank you for responding 1984George.
I can set up the injection line heaters, using the same wire that controlls the valve as the trigger. It can be set up to trigger the relay for the heaters.
I thought the orange wire on the Greasecar controller (Co-pilot) was supposed to be the trigger wire. So it should have a time when there is no power coming from it, and a time when there is power.
The one diagram with the Co-pilot says "Electric Heater Relay Trigger (Not Used in Current Setup) (on the Co-Pilot Electrical Schematic). On page 3 of teh "Greasecar Microcontroller version 1.8 Updated 10.06.08 the orange wire is described as "Control Output for auxiliary electric heater".
So how does it control or trigger the auxiliary heater?
Thanks anyone for the help.
Gérald
December 19, 2011 - 7:15am
#3
In my own opinion from the design point of view, the power on that orange wire should be ON when the temperature of OIL (not coolant) is below a certain number and your can set up that number with the co-pilot, like you set your switch over coolant temperature. Try to verify it.
December 19, 2011 - 9:49am
#4
Hello veggpwr,
I agree with your opinion completely.
I had not thought of changing the default setup for oil. It is very possible as I played with the co-pilot that I changed it from the default. It is also very possible that I had put in the settings the wrong way, and made it always on.
I hope that the issue is me rather than the controller.
Will write back when I have an answer, hopefully this later today.
Gérald
December 19, 2011 - 10:23am
#5
If that orange wire trigger signal doesn't work and your just want to switch off the heater when you switch over to OIL, you can try this:
Use the power signal at the "B" valve to energize a relay to turn OFF your heater. You connect your heater to the COM and NC prongs of the relay.
De-energize the relay to turn ON the heater. Energize the relay to turn OFF the heater.
But in this way you don't have full control of the heater. Now it depends on coolant instead of OIL temperature.
December 19, 2011 - 10:32am
#6
If that orange wire trigger signal doesn't work and your just want to switch off the heater when you switch over to OIL, you can try this:
Use the power signal at the "B" valve to energize a relay to turn OFF your heater. You connect your heater to the COM and NC prongs of the relay.
De-energize the relay to turn ON the heater. Energize the relay to turn OFF the heater.
But in this way you don't have full control of the heater. Now it depends on coolant instead of OIL temperature.
Actually your heater will be ON in diesel mode and will be OFF in veggie/purge mode.
January 2, 2012 - 5:30pm
#7
Thank you for your input. Sorry I haven't been on the board for some time. Travelling at this time of the year, and my fuel pump stopped working. Been busy. Once I get the car back from the shop I hope to look at it again.
Happy New Year to all that read this post!
Gérald
January 2, 2012 - 5:36pm
#8
I did try briefly to correct the situation. Couldn't find any time when the power was not on the orange wire, and couldn't make any adjustment that would change that. I haven't given up yet, but had to stop working on it for a while. Ripped ligments in my knee, hip and ripped muscles make it hard to work under the dash where all these connections are being made.
Hope to try again soon.
Gérald
----------------------------
In my own opinion from the design point of view, the power on that orange wire should be ON when the temperature of OIL (not coolant) is below a certain number and your can set up that number with the co-pilot, like you set your switch over coolant temperature. Try to verify it.
__________________
January 4, 2012 - 10:28pm
#9
Have you thought about running one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/thermostatic-temperature-thermostat-switch-biodiesel-hho-wvo-svo-176F-80C-/270855975115?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f104630cb
Connect that to a standard auto relay that is turned on by switched power and you have an automatic thermostat. I'm in the process of hooking one up to my new 300SDL I just picked up. I purchased the fattywagon line heaters, but same principle.
Jere
January 27, 2012 - 11:55pm
#10
I'm sorry I took so long to get back. Just lots of "stuff" happening. Don't want to bore you with the details.
Yes, I have thought of a disk switch like that. However, I thought I understood that the controller was supposed to do the job when wired up properly.
Gérald
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you can try putting that wire into a part of the fuse box that is not "switched power". find a fuse that isn't.
I'm not going to say anymore though, because if you have a copilot, I don't know what the orange wire is for and if it needs to be tapped into switched power. you basically need a wire to control your injection line heaters that will be able to be controlled by you, not when the car is on or off.
__________________
-Daren
'03 Jetta TDI
140k