VW T5 electrics

[Squiffy]

At last I have time today to post on fitting Mains hookup and charging system to my sons T5.

He intends to live in his van for a year while he completes his University coarse.
So we ordered all from Amazon ( Believe it or not it was cheaper or the same price as Screwfix).
First off was the removal of a weather plate in the scuttle behind the battery this entailed the lifting of the screen skirt through which the wipers protrude, don't remove the wipers this is not necessary just be brave and pull the top edge of the plastic skirt away from the screen on the far right remember to move the rubber trim along the bottom edge first. Pull the plastic skirt gently up and wedge a lump of wood to keep it raised, this allows access to the two torx set bolts that hold the back plate on. Remove the back plate and on the left hand side is a handy grommet where you can feed the charge cable through to the inside, to make life easy remove the lower passenger glovebox guard this is only a few screws and enables you to get at the cable on the otherside of the grommet.
From here we fed the cable under the rubber floor covering past the step and then fed under the rear floor covering across the back of the passenger seat and on to the drivers seat rear lower cover which in this case was the original plastic cover supplied by VW. This made a handy mounting for the VSR (Which had a digital read out which is great to show how much voltage was being supplied to the liesure battery).
From the VSR the cable continued on to the liesure battery, in this case I used 70amp cable through out with 50amp fuse at the cab battery and 50amp at the liesure battery as he was going to use the liesure battery to run an inverter for TV and charging his laptop plus Xbox , so the liesure battery might get discharged down to the limit when he is off grid and could draw a fair ampage when the engine is running.
The VSR requires earthing which was incorporated with the diesel heater earth and attached to the seat base using one of the supplied self drill set bolts with the heater.

Then a hole was cut through the side of the van to take the electric hookup module and sealed then held down with stainless steel self tappers. Inside the van a short tail was fitted to the hookup through the insulation and side panel this was wired into a garage fuse box that incorporated the usual RSD, from here a twin plug socket was wired up and screwed to the side panel so that the purchased 20amp battery charger can be plugged in or his laptop charger and Xbox.
The last thing to do was replace the screen skirt and scuttle plate.
All in all it was a successful three days and now he's a happy bunny.

P.s. I forgot to mention that the main loom to the battery goes through a moulded grommet. To get the 70amp cable passed the scuttle plate it's necessary to drill a hole through the bottom of this grommet ( Carefully ) and feed the charge cable through, its difficult but can be done.

 

[wildebus]

If the starter battery is removed, there is a grommet behind it which goes directly into the vehicle interior and can be used to feed a cable through without having to go through the rigmorole of the double entry under the wiper scuttle.

Removing the top glovebox of the T5 (5 T20 screws) allows nice and easy cable routing across to the centre console, down to the bottom where the centre fusebox is and then along the channel to the centre where cables can be run either left or right in the channel VW kindly supplies.

Nice and quick job

 

[Squiffy]

Great Dave, don't know what T5 you are thinking of as without removing the scuttle plate behind the battery on my sons T5 you can not gain access to the grommet it's impossible. You either have to drill through the plate to get the charge cable to the grommet or do as I did and use the moulded main loom grommet. Either way you have to remove the plate. As for taking the glove box out its not necessary as three screws and the bottom cover is off reach up and pull the charge cable through and feed the cable along under the floor covering job done in about half an hour. Phil

 

[wildebus]

I've done about 20 or more T5s, but I will bow to your experience of your son's

 

[Squiffy]

I think a bit of explanation is needed here.

The scuttle is made up of a large enclosed u tube, one side being made up by the passenger bulk head and the other made up from the engine bulkhead except the top which consists of the scuttling which is where the rain water and water from the screen runs through into the scuttle and then on into the centre where it goes to the scuttle drain.

Now, there is no way into the scuttle apart from a black plate which has a rubber gasket around its outside edge and is held in place at its base by an elongated tongue of metal and by two torx screws at its top end either side, this is sat immediately behind the battery, the torx screws are under the windscreen plastic skirt.

The bung that the wire is to be threaded through is on the passenger bulkhead on the right very close to the wing, this bung can be seen but can not be touched because the scuttle is a closed area and the bung is roughly 250cm away from the black scuttle plate, there is no way that any wire let alone your hand getting to the bung area it is a steel wall, but the scuttle plate can be removed which then gives complete access to the bung (Grommet) area, to do this it is required to lift the righthand end of the windscreen skirt gently as its held down by a sort of tupperware type grip. Lifting this just enough to get a 1/4 drive rachet and torx bit in to undo the two torx set screws, this allows the plate to be removed. Voila!!

You now have complete access to the grommet, I got a scalpel and cut a small cross into the centre of it and fed the wire through to the interior.

Now you have the small problem of wether to drill a hole in the scuttle plate fit a suitable grommet or as I did go through the molded grommet of the main wiring loom which ever way you go one or the other has to be done or the charge cable can not be routed to the battery positive terminal as there is no other way through the engine scuttle wall. I.e. NO way at all.

Once you have drilled your hole in the scuttle plate (Or the main loom grommet) and threaded your cable through it's a question of replacing the plate in reverse order.

Note!! here that the battery does not have to be removed or disconnected during the whole process. Unless of course you decide to go Daves way along through the dashboard and down this channel he mentioned, this is when it would be possible to pull off wires and get a direct short cct and then the battery is best disconnected. I've had my fill over the years of pushing wiring through the back of dashboards but I'm sure that knowing VW there very well could be a dedicated channel for this.

Notes: (A) The battery does not have to be removed or disconnected.
(B) The scuttle plate has to be removed or you will not be able to gain access to the grommet.

So that is the truth of it folks if you really interested look it up on u tube Dave obviously has . Phil

 

[wildebus]

Just to state a fact. There is an alternative route that the more experienced T5 electrical converters use than the one squigy (and most) people use. I was put onto it a few years ago by someone who has installed electrics in more VWs then squigy has failed MOTs on and it makes life simple.
He doesn't actually know where the route I am referring is so comments about pulling wires and getting shorts is stupid but predictable. (if he DID know the entry point, he would of course used it )

The advantage of removing the glovebox is that it allows access from above as well as below for general wiring, as well as installed extras such as my Drive/Camping radio kit (https://www.wildebus.com/product/drive-camping-switch-wiring-kit/) and for a 5 minute removal makes life a lot easier.
Obviously it is possible and perfectly ok to do it as described in the OP, but the point of this forum is to pass on hints and tips from experiences, but that point is sadly lost on him.
I won't bother further on this thread, but I have created a new thread showing with a photo where you can run a cable from Cab to Engine Bay - see here: https://motorhomebuilder.com/threads/running-split-charge-cable-in-t5-engine-bay-to-cab.67509/

 

[Squiffy]

Dave the routing of the cable is not the issue here I admit that I did not know of this routing through the dashboard, not that I I said I would have gone that way anyway. The issue is getting to to rubber grommet in the first instance and what you have said about removing the battery and getting access to the rubber grommet just shows that you have never done this job before and shows you up to be what you are a wisher. Phil

P.s. Then I suppose there must be many T5s with the scuttle plate missing and you have been lucky enough to have come across 20 or so Hmmmm

 

[Millie Master]

Now, now lads, lets not have 2 of this sites oldest and most respected members have a right royal tit for tat, lets just agree to disagree please?

 

[wildebus]

Dave the routing of the cable is not the issue here I admit that I did not know of this routing through the dashboard, not that I I said I would have gone that way anyway. The issue is getting to to rubber grommet in the first instance and what you have said about removing the battery and getting access to the rubber grommet just shows that you have never done this job before and shows you up to be what you are a wisher. Phil

a "wisher"?
I have installed quite a few using the method you have (probably the majority in fact) and the rest using the route I showed in the thread I created using the easier way.
Why you think that I have never installed a split-charge setup on a T5 I don't know and I frankly don't care as your opinion means nothing to me. I think it is worthwhile helping others on this forum who want to do things in the simplest way that works.
Why is getting the the grommet an issue? you can fish around without doing do, but removing the battery I found is the easiest way to do it. Until you look and understand, best to keep quiet I would suggest rather then making statements that you have no knowledge about.

P.s. Then I suppose there must be many T5s with the scuttle plate missing and you have been lucky enough to have come across 20 or so Hmmmm

yes, lots must be missing that plate obviously. Or maybe as you have not actually seen this, you are not in a position to comment until you have looked.

 

[wildebus]

Now, now lads, lets not have 2 of this sites oldest and most respected members have a right royal tit for tat, lets just agree to disagree please?

Phil, as squigy is on a mission to belittle every post I make and all I do, I will retort accordingly, especially when he is just wrong.
He has installed a cable on a T5 and is now the world expert on how to do it. I have done many and learnt from how I have done it and also how others - far more experienced than myself and certainly him - have done it, so if he cannot accept there is alternatives, that is his problem.

 

[Sprinter 1 cup]

What is a T 5 ? And why would you want to work on one ?. Lol. Ducking out now.

 

[Squiffy]

Dave you are about the rudest person I have ever come across on a self build site, I've noticed and others have, that you are rude to other posters as well and seem to be a very angry man. So I suggest that you don't comment on my posts and I won't further comment on your posts by doing that we will get along fine. Phil ( Squigy)

 

[wildebus]

Dave you are about the rudest person I have ever come across on a self build site, I've noticed and others have, that you are rude to other posters as well and seem to be a very angry man. So I suggest that you don't comment on my posts and I won't further comment on your posts by doing that we will get along fine. Phil ( Squigy)

I won't be commenting on any posts you make, have no fear.

 

[Sprinter 1 cup]

Ouch I

Volkwagons hay ! ... who would have one ?.....

 

[Squiffy]

Ouch I

Volkwagons hay ! ... who would have one ?.....

After working on my sons defo not me . Phil

 

[Sprinter 1 cup]

There's a frog dead in the center of a pond sunin it on a Lilley leaf.
Which way will it jump ? when we throw stones at it.



it.
it.

 

[Squiffy]

No that's not quite fair they are not bad to work on, they are obviously well engineered and long lasting, but have to say without a pop top are a nightmare for senior citizens, and I mean senior citizens, even John (Son) eventually had a pop top fitted so at 6'2" he could stand up in it. But my god the cost was phenomenal, certainly not what I'd have paid, rather have put it towards a new Fiat Ducato. Phil.

 

[Squiffy]

There's a frog dead in the center of a pond sunin it on a Lilley leaf.
Which way will it jump ? when we throw stones at it.



it.
it.

Oh the frogs dead

 

[Squiffy]

8 Jan 2017
#3
You dont need to drill anything, there are existing holes blanked of with rubber grommets already there that you can use
If you go under the glovebox and pop the lower panel off and fold the edge of the flooring back if you look back and up under the outside edge of glovebox you should be able to see one, this hole brings you out behind battery/below scuttle tray

I found this on a VW T5 site, and stand corrected by Dave, this does look to be a good way through the bulkhead of a T5, but does require the removal of the battery, 🫣Phil.

 

[Millie Master]

I found this on a VW T5 site, and stand corrected by Dave, this does look to be a good way through the bulkhead of a T5, but does require the removal of the battery, 🫣Phil.

Brilliant news