Wiring Accessories

This post is for future reference when wiring accessories. The Vanagon fuse box gives you an easy way to connect accessories. Here is a diagram of the back side of the fuse box.

"G" Pins

In the diagram above you can see that there is a group of 10 spade connectors with a "G" to the right of them. They are numbered 1 through 10 like this:

G1 G2
G3 G4
G5 G6
G7 G8

G9 G10

These connectors allow you to tie into existing circuits in the wiring harness. You can trace down what they connect to by looking at the Bentley wiring diagram. Just scan horizontally along the connections to the fuse panel (lowest horizontal line at the top of the page). Below are some brief descriptions of each circuit for my 87. I've added some of the relevant current track numbers for quick reference.

G1 - "X Bus" Ignition "Run" Only (fused)
G1 (track 164) taps off of S12 (20A). S12 is fed by the X bus. This means it is hot only when the ignition switch is in the "Run" position. There are also several other fused circuits that are fed by the X bus. All circuits on the X bus are connected to the output of the Load Reduction Relay (track88). The circuit that is fed by S12 also includes the heater blower, rear wiper, cruise control, A/C, rear view mirror adjustments, and G3.

G2 - Ignition "Start" and "Run" (fused)
G2 taps off of A25 (track 135). A25 is fused by S18(10A), and comes directly from the ignition switch. It is hot when the switch is in the "Start" and "Run" positions. G2 is also connected to D7, and G5.

G3  - "X Bus" Ignition "Run" Only (fused)
Connected to G1.

G4 - Alternator Warning light (not fused)
G4 is connected to A16 which taps off of the alternator warning light (track 51). Warning light connects to D+ on alternator (track 6).

G5 - Ignition On (fused)
Connected to G2

G6 - No Function
Connects to D1 and A4 (couldn't find any other connections).

G7 - Headlights On (not fused)
G7 is connected to A9 (track 88) which taps off of headlight switch pin 56. G7 is hot only when the switch is in the "Headlights On" position, but not in the "Park" position. It is not fused because the headlight fuses are after the high-beam switch. Also Connects to M1.

G8 - Instrument Lighting (fused)
G8 is connected to A1. A1 taps off of the instrument lighting circuit. In my van an extra fuse (10A) is clipped onto the top of the fuse panel. All of the instrument lights and G8 are fed from this extra fuse. The fuse is fed by pin 58b on the light switch. So, G8 is dimmed just like all of the instruments.

G9 - Lights On (fused)
G9 is connected to E1 (track 97). E1 is fed by S20 (10A) which is fed by pin 58 on the light switch. G9 is hot when the light switch is in either the "Park" OR "Headlights On" positions. The license plate light is the only thing fused by S20.

G10 - Windshield Washer Pump (fused)
G10 taps off of A19 which is fed by the windshield wiper switch pin "L" (track 158). When the switch is in the "Wash" position, G10 is hot. Pin "L" is fed by Pin 53a which is fed by S11 (15A).

"P" Pins

There is another group of pins on the diagram above with a "P" next to them. These are all the same, and are connected directly to the battery. They are not protected by a fuse.

Note: I got this information from looking at the Bentley wiring diagram for the Water-cooled Digifant 1987 Vanagon. If you have a different model, check the Bentley for possible differences.