Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Charger and a Home for the Zilla

I finished installing the charger in the electrics box in the trunk. I connected the charger to the power line that comes in from the gas door, and mounted the charger itself to the floor of the box. I also mounted the DC to DC converters in the box, simply bolting them down into place, and I sealed the perimeter of the box where it meets the chassis, to be sure that any water that splashes up can't get in the trunk area.



I still need to finish up the wiring on the for the converters and connect the charger to the batteries, but as I don't have them yet, that will have to wait. One of the things you can't see is a port in the back of the box that will vent fresh air into the compartment. When the car is running, or when the charger is on, a fan will kick on to force fresh air into the box, helping to keep everything cool. I also need secure that wire loom to the top of the box and eventually cut the carpet that was there to accommodate the opening.

I mentioned yesterday that I'll be using the original location that was used for the car's electronics as the home for the Zilla and anything else I can squeeze in there. Here's a shot of that space complete with an aluminum sheet I cut to fit.


That sheet will act as a tray that I can mount the Zilla and the hairball to. I still need to build the support for the sheet, it will sit a little higher than where it is in the photo. I'm a bit concerned I'm going to run out of room for all of the electrical doodads that I need to install. Some of them I can put under the tray because I won't need to access them unless they fail. Others I may end up running into the cabin and mount under the dashboard. I'll just have to play it by ear.

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