Electrical ESC Wiring for 12 Pin Flat

Expandaman

Member
May 24, 2013
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Dalby - QLD
Ok here goes.
We picked up our new 20.63-1 OB recently. It has ESC braking fitted to it.
I was told when we picked it up that it will need a power feed wire fitted to our 12 pin flat plug on our 200 series Cruiser.
Has anyone got any info on doing this as Jayco are bloody useless with this kind of query.
I believe it is just an active wire with a 30A self resetting breaker.
Is this correct?
Can this wire be fed from the accessory circuit?
Can I just pick up off my power wire coming from the battery isolated fridge wire I have fitted?
Give me all your knowledge guys.............Photos are good too.
TIA.
 

Middo

Active Member
Apr 25, 2014
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Mine was wired straight from the battery via a 30 amp fuse to pin 2 on the plug. Hope this helps
 

chartrock

Forum Patriarch
Staff member
Sep 26, 2010
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I just wired a dedicated pair from the main battery via a 30 A fuse to an anderson plug and the dealer fitted an anderson to the van connection. I only use a 7 pin flat and 3 anderson plugs, on for the battery charge, one for the fridge and now one for the ESC.
 

dagree

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Mar 3, 2012
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As @chartrock said... Run a dedicated wire through a resetting breaker as you mentioned @Expandaman .
Make sure you use the largest size wires that will fit in the relevant 12 pin plugs. (Can't help with pin numbers as I also use a 7 pin with dedicated Anderson plug). Had the ESC fitted after purchasing it and the dealer supplied/fitted the extra Anderson on request as it was pre-wired but wired to the already fitted plug for fridge and battery charge.
 
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Meanderthals

Aka PhilD
Mar 16, 2012
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It would be a good idea to read the FAQ's on the AL-KO website, last one in particular.
http://www.alkoesc.com.au/escfaq.html#.VIoleZMiPmg
Also under the top heading of literature you can download a copy of the User Manual if Jayco didn't provide one. Useful info there with basic wiring diagram.

As to using a resettable circuit breaker for the feed I was advised by a credited installer that it should NOT be an auto resetting type as if a fault happens then it may continue to draw a large current and flatten the battery or burn out wiring.

Personally I think the system should have a connection that can be taken to a display in the car to indicate if the ESC is operational rather than just the LED's on the drawbar. Our ESC failed during the last leg of a trip due to a connector under the van coming apart and we therefore had no indication of it.
 
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dagree

Well-Known Member
Mar 3, 2012
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Perth. WA
Good info there @PhilD regarding the resetting breaker..... Ours is also fed from a 50A fuse on the battery so hopefully that'll prevent any damage if there's a short somewhere!
 

Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
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Mentone, VIC
Ok here goes.
We picked up our new 20.63-1 OB recently. It has ESC braking fitted to it.
I was told when we picked it up that it will need a power feed wire fitted to our 12 pin flat plug on our 200 series Cruiser.
Has anyone got any info on doing this as Jayco are bloody useless with this kind of query.
I believe it is just an active wire with a 30A self resetting breaker.
Is this correct?
Can this wire be fed from the accessory circuit?
Can I just pick up off my power wire coming from the battery isolated fridge wire I have fitted?
Give me all your knowledge guys.............Photos are good too.
TIA.
We picked up our 20.63.1OB recently with a 12 pin plug. The ESC came pre wired via the vans Aux feed (not the fridge) , although I understand from ALKO its supposed to be a dedicated circuit. I ran a dedicated 6mm direct from the battery via a 30amp auto breaker. Personally Im not concerned that Jayco have connected via the Aux, I can only presume ALKO recommend a dedicated circuit just to stop people from connecting into the indicators or a stereo wire or some other light gauge. I'm pretty confident the 6mm is adequate for the Aux and ESC.

The sort answer is it can be run via the Aux circuit, but the car side of the Aux circuit should be at least consistent with the ALKO specs, ie 6mm min and 30 amp auto breaker direct from the battery.
 

Crusty181

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2010
6,854
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Mentone, VIC
It would be a good idea to read the FAQ's on the AL-KO website, last one in particular.
http://www.alkoesc.com.au/escfaq.html#.VIoleZMiPmg
Also under the top heading of literature you can download a copy of the User Manual if Jayco didn't provide one. Useful info there with basic wiring diagram.

As to using a resettable circuit breaker for the feed I was advised by a credited installer that it should NOT be an auto resetting type as if a fault happens then it may continue to draw a large current and flatten the battery or burn out wiring.

Personally I think the system should have a connection that can be taken to a display in the car to indicate if the ESC is operational rather than just the LED's on the drawbar. Our ESC failed during the last leg of a trip due to a connector under the van coming apart and we therefore had no indication of it.
I'm no expert by any stretch, but Ive also had plenty of contradictory advice from so called experts to make my own inquiries for my peace of mind.

What your installer says is interesting, because I had the same concerns about auto breakers, enough of a concern to contact the manufacturer. It was explained to me by the Narva tech that by their function, they wont reset if the problem that causes the overload continues to exist, they simply remain open. The upshot of that advice is it would be unlikely to drain the battery, nor cause a fire because they don't reset if the overload continues, and there no load to the device. The Narva dude insisted they simply don't do what your guy is suggesting. That kind of makes sense to me, because what would be the point of a circuit breaker, (auto or otherwise) if it doesn't actually break the circuit .... for any circuit that requires an auto breaker ie the brake controller, I may as well just wire it direct, because by your installers advice the auto breaker provides no function or value. It would be interesting what he recommends for the brake controller auto breaker, and it the advice is different to the ESC, why so?

The point of the auto breaker is to eliminate complete circuit failure in the event of a non catastrophic overload .... in the event of the catastrophic or continued overload, auto breakers stay failed (ie open) just like a non auto breaker or fuse. My understanding is any device connected via an auto breaker, on a circuit with a catastrophic/continual overload; the device most certainly wont be working because the load is stopped at the breaker. So if its not working how does it drain the battery or cause a fire as theirs no load.

As per the reasoning behind brakes controllers required to on auto breakers, it makes sense the ESC functions and is safe guarded similarly.

Going back to my open line: I have no real clue, but your guys advice seems odd, and contradict the identical reasoning to use auto breakers on brake controllers, the function of auto breakers and the advice of the manufacturer.
 

Meanderthals

Aka PhilD
Mar 16, 2012
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Crusty, if you don't like my information then that's fine with me and wire it as you wish, not my problem. Funny that I've always thought that the purpose of a fuse or circuit breaker was to disconnect something in the event of an electrical fault and then it is up to me to find the source of the problem, fix it, then put the fuse back in or manually reset the breaker. That's something that in a past life I had to do all too often. There are very limited situations in which I would want something to reset itself and not tell me there had been a problem, but can't think of any at the moment other than headlights at night. Generally because there had been a problem it may well happen again.

In this case the info that you have been given doesn't make sense to me. If it won't auto reset because the fault is still there then visually when are you going to know that there is, or has been, a fault there at all? The last auto resetting breaker of an automotive type I looked at had no external indicator that would tell you that anything had happened. If there's a problem in something as important as the van braking system, then I want to know about it. In the case of the ESC the only indication that it would seem to have at the moment would be that at the next time you looked at the unit on the drawbar would be that the LED's were not showing anything and you then went looking for the problem. Alternatively, you'll know there's a problem when you don't have trailer brakes at a time when you REALLY want them. To me a more functional auto resetting breaker would have extra contacts to bring up some kind of visual or audio alarm. I suspect what is really wanted is a feed back to the vehicle from the ESC for a dash mounted visual or audio alarm.

BTW, I can find no other info on my instructions for fitting a Redarc brake controller other that that they must have "appropriately rated fuses or breakers". No directive as to what type from that manufacturer there.
 
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