Fiat Ducato Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 As title reads, while currently sorting out the badly installed 12v wiring. One of the cable was white, twin core 1.5mm almost domestic cable. I traced it back and it goes to a connector block on my waste tank, pos and neg. No other cables just these two. The other end was conencted to the pos and neg on my power management unit. My first thought was for a gauge to read how full/empty it is. However with just pos and neg and the way it is connected straight to the pos and neg on leisure battery. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiat Ducato Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 Just had a thought maybe it provides a small electric current to stop the tank from freezing in winter/cold conditions. Could this be it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninpalamos Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Not sure what it is connected to now, Power management unit or leisure battery? If you have a level gauge for your wast tank then that's the answer and if you don't it isn't for that and may be a small immersion heater element which I doubt it is and I don't see a reason for a submersible water pump in a wast tank so we are back to a level gauge of some sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Fiat Ducato - 2016-11-06 9:48 AM Just had a thought maybe it provides a small electric current to stop the tank from freezing in winter/cold conditions. Could this be it? My thoughts exactly. Paul what make and model is your van? and year. It helps when people give advice, to know this, as all vans have their own peculiarities! I guess you have not had it from new, so previous owners may have added bits . I know we have. so keep all the paper work for when we sell. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andytw Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 Could be a clue in knowing what 'Power Management Unit' and where it is connected ? e.g. Electromax 56 --> Plug 8 --> Pins 9+13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiat Ducato Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 PJay - 2016-11-06 10:59 AM Fiat Ducato - 2016-11-06 9:48 AM Just had a thought maybe it provides a small electric current to stop the tank from freezing in winter/cold conditions. Could this be it? My thoughts exactly. Paul what make and model is your van? and year. It helps when people give advice, to know this, as all vans have their own peculiarities! I guess you have not had it from new, so previous owners may have added bits . I know we have. so keep all the paper work for when we sell. PJay Hi thank you for replying, yes sorry didn't think of that, I have a 1997 1.9TD Fiat Ducato Auto Roller, yes if you look at another thread of mine titled 'Butchery' then you will see what I'm up against. Yes previous owners have added all sorts of connectors, extra cable including 2.5mm twin core domestic cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiat Ducato Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 andytw - 2016-11-06 12:18 PM Could be a clue in knowing what 'Power Management Unit' and where it is connected ? e.g. Electromax 56 --> Plug 8 --> Pins 9+13 Hi thank you for your reply, yes didn't think of adding this information, yes your right quite important information. I own a 1997 1.9TD Fiat Ducato Auto Roller motorhome, with a Nordelettronica NE13GT_CI Power distribution/management unit, and the cable was connected to a right mess of other cables. Connected to the JPB Utilities 12 pin Mate- n-Lok electrical connector. If you take a quick look at my other thread titled 'Butchery' on here you will see exactly what I am talking about and what I'm up against ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 If it's the same as mine I'm almost certain it's a small element to stop the tank freezing. Mine is just two 6mm spade connectors. The level meter wiring is a small plug with thinner wires. I'm going to disconnect mine when I get round to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiat Ducato Posted November 6, 2016 Author Share Posted November 6, 2016 Charles - 2016-11-06 4:28 PM If it's the same as mine I'm almost certain it's a small element to stop the tank freezing. Mine is just two 6mm spade connectors. The level meter wiring is a small plug with thinner wires. I'm going to disconnect mine when I get round to it. Hi there thanks for taking the time to reply, yes I'm fairly sure that it is some kind of immersion heater to stop the tank freezer. Really useful thing to have especially if you use your van all year round like we do. Why would you disconnect yours? unless it's not working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 I'm going to disconnect it because we don't use the van in cold weather, except when driving through France on the way back from warmer climes, the waste tank is empty and all it would do is help to flatten the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 If a waste-tank has a heater element this will need to be immersed in the water in the tank. Consequently it should be anticipated that the element will be installed close to the tank’s base, probably poking in through the tank’s side. These tank heaters draw a significant amount of current and will soon drain a battery that’s not being charged. My Hobby motorhome’s waste-tank heater would only operate while the vehicle was being driven or when it was on 230V hook-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiat Ducato Posted November 7, 2016 Author Share Posted November 7, 2016 Hi Derek Thanks for your reply, it's funny you say that as the one on my tank is fitted close to the top, which is strange I thought. So yes will be disconnecting mine too, if anything I'll just wrap an insulation blanket around it. Maybe that's what nearly caused the fire on my main power management unit in the past, previous owners, melted the electrical connector blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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