Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Hi All.
I know nothing.

So... my car is in a zillion parts, and I look for things to clean up and assess.

The latest victims are my original Kangaroo washer bag and my original radio.

Before I put a ton of time and effort into making them look pretty, I reckon I should see if they work first.

So... how do I do that safely?

I don't even know where to start.

I'm sure I need a good 12V source... a car battery?

But then what? Do the radio and pump require different power sources?

Do I need to add a fuse or anything so as to avoid a mushroom cloud of exploding parts, me, beer, and possibly my dog?

Any and all advice/shopping list/diagrams are much appreciated.

Thank you,
Peter

When I was installing my groo bag I simply tested with a 9v battery to see if the pump motor turned , it did so I proceeded with the install

You can use any 12V DC power source, laptop power supply, car battery etc.
Always include a protection device when doing bench testing e.g. a 20A self resetting circuit breaker.

The washer pump is not polarity sensitive so just make sure it hasn't got any foreign bodies in it to prevent rotation before you test it.
The radio IS polarity sensitive an should have a mark which indicates the connection e.g. "NEG12V" or "-12V" so the power lead must be connected to battery POSITIVE.

Use some radio hookup wire or similar to make up some jumper leads to connect the items together.
e.g. power POSITIVE - circuit breaker in, circuit breaker out - washer tag, other washer tag- power NEGATIVE.
Just gently tap the wire onto the power post and the washer motor should, if OK, kick into life.
Similarly with the radio.
You will also need to connect a speaker to appropriate terminals.
Without an antenna connection you will only hear static at best.
Hope this helps

Nissanman wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:08 pm
Hope this helps

Nissanman, This is exactly what I was hoping for!

I will give 'em a go and post the results on my build thread. Fingers and toes crossed!!!

Thank you very, very much.
Peter

Just take care of that dog and the beer!

You've likely saved many lives...



Thanks again!

Nissanman wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:46 pm Just take care of that dog and the beer!

Just a big Cheers to @Nissanman who gave me tips on how to not blow stuff up.

Cheers!

You do realise that NOBODY drinks Fosters in Oz

Nissanman wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:02 pm You do realise that NOBODY drinks Fosters in Oz

Crap has been made in Canada for decades. That bitter ale version of Fosters is pi$$ water.

Not a beer drinker nor do I follow Australian Rules Football.
I guess I'm not a genuine Aussie!

Nissanman wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:02 pm You do realise that NOBODY drinks Fosters in Oz

DAC21 wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:50 pm

Nissanman wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:02 pm You do realise that NOBODY drinks Fosters in Oz

Crap has been made in Canada for decades. That bitter ale version of Fosters is pi$$ water.

Nissanman wrote: Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:51 pm Not a beer drinker nor do I follow Australian Rules Football.
I guess I'm not a genuine Aussie!

Ha.

And I do know that, actually. I worked side by side with an Aussie editor (Nick Carroll) for a decade... absorbed a lot of culture.

This was meant as more of a 'what can I get at the local store to show my thanks' visual.

So... thanks again,
PM

Since we are talking about testing 12 volt components, here is an idea that I stumbled across. In the past I always used my battery charger to test items, however most newer chargers (mine included) won’t supply 12 volts unless hooked up to a battery. I realized that I have a small light weight battery that I use for my trailer brakes sitting on a shelf to keep charged in between uses that is just perfect for testing things. So much easier than dragging a cumbersome component over to your car and trying to balance it in the engine bay or hauling a heavy battery to your workbench.
You can pick one up for $15 or so and they seem to have a long life.

https://www.google.com/search?q=trailer ... ent=safari

If you want the pump to run in the correct direction you put 12 volts to the blue wire which has the spade terminal. The stock radio only has a 2 amp glass fuse. 20 amp breaker for both is like hooking straight up to the battery.

Radio is easy. 12v to blue wire, ground to case, add one speaker and antenna and turn on and tune for a wonderfully scratchy sound.

I use a 12 volt power supply to test all kinds of things. More expensive than a trailer battery but you never have to charge it. It's a 10 amp constant, 12 volt surge, breaker and isn't enough sometimes. Going to get a 15 or more.

theunz wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 8:27 am Since we are talking about testing 12 volt components, here is an idea that I stumbled across. In the past I always used my battery charger to test items, however most newer chargers (mine included) won’t supply 12 volts unless hooked up to a battery. I realized that I have a small light weight battery that I use for my trailer brakes sitting on a shelf to keep charged in between uses that is just perfect for testing things. So much easier than dragging a cumbersome component over to your car and trying to balance it in the engine bay or hauling a heavy battery to your workbench.
You can pick one up for $15 or so and they seem to have a long life.

https://www.google.com/search?q=trailer ... ent=safari

Hey Mike, That's a good idea. I originally tried plugging in a phone charger-like power source, but figuring it out and getting it to work without stripping the wires to the barrel connector was a bit finicky. Then I tried the battery charger, but you're exactly right, mine only spits out volts when hooked up to a battery. My answer was to take my spare trailer battery and use that. Not bad, but a smaller one would be waaaaay better.

Curtis wrote: Sun Aug 15, 2021 11:11 am If you want the pump to run in the correct direction you put 12 volts to the blue wire which has the spade terminal. The stock radio only has a 2 amp glass fuse. 20 amp breaker for both is like hooking straight up to the battery.

Radio is easy. 12v to blue wire, ground to case, add one speaker and antenna and turn on and tune for a wonderfully scratchy sound.

I use a 12 volt power supply to test all kinds of things. More expensive than a trailer battery but you never have to charge it. It's a 10 amp constant, 12 volt surge, breaker and isn't enough sometimes. Going to get a 15 or more.

IMG_3094.JPG

IMG_3095.JPG

Curtis, first off sweet bag!

I wish my testing was as simple as just plugging it in, but I actually 'needed to' do a ridiculous resuscitation of my wiper motor. viewtopic.php?p=324594#p324594

My fear was that I was going to 'fry' something, so I think @Nissanman's recommendation to use one of these things was great.

Nissanman wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:08 pm Always include a protection device when doing bench testing e.g. a 20A self resetting circuit breaker.

That gave me a bit of confidence that I wasn't going to fry something. And I did pop it once when testing the wiper motor - so lives were saved.

Radio. I did exactly what you said and indeed it has a nice and scratchy sound and works like a champ. viewtopic.php?p=325189#p325189

I like the idea of the 12V power supply. My neighbor loaned me what he said was a 12V power supply, but when I actually looked at it, it said 13.8V. And that was enough to scare me away from using it. So I used my spare trailer battery with the circuit breaker and a 2 amp inline fuse.

Thanks gents!
pm

Wiper motors are pretty high amp. My 10 amp will run them. 13.7 is what you get normally I believe in the car. AAA always looks for that when they change our batteries.

Bought the bag out of Japan along with a later solex air filter and 67.5 U20 water pulley.