Upgrade Posts List:
In Part 5, we cover:
- Battery Disconnect for the Chassis
- ScanGauge III
We had the misfortune of depleting our chassis battery. Once, I inadvertently left the rear door light on.
After it was depleted, even with fully charging, it didn't seem to hold a charge.
We winterized the van, and even with everything turned off (chassis) the battery was still dead within a week. The battery tender didn't even keep it charged.
After exploring reasons for this, we found that there are several Promaster components that can cause a parasitic draw. The U-Connect system is one, and another is the door locking system.
Our battery was replaced under Ram warranty, but we were concerned about further draws. To resolve this issue, we looked at a chassis battery disconnect.
We chose one which had been used by a fellow Roadtrek owner and which seemed to be working well for him.
We ordered and this Remote Battery Disconnect from Amazon. Within a few minutes it was installed by removing the negative battery cable, adding the disconnect, and attaching the negative cable to the device.
Now, when not using the van for a week or more, we have no worries. We simply lock the van and use the provided remote to disconnect the battery. There's minimal (5milliamp) draw from the device itself, and it performs flawlessly.
Our Promaster chassis is the second half chassis, which has the upgraded U-Connect radio and navigation system. Even when using the disconnect, the U-Connect immediately synchs upon turning on the battery. I've read that older chassis need to be re-paired.
We'll add pics soon.
ScanGauge III
We wanted to be able to monitor some performance gauges in our Promaster. After researching, we decided the ScanGauge III was the best option for us. With it's bright screen and touch interface, it's easy to view and edit as needed.
We are currently monitoring the variables listed in the image below, but they can easily be swapped.
It can be mounted with the shown suction cup mount. The mount has a silicone sticky pad under the suction cup and is super secure. The ScanGauge attaches to the mount magnetically and can be lifted off easily to hold if adding or removing gauges.
We purchased ours at Advanced Auto Parts with a 40% off coupon.
More info on the ScanGauge site.
We wanted to be able to monitor some performance gauges in our Promaster. After researching, we decided the ScanGauge III was the best option for us. With it's bright screen and touch interface, it's easy to view and edit as needed.
We are currently monitoring the variables listed in the image below, but they can easily be swapped.
It can be mounted with the shown suction cup mount. The mount has a silicone sticky pad under the suction cup and is super secure. The ScanGauge attaches to the mount magnetically and can be lifted off easily to hold if adding or removing gauges.
We purchased ours at Advanced Auto Parts with a 40% off coupon.
More info on the ScanGauge site.
