ARB Dual air compressor shorted out.

[Edub]

I think those come without the ring terminals installed. If so, do you know who crimped those?

it would have been me, but I've crimped many wires in my life and can't imagine crimping without exposing the wire first. could the heat have melted it?

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[Tech Tim]

Shout out to our Melbourne engineer, Sam, on this one.

The fact that the installer un-necessarily grounded the switch wire...

...actually means that once the main termination broke at the battery, the compressor motors would then be trying to complete their circuit to ground by using the thin BLACK @ 80 amps which would have fried it. (i.e., the thin black and the motor ground BLACK-WHITE STRIPE were connected but NO LONGER connected to the battery).

If not using the switch then the ground in the ARB switch terminal should have been left un-connected.

So every grimm kit that uses their harness is wired incorrectly?

No, that's not what they are saying.

Basically what that post is saying is if the small black wire wasn't connected, it wouldn't have melted when the compressor tried to seek ground after the main negative (black) terminal separated from the wire.

ARB reviewed the Grimm dual compressor kit and wire harness when it was first being developed and has said installing it as shown in the instructions will not affect warranty.

Daniel even points out to make sure to wire exactly to the Grimm instructions in post #23

BTW- Thanks for posting up @dbongard

 

[Edub]

Reading Daniels post, this makes the most sense. It has to be that I didn't properly crimp the negative terminal (as much as it pains me to admit).

I did want to give a huge thanks to Tim, Scott, Daniel, and everyone else involved on both the ARB side and the Grimm side.

It's important that I make clear, I tried using this in a way that neither ARB or Grimm had intended.

Had I used the ARB switch, ARB would have been able to properly diagnose however sine I used the Aux switch, it creates a lot of unknows since I altered the wiring.

My thinking here is that since the negative wire that runs to the switch, and the negative wire that runs to the battery are indeed the same wire (yes, I took it apart ant looked), then perhaps if we plan on using the Aux switch, maybe we should be capping off the negative wire on the switch end? If I had done this, then the moment the terminal broke on the harness to the battery, the circuit would be broken, and the pump would have just stopped working; at least that's my initial train of thought but perhaps it would have just destroyed something else. Instead, it did as @dbongard posted and well here, we are.

Daniel, is there a proper way to connect to the aux switch or is it just a matter of making sure that you properly connect the ground terminal on the battery end much like I didn't?

I also would like to point out that even though ultimately this was my doing, ARB is still working with me to replace the damaged parts and for this I am very grateful.

 

[alextremo]

Reading Daniels post, this makes the most sense. It has to be that I didn't properly crimp the negative terminal (as much as it pains me to admit).

I did want to give a huge thanks to Tim, Scott, Daniel, and everyone else involved on both the ARB side and the Grimm side.

It's important that I make clear, I tried using this in a way that neither ARB or Grimm had intended.

Had I used the ARB switch, ARB would have been able to properly diagnose however sine I used the Aux switch, it creates a lot of unknows since I altered the wiring.

My thinking here is that since the negative wire that runs to the switch, and the negative wire that runs to the battery are indeed the same wire (yes, I took it apart ant looked), then perhaps if we plan on using the Aux switch, maybe we should be capping off the negative wire on the switch end? If I had done this, then the moment the terminal broke on the harness to the battery, the circuit would be broken, and the pump would have just stopped working; at least that's my initial train of thought but perhaps it would have just destroyed something else. Instead, it did as @dbongard posted and well here, we are.

Daniel, is there a proper way to connect to the aux switch or is it just a matter of making sure that you properly connect the ground terminal on the battery end much like I didn't?

I also would like to point out that even though ultimately this was my doing, ARB is still working with me to replace the damaged parts and for this I am very grateful.

that is how I have my switch wired - aux switch wire to the purple wire, black wire capped.

 

[Rockabillyroy]

Got it. So ARB split the power and ground wires to turn on the motors. Activation power wire runs through the switch harness and ground wire runs through the battery harness.

And the secondary power and ground wires in the switch harness is just for the switch light.

Thanks

 

[sharpsicle]

So with all this being figured out, is it fair to say that the statement that “ARB won’t warranty the compressor if you don’t use their switch” isn’t actually true? Right now that’s the statement that has me the most worried.

 

[Edub]

So with all this being figured out, is it fair to say that the statement that “ARB won’t warranty the compressor if you don’t use their switch” isn’t actually true? Right now that’s the statement that has me the most worried.

I don't like it either but isn't it just like any product once you use it in a manner it wasn't intended?

maybe "use" is a bad term here. "modify" is more like it.

 

[sharpsicle]

I don't like it either but isn't it just like any product once you use it in a manner it wasn't intended?

maybe "use" is a bad term here. "modify" is more like it.

No. I’m not modifying the compressor at all. I’m just using a different switch to turn it on. No other company that I know of that sells equipment like this considers an on/off switch to be core to the quality of what it’s turning on to the point they will deny a warranty if you don’t use just theirs.

Obviously improper installation would be a problem, but using a different switch is not that.

 

[Tech Tim]

So with all this being figured out, is it fair to say that the statement that “ARB won’t warranty the compressor if you don’t use their switch” isn’t actually true? Right now that’s the statement that has me the most worried.

Won't Warranty is a strong statement.

More like ARB would warranty it at their option. It would all depend on how it was hooked up, what caused the failure and what the failure was.

They've taken the time to check this issue out closely and help spot the likely cause of the problem. They could've just said, NO WARRANTY, but they took the time to dig a little deeper to make sure it wasn't something on their end.

Which in my experience is how ARB typically is. Be nice, show everything you can and they usually do what they can to help figure it out. If it's their problem, they usually take care of it. Even if it isn't their problem, they often try to help out in some fashion.

 

[dbongard]

Daniel, is there a proper way to connect to the aux switch or is it just a matter of making sure that you properly connect the ground terminal on the battery end much like I didn't?

If you had capped the ground wire and simply fed the purple wire with a positive signal when the AUX switch was ON then your install would have just failed when the main ground broke and when you found that you could have just re-terminated that. As I said before, that BLACK in the switch wire is for the LEDs of the switch only, so if you don't need them then just cap them.

 

[JETNC]

Your crimp on the negative terminal was definitely the issue. That wire didn’t evaporate or melt, you’d see it if it did. It probably had good enough contact for a while and then came loose. I’ve seen it happen. It amazes me that ARB doesn’t include terminals in their $600 compressor. I just installed mine this weekend, waiting on Amazon to deliver my 8awg- 5/16 terminal. The first one I bought from Amazon was some cheap shit, I was afraid to use them. I went to 6 different places yesterday and not one of them had an 8awg ring terminal!

 

[Edub]

If you had capped the ground wire and simply fed the purple wire with a positive signal when the AUX switch was ON then your install would have just failed when the main ground broke and when you found that you could have just re-terminated that. As I said before, that BLACK in the switch wire is for the LEDs of the switch only, so if you don't need them then just cap them.

Much appreciated.

 

[Edub]

Your crimp on the negative terminal was definitely the issue. That wire didn’t evaporate or melt, you’d see it if it did. It probably had good enough contact for a while and then came loose. I’ve seen it happen. It amazes me that ARB doesn’t include terminals in their $600 compressor. I just installed mine this weekend, waiting on Amazon to deliver my 8awg- 5/16 terminal. The first one I bought from Amazon was some cheap shit, I was afraid to use them. I went to 6 different places yesterday and not one of them had an 8awg ring terminal!

yeah, the more I think about it, the more I accept the fact that it has to be my fault. It's weird, I've been wiring for years, I know better. I must have just been excited to get the thing installed. Lessons were definitely learned. I honestly don't remember doing it but it's true that the kit comes without terminals.

 

[Edub]

QQ.

I'm rebuilding the wiring harness. Is it safe to splice the two power leads to the same connector as such? yes, I plan on adding the heat shrink as well.

Also, that small negative wire is wrapped deep into the crimp despite its looks.

 

[teamblkdog]

Yes, you're good to connect both positive leads to one ring terminal.

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