Bodybuilder connector

We bought the option EK1, body builder connector. This is an extra battery under the driver’s seat that gets charged when we are driving and the main battery is fully charged. This battery is connected to a body builder terminal strip by the passenger’s feet. We plan to wire in our camper lights, fan, water pump, cooler, mobile phone chargers, etc. into this connection as we can completely run down this additional battery and not drain our main battery at all. Or so the theory went.

We have a guy insulating the van, building shelves, running wires from the new lights to the body building connector terminal strip. But there we are stumped. He is stumped. I’m stumped. Our dealer is stumped. I even called the “Sprinter Guy” who graciously pointed me to some additional information but, alas, that wasn't particularly helpful. Attached is the one page I found that had any information on it. Also attached is the page from the Metris equipment ordering guide which includes a photo. And attached is a photo of our connector. You will likely immediately notice that our connector lacks the white fuse holder that the equipment guide shows. Our salesman says that white fuse holder isn’t a Mercedes part. I can’t locate one to purchase anywhere - but that may be because I don’t know exactly what it is called. It is pretty frustrating to have a part like that but no guidance on how to actually get it working.

Do any of you have any recommendations on how we should proceed? Where we might find more information? Or where we should search for Mercedes Metris compatible parts? Any insights you might care to share would be appreciated. Thanks.

UH OH! I got the auxiliary battery package as I'm attempting to do a camper upgrade on my Metris. Got it just before I left the country for a month. So now I'm home again and ready to get back to work. I'd just done insulating before I left.


I was expecting
Auxiliary Battery 100 Amp


Details & TechnologyIn addition to the standard battery, a 12 V/100 Ah auxiliary battery with long cycle life is mounted in the engine compartment. The aux battery supply voltage is separated from the vehicle electrical system through a cutout relay. An electrical connector box is installed inside the driver seat. Remove cover to attach your electrical connection and install an appropriate fuse as close as possible, ensuring cover is seated properly when closing.


Figured that would be straight forward for a newbie like me but instead today I find no extra battery in the engine compartment; batteries under both the driver and right seats with the one under the driver's seat marked "starter." I'm totally perplexed - operator's manual is of no help.


How do I know which battery is the one with the cutoff relay?

I have an email into [email protected] that I know was received because they asked me what country I was from. But no answer yet.

The service person at my dealer says he is looking for information. But no answer yet.

I posted my question on this forum. But no answer yet.

And I talked to a distant cousin of mine who used to be a Mercedes mechanic. He had a couple possibilities. The relevant one was his advice to see if the terminal strip had power and if it did then attach your individual wires to that with an inline fuse in each wire. It turned out each little socket/connector on the terminal strip was indeed live. So the guys converting my van wired several fuses and connected all our lines to them. They even wrote down which line went to which electrical use on the inside of the cover. All the lights, water pump, etc. seem to be working fine now.

In hind sight it should, perhaps, have been obvious that if that electrical strip has power and you wire in fuses for each line, then it would be pretty hard to wrong.

The body builder connector is in the passenger foot area. The guys converting my van said that there is a little trench under the passenger side step that allows the wires to be run under it and then up through the column that the sliding door latches to (column B in the language of automobiles).

hi, I hope this helps and is accurate. that small battery next to the main battery under the passenger seat (right side) is NOT wired to the EK 1 powerbuilder fuse box - the main battery is - this post sent me in the wrong direction. see this post below.


FROM POST:
Also its a common misconception that if you have the auxiliary battery package and the body builder connector that the
body builder connector is powered by auxiliary battery. This is not the case, the body builder connector is connected to the fuse and relay terminal under the passenger seat which is fed by the starter battery.

then confirmed by another poster on that post.

and I'm working with a veteran Mercedes mech / turned van rebuilder. he confirmed the little second one is an aux battery to the main one to run systems and other systems.

I hope this helps someone - it screwed me up a bit - "experience is what you get the second after you needed it"