Fuse Compartment Fun... yay.

[jhstatts]

Well, I blew a fuse yesterday while working on my side marker lights... so I went to check it just now, found the culprit, but also noticed some strange stuff going on in my fuse compartment.

I have wires running from under the dash into the compartment... they are attached to cetain fuses (read: frayed end wrapped around one of the fuse legs and inserted into the respective fuse terminal.

This concerns me a bit since I pulled one of the fuses with one of the wires attached and my truck stopped running... and it wasn't the "engine" fuse.

I will try to get a pic posted later this evening.

Anyone seen this before? Should I be worried?

 

[jwest]

I would find out where those wires lead and later re-wire or make a secure connection.

Must be ignition related.

.

 

[jhstatts]

Thanks, jwest.

Anyone out there happen to have a wiring diagram for a 60?

 

[swank60]

I think you can get the wiring diagrams from birfield.com - it's in the "body" FSM available for download.

First, make sure you didn't pull the engine fuse. And if that's the one that had the wires plugged into it, someone's wired in something they wanted to always be able to turn on. Trace that wire though and see where if goes. Could be ignition related (if you have serious problems) or it could just be for fog lights, the radio memory, the radio, that sort of thing. Shouldn't be too hard to find - just yank it really hard.

 

[swank60]

http://www.birfield.com/download/html/body.html

this should get you there.

 

[jhstatts]

Awesome. Thanks, Swank60. You are rapidly becoming my new best friend.

It was definitely not the "engine" fuse that killed the engine. This should be fun for the rookie 60 owner. Heh.

 

[swank60]

No problem! I can be your new best friend, just don't take TOO much mechanical advice from me - I'm a terrible mechanic!

Yuck on the wire. That's not great news, but if you can, just do a better job of wiring it in, and make sure you get it onto the correct side of the fuse (one side is the hot, always on side, the other leads out to whatever goodies are plugged into it.) may even consider moving it over the engine fuse, just so you'll remember it kills the engine.

As far as jacking into the fuse line, my KC Daylighter kit came with this little brass wire connector designed to slip around the blade type fuse, and then you plug it into the fuse box. You should be able to find something like that at NAPA, or maybe even radio shack. There's a chance you could get them at a place that sells car audio stuff, too...

Hey, I just noticed you're in Savannah! That's one of my all time favorite cities in the US. Almost went to SCAD!

 

[jhstatts]

Hey... I went to SCAD and work for SCAD. Small world, huh?

Thanks for the help. I need it.

 

[fsusteve]

PO stuff, I'm guilty of hack jobs too. Just take your time tracing stuff out, get rid of anything that deadends or is an unused accessory. BTW, my sister used to live in Savannah, great town, named my daughter after it.

 

[Doc]

The 'shoving bare wires into fuse holders' trick is one of the oldest previous owner tricks in the book.

I hate it.

 

[swank60]

Hey... I went to SCAD and work for SCAD. Small world, huh?

Thanks for the help. I need it.

What did you major in? Looking back, I really wish that had panned out for me. I really could have used 4 (or more) years there. That, and to be able to go to a school where I could have majored in illustration and minored in historical restoration (or photography, or painting) would have been awesome. I knew a lot of people who went to RISD, Cooper's Union, or that school in Baltimore (can't think of the name) but SCAD was just so far ahead in so many ways for me - yet it was so far behind in the attitude...

You should totally go sit out in one of the squares and have lunch, and think of those of us stuck in big cities, and smile like crazy.

Also, I'd perscribe doing that every time you find some new, bone headed thing that the PO did to your 60. I'm sure there will be a ton of them - there have been for me.

 

[lovetoski]

here's the part you need

Jason,

Here's a pic of the part you need to get a wire properly connected into your fuse box. Swank said it right that you can get these at NAPA, RadioShack, etc.

 

[jhstatts]

What did you major in? Looking back, I really wish that had panned out for me. I really could have used 4 (or more) years there. That, and to be able to go to a school where I could have majored in illustration and minored in historical restoration (or photography, or painting) would have been awesome. I knew a lot of people who went to RISD, Cooper's Union, or that school in Baltimore (can't think of the name) but SCAD was just so far ahead in so many ways for me - yet it was so far behind in the attitude...

You should totally go sit out in one of the squares and have lunch, and think of those of us stuck in big cities, and smile like crazy.

Also, I'd perscribe doing that every time you find some new, bone headed thing that the PO did to your 60. I'm sure there will be a ton of them - there have been for me.

Swank... I majored in Illustration. I am a freelance illustrator on the side and an art director in College Publications full-time. I have lived in Savannah for 12 years and love the landscape and size of the city... and being near the ocean (good fishing), but the criminal element is pretty bad. We will probably move in the next year or so, but we are still thinking about it.

Doug... thanks so much. I will go pick some of those up soon. At least they'd be wired in properly until I can trace everything and do it right. Appreciated!

 

[jhstatts]

I just made it to "Junior" status! Whoo-hoo!

 

[Landpimp]

wonder if the PO installed an electric fuel pump?

Well, I blew a fuse yesterday while working on my side marker lights... so I went to check it just now, found the culprit, but also noticed some strange stuff going on in my fuse compartment.

I have wires running from under the dash into the compartment... they are attached to cetain fuses (read: frayed end wrapped around one of the fuse legs and inserted into the respective fuse terminal.

This concerns me a bit since I pulled one of the fuses with one of the wires attached and my truck stopped running... and it wasn't the "engine" fuse.

I will try to get a pic posted later this evening.

Anyone seen this before? Should I be worried?

 

[jhstatts]

Landpimp... I will take a pic tonight after work and post it.

 

[swank60]

Good call, Pimp.

 

[jwest]

I didn't seem to me that an electric fuel pump would cause an immediate kill scenario, but rather a sputter or starve and die effect.

 

[Landpimp]

agreed, said it died........he didnt' say how fast it died

I didn't seem to me that an electric fuel pump would cause an immediate kill scenario, but rather a sputter or starve and die effect.

 

[jhstatts]

Haha... it died immediately after pulling the fuse and wire (like I had turned the ignition off).