Smoked Harness: Lessons Learned

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Just went on Amazon to order a LittleFuse combo pack! I can't believe all that happened from a cheap-o fuse!
 
atomicshawn said:
I've been quoted $190 shipped for both harnesses by Colorado80. I'm liking this price. More than fair. Anyone know this guy? Always a little uncomfortable sending money to a stranger.
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Just sent the money. Hope Dude's legit...
 
What are the chances that an 80's parts supplier is on MUD :D
 
What are the chances that an 80's parts supplier is on MUD :D
 
...chances were 100% since Mud is where I found him ;)

Colorado80 said:
I hope dude is legit too :) Once received, please feel free to inspect the item and post up your whole experience dealing with me.
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Will do.


...via IH8MUD app
 
1973Guppie said:
crazy but just a thought? isn't it more likely that there was some type of other wiring error besides the fuse? I mean the fuse metal element by just it's size should NOT be able to transport that much current. I am thinking the first time it warned you and the 2nd time something else was shorted and caused a bigger problem.
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I keep wondering about this. I've even considered driving the half hour north to the spot on the side of the freeway where I flicked what was left of the fuse out on the ground.

I'm sure it's possible that the fuse wasn't conducting all of the load, that maybe the circuit was shorted-to-power somewhere farther down the line...

Also I've noted the plastic covers on these cheap fuses come off extremely easily. Maybe somehow the two prongs were making contact? Or maybe the element wasn't stamped correctly? I don't know. Again, I wish I would have saved what was left of the fuse.

All I know for sure is that I inserted a piece of blue plastic that said 15 on one end and had two metal prongs sticking out the other end. I don't recall looking at the element through the plastic. I was just trying to get back on the road. What I found after the smoke appeared was glowing and hot enough to do this:
ImageUploadedByIH8MUD Forum1406251068.680878.webp

ImageUploadedByIH8MUD Forum1406251099.171946.webp


I'm thinking if it was this hot it should have popped even if there was another problem somewhere else in the circuit.

I'm convinced the crappy fuse at the very least played a role in the catastrophe. And I'm not taking a chance with them ever again.

…and I hate ARB marker lights.
 
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Good call on the fuse alert. Sorry for your problems...
 
looks like to me the circuit had power applied to it down the line somewhere where it should not of, at least that's my take, I don't think the issue was simply a bad cheap fuse, the metal element is simply that, just a metal element and should of melted the same as the wires downstream. If I were you I would just make sure to do a real good unwrap of the harness and inspect everything. Were the arb lights tapped into the wire harness + without a fuse?
 
So if the cheapo fuses say were marked wrong (15 amp instead of 30) or the wrong thickness/ wrong alloy metal was used, would that cause the damage that occured? Or as Guppie mentioned, could power be going to that circuit that is bypassing any fuse??
 
It's called "short-to-power" and yes, again, I believe that could have happened somewhere in the circuit. However, the evidence that the fuse is the primary culprit is: 1) the circuit is damaged at and around the fuse box as much as it is farther down the circuit. I can easily follow the wires 12" or more past the fuse, and there is clearly nothing else wrong with the circuit in that area other than everything has been super heated. 2) When the smoke began and I went after the fuse I found the blue plastic was melting away and whatever the "element" was made of was glowing. And I found the smoke, sizzling and buzzing noises stopped after I flicked whatever it was out with my knife. There was something wrong with that fuse. It should have opened the circuit. I'm not all knowing, but I do have somewhat of an educated opinion: 20 years as a line tech at a dealership. Lots of electrical diagnoses and repairs. I've never seen anything like it. I would love for someone else to explain the facts listed above without implicating the fuse.

The arb lamps were spliced into the marker light circuit about 4 years ago. Bulbs kept blowing because the fixtures would fill with water. I got sick of replacing bulbs after about a year and just abandoned them. Obviously I should have disconnected them. Hindsight...


...via IH8MUD app
 
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atomicshawn said:
It's called "short-to-power" and yes, again, I believe that could have happened somewhere in the circuit. However, the evidence that the fuse is the primary culprit is: 1) the circuit is damaged at and around the fuse box as much as it is farther down the circuit. I can easily follow the wires 12" or more past the fuse, and there is clearly nothing else wrong with the circuit in that area other than everything has been super heated. 2) When the smoke began and I went after the fuse I found the blue plastic was melting away and whatever the "element" was made of was glowing. And I found the smoke, sizzling and buzzing noises stopped after I flicked whatever it was out with my knife. There was something wrong with that fuse. It should have opened the circuit. I'm not all knowing, but I do have somewhat of am educated opinion: 20 years as a line tech at a dealer ship. Lots of electrical diagnoses and repairs. I've never seen anything like it. I would love for someone else to explain the facts listed above without implicating the fuse.

The arb lamps were spliced into the marker light circuit about 4 years ago. Bulbs kept blowing because the fixtures would fill with water. I got sick of replacing bulbs after about a year and just abandoned them. Obviously I should have disconnected them. Hindsight...
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This all points to the fuse. The hot side of the ARB marker light was shorted to ground and thus pulling too much current through the circuit. The fuse should have opened up under this condition but didn't. The wiring and fuse was sized for a calculated current load and the short exceeded that load but the fuse didn't do its job protecting the wiring.
 
When you have a bad connection at one of the connections of the fuse-loose/corroded/etc it will get HOT. I've put 30s in place of 10s in a pinch and a good short will usually pop them right away. If it can be done put a 30 amp amp meter in place of the fuse and check the current draw
 
Howard705 said:
When you have a bad connection at one of the connections of the fuse-loose/corroded/etc it will get HOT. I've put 30s in place of 10s in a pinch and a good short will usually pop them right away. If it can be done put a 30 amp amp meter in place of the fuse and check the current draw
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But in this case, it wasn't just the fuse that got hot, it was the wire for that circuit along its entire length. So not just a "bad" high resistance connection at the fuse.
 
I don't know
 
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