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#Post#: 55736--------------------------------------------------
hot fusebox
DIR By: mark-h
Date: March 29, 2013, 12:11 pm
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before i start pulling everything apart, anybody had the smell
of hot melting wiring from the fusebox when operating the lights
on dipped beam.
any ideas on a cause, lights have always been crap, but when
driving with lights on you get a distinct smell of melting
wiring and the fuse becomes too hot to touch.
I thought it maybe a bad earth somewhere....any thoughts?
#Post#: 55741--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: mark yellow
Date: March 29, 2013, 12:32 pm
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Is the wire getting hot all the way down to the headlamp? If it
is its drawing to much current. If the heat is localised to the
fuse box, there is probably a bad connection, like a loose spade
terminal or something.
#Post#: 55746--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: mark-h
Date: March 29, 2013, 1:08 pm
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the main feed wire into the fusebox is the one that seems to get
hot, its casing has also gone soft, i replaced the fusebox with
another second hand one thinking it maybe a bad connection where
it holds the fuse.
#Post#: 55754--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: goinnowherefast
Date: March 29, 2013, 2:29 pm
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I would be looking for a short somewhere. If the insulation in
the wire has gone soft I would replace the whole wire.
Have you tried measuring the current being drawn? I wouldnt
expect a 55w bulb @ 12v to draw more than ~4 amps.....
Good luck
Matt
#Post#: 55757--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: mark-h
Date: March 29, 2013, 2:34 pm
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go idea ill check that tomorrow, i am tempted to completely
rewire the lighting circuit and make it suitable for a halogen
conversion, missing out the original fusebox.
is there a modern spade fuse equivalent to the glass fuse box
#Post#: 55768--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: NiteMare
Date: March 29, 2013, 3:33 pm
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does it still get hot without your lights on ??
if it does i'll guess you have a short just after the fusebox
"BUT", i don't know how old your wiring and components are
if they're really old and suffering corrosion you probably have
corrosion going back inside the cable sleeve, the wire has got
hot (you don't say clearly how hot) this can affect it's
structure along with the corrosion and create increased
resistance in the wire itself, in turn this generates more heat
(vicious circle)
i'd be seriously tempted to use the switches to feed relays
which will ease the current levels drawn through the old wiring
once wired up correctly, it's simple to take a heavy feed to an
aftermarket fuse panel (motor factors should carry them) and
then take individually fused feeds to the relays or you could
buy relays with fuse holders incorporated
the other advantage is relays also help to prolong the life of
old switches as the resistance in the contacts isn't suffering
the heavier load and creating heat internally (mechanically
they're still at risk)
#Post#: 55798--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: aimbones
Date: March 29, 2013, 8:13 pm
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I removed the original fuses totally and fitted 6 mini mcbs,
relays for the headlights and heater fan. Made a vast
improvement to the lights and the heater switch no longer gives
off more heat than the heater.
Tony
#Post#: 55804--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: espacekiller
Date: March 30, 2013, 4:28 am
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To be honest what you describe sounds bad to me there is a real
potential for a fire, It might be the lights are too much for
the thickness of the original wiring if thay have been upgraded,
or damaged or faulty wiring, or a combination of added extras
putting too much load on the wiring?
I would be putting the lights on their own new circuit switched
with a relay and would also do some testing on the wiring and
replace anything which is suspect.
Depends what you want really you could just bypass the existing
wiring with new to be safe but it might look a bit of a bodge,
but it would look better than a burning series :smile1
#Post#: 55809--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: 982knn
Date: March 30, 2013, 5:39 am
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I had a problem with the fuse/contacts heating up on my lighting
setup (standard sealed beams).
This caused the contacts to oxidise, and then I ended up with no
lights, due to contact resistance.
No smells of burning though!!
I upgraded my lights to Halogens and decided to do as suggested
above and fit a separate feed/relay arrangement.
I put a new 6 way blade type fuse box under the passenger seat
(next to my battery).
To this I connected all the high current things;
- Lights
- Heated windscreen
- Glowplug relay
I then installed new "big" wiring from the fusebox to relays
installed on the drivers side inner wing.
I picked up the original main/dipped wiring from the dip switch
here, and used this to switch the relays and these switched the
current to the new Halogens.
No existing wires cut, just "plug and play".
Works really well and new halogens combined with direct relay
controlled feeds are a massive improvement on the sealed units I
had.
Got fuse box/relays from "Bolt on Bits" - local to me, but sell
on Ebay too, at same time as buying the lights from them.
Cost less than £40 for everything to do job.
One sensible suggestion (I regret not doing!!) is to wire
separate fused feeds to the main and dipped relays, so if one
fails you still have lights.
Mark
#Post#: 55811--------------------------------------------------
Re: hot fusebox
DIR By: mark-h
Date: March 30, 2013, 6:09 am
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thanks for all the suggestions, i am still runnig sealed beam
units, the hot fuse only occurs when the lights are on dipped
beam, not with only side lights on, for this reason i try to
avoid using it in the night, and disconnect the battery every
night, the wiring is the original loom from 1971 i have no
additional lighting fitted.
From the feedback ive received I think it would make sense to
fit an additional fusebox to the inner wing and a relay for
dipped beam, relay for main beam, relay for the heater, and one
ready for when i can afford heated windscreen.
thus eliminating the original loom, i have a pair of range rover
classic halogen headlights (will these fit?)
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