Fusebox meltdown ahoy...

NickDunning

NickDunning

Active Member
My 2200 auto, HUC, normally the most reliable P6 in the world, has a problem.

We blasted her up to the RP6C dinner at Shepperton the other evening. On getting back into the car I realised there was no heater fan. Looks like my fusebox has had an episode:

26thJanuary20113.jpg


Extreme right hand fuse is the heater motor, and in the case of a later car, the radio.

I do drive with the fan and radio on most of the time, but am still surprised this has happened.
29k miles from new! they don't make them like they used to! :)

26thJanuary20115.jpg


The wipers (next fuse along) appear fine.

One for you Chris, what d'ya think???

Thanks
Nick
 
Ooh dear. Common problem with the combustible nylon P6 fuseboard, especially with the higher current fuseways. My V8 progressively had a meltdown on the main beam fuseway several years ago.

There are 2 options. Option 1; you can either obtain a good secondhand fusebox, then gently push the brass terminals out and through the rear of the box with a long, thin screwdriver. You will need to flatten the tangs on the terminals to pop them out. You can then clean up each brass terminal with fine wet and dry and then use a terminal cleaner (Servisol) to get them 100%. Once clean you can then gently push the tangs back out and then pop them into the replacement fusebox in the correct order. Important you install correct imperial fuses (slightly longer than the ones you have there) to ensure maximum surface area contact between the terminals and the fuse, reducing any resistance (and hence heat buildup).

The second option is to junk the original fusebox, purchase an aftermarket style fusebox, cut off the existing terminals on the cables and re-plumb it in. Possibly more reliable, but my P6 has been fine since I replaced my fusebox with a good secondhand item about 3 years ago. Time will tell.

Whatever option you go for you will need to remove the passenger seat, have a good light source and a nice plump cushion under your bum as it is not a 5 minute job!

Good luck.
 
rp61973 said:
Whatever option you go for you will need to remove the passenger seat, have a good light source and a nice plump cushion under your bum as it is not a 5 minute job!

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks

If I go any major route long term it'll be for a modern fuse box. As a temporary measure we're going to go for a replacement in-line fuse and bypass the fusebox. I find it ironic that everything else is OK, but the heater motor area has gone. I've heard no end of stories about the main beam area melting down. Mine appears fine.

I wasn't aware until recently about the dangers of shorter fuses, this can also be a problem when running Halogen lights I believe.

Cheers
Nick
 
Hello Nick,

The heater fan in my Rover stopped working around 1990. Upon inspection the situation was the same as what your fuse box showed...melted plastic and contacts no longer in their original position. At the time I had never heard a word about fuse box problems from anywhere, so I suspected it was likely a dry solder joint. The box was removed and the heater fan motor wires removed and reconnected. The contacts were realigned and the fuse replaced. The fan then came on when the lever was actuated. Allowing it to run for a few minutes produced no heat at all when feeling the fuse box and the heater fan fuse.

However once bitten twice shy as the saying goes, so I have only used the fan sparingly in all the years that followed, and especially so in more recent times when I read of fuse box problems being wide spread.

I have never experienced problems with the fuse box for any other ancillary nor have I felt any heat coming from any fuse at any time since.

Ron.
 
NickDunning said:
My 2200 auto, HUC, normally the most reliable P6 in the world, has a problem.

We blasted her up to the RP6C dinner at Shepperton the other evening. On getting back into the car I realised there was no heater fan. Looks like my fusebox has had an episode:

Extreme right hand fuse is the heater motor, and in the case of a later car, the radio.

I do drive with the fan and radio on most of the time, but am still surprised this has happened.
29k miles from new! they don't make them like they used to! :)

The wipers (next fuse along) appear fine.

One for you Chris, what d'ya think???

Thanks
Nick
Click to expand...

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4907&start=0&hilit=fuse

I had a lot of fun with that when I first got Sparky. He got his name because of the bad wiring and melting fuse box.

Been fine ever since though

Best of luck with it :)

Richard
 
SydneyRoverP6B said:
Hello Nick,

I have never experienced problems with the fuse box for any other ancillary nor have I felt any heat coming from any fuse at any time since.

Ron.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ron

I'm just mildly annoyed, it's always something that happens to someone else's car!

It's all good experience, not something I've dealt with before.

Cheers
Nick
 
Those do look like the short, metric, fuses Nick! The imperial vareity fill the fuse holder lengthwise. I'd say you had a very licky escape there. Field trials (Quattro?) have demonstrated that the stage your fuse box is at is only a tad away from self ignition! The fuse box material burns enthusiastically at alarmingly low temperatures. There was a P6 in a scrapyard on Ebay recently, advertised for spares, that had the tell tale signs of a blackened near side windscreen and interior fire damage!

Chris
 
chrisyork said:
Those do look like the short, metric, fuses Nick! The imperial vareity fill the fuse holder lengthwise. I'd say you had a very licky escape there. Field trials (Quattro?) have demonstrated that the stage your fuse box is at is only a tad away from self ignition! The fuse box material burns enthusiastically at alarmingly low temperatures. There was a P6 in a scrapyard on Ebay recently, advertised for spares, that had the tell tale signs of a blackened near side windscreen and interior fire damage!

Chris
Click to expand...

Gulp....

Looks like it'll be time to bite the bullet and change the lot then.

Ol' HUC does not need to be spontaneously combusting, the car gets seriously used, all weathers, and needs to be right.... :oops:
 
I changed one out years ago. Replaced and soldered all the terms. A bit fiddly it just seems like the contact between the fuse and the holders are poor. Like if you roll the fuse with your fingers and the lights or whatever start to work.

I haven't had this on the P5 which has a similar set up other than the holders are on piece and not held by the plastics. A bonus of the p5 type is spades for the wiring so can be isolated etc

Colin
 
My main beam started playing up again this weekend. I know the problem is in the fusebox and has been discussed previously in the forum but I decided a bit of further investigation was needed to get the full scope of the problem. Essentially I have 75W inners and 60W halogen outers. Thats 270W total lighting through a 25A fuse. 270W @ a nominal 12V draws 22.5A, so close to the limit of the fuse. Used infrequently this amount of current flow and the associated heat it produces is manageable for the fuse box; however, and this is a big HOWEVER, with continuous useage of more than about 5 mins the temperature of the fuse (which is the correct length) rises to over 90 degrees C :shock: yes 90 degrees celsius :shock: :shock: . I measured it using an infar-red thermometer set to constantly scan and watching the temp continue to rise is pretty frightening to say the least.

I had previously decided not to fit relays to the main beam lighting circuit but after seeing this I've changed my mind. The next decision is what sort of relays to fit. I have toyed with buying a 4 relay box that takes standard relays and would allow for further relays to be fitted in future (if they're needed for anything). Or I could buy some 6RA relays to fit in the engine bay and keep everything looking period. I only plan to fit one relay with an inline fuse to the inner lights' circuit to reduce the current draw on the fusebox fuse by about half and therefore reduce the heat.

Dave
 
Hi Dave,

I bought one of those infrafred thermometers from Maplins - small one about £18 IIRC, fab tool, bought it to check the actual temperature than my leccy fan was switching on at. Never thought of using it at the fuse box! Great idea and WOW - bet you're glad you found that out when you did!

I'm in the same camp as you though on relays. I can't understand why alot of people say that you should fit relays if you're upgrading to halogens. Because if the Halogens are the same power (Watts) as the sealed beams they're replacing then because of the relationship between volts, amps and watts (W=VA), then there cannot be any difference between halogen and sealed beam ...... unless you go for the really powerful ones! (Although 90 degrees is a bit warm :shock: )

{holding breath, waiting to be corrected by those more knowledgeable!}

I have the series 1½ car with the four fuse fusebox - You don't get ANY fuses to the headlamps in these cars! Any shorts, and your switch is fried! (Probably a good idea for a relay and inline fuse if ever there was one!)

Let us know what relays you end up going with, and how you've either hidden it, or kept it looking period.

Cheers,
Bri.
 
My original 75W high beam inners were replaced over 20 years ago by a pair of 100W Hella high beam lights. I still retain the original low beam outers. Relays were fitted at the same time for the high beam lights, and driving out in the country all through the night with all lights on, the fuse barely gets warm. The only fuse I have ever had any problem with in terms of a temperature increase of note was the heater fuse.

Ron.
 
Last year my headlights were flickering off, rolling the the fuse would bring them back but I was driving with the glove box open and burning my fingers on the terminals!

When all 4 lights went on a fast and pitch black hair pin I decided it was time to get relays fitted. Now, I know bu66er all about car elctrics so all I know is there are boxes on the inner wings and now all the the fuse box carries is a very low switching current - the lights draw power straight from the battery via the starter motor cable - the point is, all 4 lights are brighter now than the were before, dont know how but it works. Probably magic or something.

And the car isnt on fire.
 
alfesti said:
Probably magic or something.
Click to expand...

Probably

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C Clarke

:D

The current for the lights no longer has to travel all the way down a length of wire from the switch, through the fusebox and down to the lights. Any wire has resistance and resistance (for a given voltage) reduces current. As the light output from a filament type lamp is directly proportional to the current flowing through it, the more current, the brighter the lights are (until they eventually burn out). Simples.

Dave
 
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