3 replies to this topic

[mini_fly]

After numerous experiences crammed under the dash and hood of my car I think it's time to replace the fuse panel with something a little more updated.

 

The main reason for this is countless times trying to troubleshoot an electrical problem and finding that the problem was a loose connection at the box, loose fuse holer in the box or just  corrosion.

 

My last experience was headlight/radio/taillights not working type of problem.

 

It ended up being the fuse box was not holding some of the fuses very well.  If I wiggled the wire connector I could see the clip that holds the fuse move breaking contact with the fuse.

 

Right now when I drive, if I hit a bump the radio cuts out for a second or two.

 

This is the unit I'm going to use:

 

http://www.bluesea.c...uits_with_Cover

 

This has six circuits which I could split a couple of the other circuits out on.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Henry

 

[richw911]

The rating on blade fuses is usually for blow current see here:

 

 

http://www.theminifo...es#entry2981285

[dklawson]

Your getting some good feedback in the parallel thread you stared on MM.  

 

Remember as you are selecting fuses for these circuits that the blade type ATC fuses do not carry the same rating as the Lucas fuses your car came with.  The general rule of thumb is to multiply the Lucas rating by 0.6 and select the closest blade fuse, rounding up or down as necessary.

 

Consider a Lucas 35 Amp fuse.  35 Amp x 0.6 = 21.  There is not a 21 Amp ATC fuse so you would select 20 Amp.  There are also some online tables providing a summary of the common fuse ratings/conversions.

 

That being said, if you split out your existing wiring to have "more fuses" (splitting certain circuits up) you may want to consider using lower rated fuses in your newer wiring scheme as fewer items (and therefore lower current loads) will be passing through each circuit/fuse.  While the 0.6 multiplier fuse rating will protect the wiring, it may not protect the device creating the load.

[mini_fly]

Thanks Doug and richw911,  I've dug very deep into that link and found out a lot more than I thought I would in regards to this project.

 

With the extra two fuses I will break out a couple circuits to put there and then I will try to figure out the new load for the individual fuses so I don't get myself into trouble.

 

Maybe add the inline fuses to the block or at least upgrade them to blade style that are much more robust.

 

Definitely start small and move up to a reasonable rating.

 

Henry