Okay I put wired in a phone charger. My car already had an aftermarket radio. Now I have intermittent lights on and off along with the radio and charger. I have the old 4 fuse Lucas fuse block. I've disconnected everything and reconnected it and got my lights back. I've lost them again and tried disconnecting everything and reconnecting everything but the radio and the charger. What am I missing or doing wrong?
Did you move any grounds that could be loose? Takes hot and ground sides to make things work.
I don't think so but I will check.
How did you tap into the power feed? If you used "vampire splices" (aka: wire-tap connectors), it may have completely cut the line and caused an intermittent connection.
See this article about the connectors:
http://tech.bareasschoppers.com/resources/the-problem-with-wire-tap-connectors/ (http://tech.bareasschoppers.com/resources/the-problem-with-wire-tap-connectors/)
I rand a separate wire to one of the blades on the fuse block. What is strange is that when the lights decide not to work I loose the radio and charger power only when I turn the lights on.
Since you ran a separate wire to the fuse block, another possibility is the back of the fuse box has weakened due to age and/or corrosion and can not support the extra load through that connection when the lights are turned on. The lights place a significant current draw on their circuit.
I had a Mini with similar issues along with a heavily patched wiring harness. I ended up replacing both the harness (easier than re-doing all of the poor patches) and the fuse box. The 4-fuse blocks are still available.
Replacing just the fuse block should be fairly simple.
If you replace the fuse block, be aware that some of the new blocks have two fuses bridged, you need to break that bridge to make the fuse block work correctly - ask me how I know!
So Dave - how do you know??
Is there a way to test the fuse block without buying a new replacement one?
Quote from: Dmulder on May 02, 2016, 02:51:54 AM
So Dave - how do you know??
The pics tell the story....I put the new one in without noticing the bridge and all of a sudden I had all sorts of weird electrical problems that weren't there before. 8.gif
I snipped that bridge out and all returned to normal..... 62.gif
The descriptions I have read for checking the fuse box are not difficult, but involve removing it. Make detailed notes of what wires go where when disconnecting so you get them back in the right places.
Remove the fuse box from the car and visually inspect the back side for corrosion. Remove each fuse (again, make note of where it goes for putting back) and see if any of the connections are loose - wiggle. Since the connection points are riveted, they need to be tight. If loose, the connection may become inconsistent.
To add to what Mike says, sometimes you can get corrosion between the rivet and the blades too, giving poor connections. Fuse bocks are cheap and easy to get, I'd just replace it if it's an old, original.
I'll bet Engel Imports just down the road in Kalamazoo has them.....yep, here you go....$12.34
http://www.englishparts.com/products/FUSE-BOX---4-FUSE--MGB-FROM-C187211--C187841-1970-1980-Lucas-brand-FUSE-BOX--7FJ--4-fuse/7143480/37552.html (http://www.englishparts.com/products/FUSE-BOX---4-FUSE--MGB-FROM-C187211--C187841-1970-1980-Lucas-brand-FUSE-BOX--7FJ--4-fuse/7143480/37552.html)
note you'll have to cut the bridge like I did......
Edit: They also have those OEM fuses - cheap too.
Put new fuses in to start. Sometimes they look fine but are coming apart.
This is why I love restoration mini. People who wouldn't know me from Adam and who don't even live in the same town help me out. Thank you Dave and Dan and all others. You guys are awesome. Are any of you doing any portion of mtts2016? I'd love to meet some of you. Dave my sister lives in and pastors a church in KC. I did my masters work there. Thanks a ton guys and gals.
Look for my old Clubman Estate - Buzz - being driven by his new owner Justin on the MTTS this summer, tell him I said hey if you see him along the road......
There are a number of KC folks doing at least the middle part of MTTS this summer.
Where in KC? I'm over on the southwest side of town, in OP.
She lives in KC mo just past the state line off of 435.
If it's not a fuse box issue, it sounds as if the new circuit is working the original circuit too hard. Are you familiar with relays? I ran a relay through the switched/fused side of the fuse box to run a cell charger and homemade heat exchanger for the summer. The circuit pulls 10 amps with no problem.
Your fuse box will have additional spade connectors to accommodate such accessories. This will isolate your new circuit from the original wiring loom and prevent overload of the circuit, which barring problems with your fuse box seems to be the case.
Who knows. Electricity still seems like magic to me.
Uh, that's not quite right.....if you're going to use the old circuit to trigger the relay you still need to supply the relay and therefore the new circuit too - and that power has to come from somewhere - if it's coming from an existing fuse you haven't gained anything unless that fuse wasn't being used for anything else.
If you do it this way, you've done it wrong.....
(http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/uploads/fan_relay_2.gif)
Rather, do it this way.....where #1 is coming from your fuse panel thru the switch, and your load comes off a separate source and fuse....#3
(http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/images/Schematic4.gif)
All correct Dave. I ran the trigger circuit through the fused/switched side of the fuse box. The power circuit goes straight from the starter solenoid to the accessory to ground. Your 2nd diagram is how I wired it.
Not sure how 94 thinks about posting the forum from "the others," but here it is:
http://www.minimania.com/msgThread/116951/1/1/Lucase_Fuse_Box_Terminal_4
I learned alot from mur and jeg. Here is what we came up with. Same as yours only shows it running through the solenoid.
Now I look at it I may have taken it off the unfused/switched circuit. I think I ran a 1A fuse through the trigger circuit.
All information is welcome 77.gif
I thought that image looked familiar! Nice job adapting it!
I learned a TON from 'mur' when I installed my driving lights, fog lights, 2nd fuse box and put my headlights (high and low) on relays. I probably went overboard and probably need more horsepower to compensate for the weight of the new wiring.
Relays installed (Currently):
High beam
Low beam
Driving lights
Front Fog lights
Horn
Air/Fuel meter
Auxiliary Fuse box (2 x 30A relays, wired parallel to common '+' post) The fuel pump, radio and cigar lighter are connected to this fuse box.
All my 'trigger' wires are fused with a 3A fuse, and the relays themselves (Drive, Fog, Aux. Fuse box, A/F meter, horn) have a fuse between the +12V input (right before relay terminal # 30 according to the max expected current draw from the accessory to protect the relay.) The new Smiths tach also has fused protection.
I guess you can't have too many relays, but providing power to them can be a bit of a challenge. I ended up installing a junction box right above the starter solenoid which receives power from the B+ and my '+' 12V power wires come off of the junction box's posts. I suspect some enthusiasts would scowl at the 'modular' wire bundles; it's not pretty, but it's been working fine.
Oh, are you jeg?
Those are my initials.
Can we still be friends? 19.gif
Oh,
Well, aren't I a damn detective. I try so hard not to make a clown out of myself.
I have to pull my engine this winter. It's showing wear and I need to restore the engine bay due to rust concerns. I want a bigger engine due to the altitude here, so you will hear alot of tomfoolery from me in a few months. Take a deep breath and endure.