Replacing the EFI Fuse Links

[TomoHawk]

I don't think it's been discussed here, and I don't see any information on it the the FSM, so I think I will simply ask. It's probably the only thing I don't know about the car.

If you needed to replace one of the green E.F.I. fuse links (mounted near the battery on the relay box) how do they come out? I don't think they have the usual female blade connector, like the other fuse links that are on the shock tower. I think they are inserted into the connector, like any of the other blade connections?

that means you can't just pull the fusible link out and replace it, like other other ones. You'll have to carefully extract it from the connector.

thxZ

[FastWoman]

You replace it with a MaxiFuse!

But seriously, I suspect the fusible link was sold with the connectors on the end. But there's no reason you can't pull yours apart. You might get lucky and find the right connector to re-insert into the shell.

[txvepr]

What she said.

[TomoHawk]

Those look like fuses. What circuits are they in, and how do you justify using fuses? They look out-of-place too.

Edited May 17, 2014 by TomoHawk

[FastWoman]

Well, I grant you they don't look OEM. Fuses are better overcurrent protection devices than fusible links, IMO. They are not so crusty/rickety, and they don't create as great a voltage drop (which is really pretty minimal with either).

Here are all of my main fuses, BTW -- substituted for all 6 fusible links, plus stereo, plus alternator...

[txvepr]

If you only knew what the original source wires look like leading to your 4 50 to 80 amp fusible links, you really wouldn't care how OEM it is. I'm not driving a Concourse de elegance.

[FastWoman]

Txvepr, my fusible link blocks were broken apart, and because they are contiguous with the wires you mention, there's no way to replace them without finding junkyard replacements and splicing them in. Of course the ECU fusible links to which Tomo is referring are more easily replaceable with generic components.

Anyway, Tomo, I easily justified replacing the awful, broken-apart mess of fusible link junk that came with my car (hanging from the dangly wires) because there were no OEM replacement parts available -- not even a pair of decent, used, wrecking yard blocks. And after having done the conversion, I am so much happier with the proper fuses. I've got current, voltage, POWER! Some of this is due to some rebuilding I did of the wiring tree (the mess Txvepr refers to). I ran a 4 ga alternator wire straight to the fuse block, which did away with all of the goofy OEM white-wire splicing internal to the harness. While I was at it, I also wired in some headlight relays, and now I have bright, white lights. Woohoo!

I believe your car is a DD, just like mine. Considering that, I highly recommend these mods!

Edited May 19, 2014 by FastWoman

[rossiz]

i did the same as FW - 4ga from the power source, but ran my feed through the firewall grommet into the passenger footwell, to a maxifuse block mounted on the right (near the ign relay) and then 8ga primary wiring to all outputs. while i was at it, i relocated all the relays up under the hvac fan, mounted to a piece of 1" aluminum bar which is attached to the firewall with the 3 screws that hold plastic kick plate. works great and gets all that "mess" out of the engine bay - more importantly, out from under the hood vent (aka rain hole) that used to keep the fusible link blocks and relays bathed in rainwater on a regular basis.

i, too, was shocked at the crappy splices in the original primary power circuit and at the condition of the wire itself - it was all green, inside the undamaged insulation as far as i peeled it back. i'm much happier w/new wire of more-than-adequate size.

[FastWoman]

Rossiz, your putting your fuse block and relays in the cabin was a great idea. Relays are pretty well protected even in the hood compartment, but those fuses do get bathed in rainwater. My solution to the moisture issue was to put a band of clear packing tape over the top of the acrylic fuse block. You can't really see it, and it forms a pretty good umbrella. But inside the cabin would have been much, much better. I might relocate mine someday.