Park Tail fuse melting box?

[svwilbur]

I went to look at my fuse box so that I could pick up some fuses just in case I should ever blow one.

SURPRISE!

there IS or WAS and still might be a problem. Looks like I need to figure it out quickly as I am planning on driving to Solvang. I dont want it burning up on the way!

From the outside cover it looked warped over the part that says Park Tail.
I pulled the cover off and it is all melted around the end of that fuse and internally the fuse looks like it tried to blow but did not quite make it so I am guessing things got hot and melted through the fuse box plastic.

is it safe to just replace the fuse or im guessing I need a new box and need to trace the wiring back to see if it is shorted or bare near the box and also all the way back to the lights. 20amp. this must control the side lights too?

I need to check the schematic I guess.

as far as I know everything is still working. I was not aware that there was ever an issue with it. may have been that way when I bought it. im not sure. I do some times have problems with the left brake light not working but that is a different circuit.

somewhere I have a couple wiring harnesses and I think some fuse boxes so I will have to dig those up and see if they are in better shape I guess.

I know the previous owner had wired an inverter up somewhere for power an AC Bose speaker. I don't know what he hooked it to, I will have to check. also I charge my phone through the cigarette lighter. im not sure what fuse that is on. need to check the schematic.

But if my cover is labeled wrong th schematic will be hard to map to a fuse.

my cover says "Air CON" in upper left corner. is this the wrong fuse cover?
why would you have an air conditioner?

WHY DOES THE. COVER say "ACC, Ign, Bat, Ammeter Amp" in the middle are and there are no fuses under that area?

ARE MY COVER LABELS CORRECT?
OTHER THAN MY FUSE BOX IS MELTED IS IT THE CORRECT ONE FOR A ROADSTER?

wierd stuff. some pictures below.

is this a common problem for PARK TAIL fuse or wiring?
any comments and suggestions appreciated.

UPDATE:picture in manual seems to match my cover and fuse box setup. so I guess it is correct.

[mraitch]

check grounds at back of chassis.

[svwilbur]

so looking at the schematic rhat is the GW wire (mabe green with white)?

***goes to STG SW - what is that?
then to buzzer and door switch. where is is STG SW LOCATED?
I would guess by the drivers left kick board. anyone know what it looks like?
suppose to buzz if key is left in lock position and door opens?


other way goes to a light switch and not sure what light switch. where does it go from there?
oh I see to light relay and parking light , left and rigbt turn, headland, fog(dont have) and brake sevice light. I need all those. need to figure this out.

why did the cover say Park Tail. that does not seem to match the schematic?

[svwilbur]

check grounds at back of chassis.

like from the lighting or what in particular?
where will I see grounds or should I see the grounds?

[mraitch]

there is a ground to chassis under rear bumper - start there

[Jdflyer]

is it safe to just replace the fuse or im guessing I need a new box and need to trace the wiring back to see if it is shorted or bare near the box and also all the way back to the lights. 20amp. this must control the side lights too?

my cover says "Air CON" in upper left corner. is this the wrong fuse cover?
why would you have an air conditioner?

WHY DOES THE. COVER say "ACC, Ign, Bat, Ammeter Amp" in the middle are and there are no fuses under that area?

ARE MY COVER LABELS CORRECT?
OTHER THAN MY FUSE BOX IS MELTED IS IT THE CORRECT ONE FOR A ROADSTER?

wierd stuff. some pictures below.

is this a common problem for PARK TAIL fuse or wiring?
any comments and suggestions appreciated.

Ouch....

Newell, but I'm pretty good with electrical stuff. Looking at the 1970 Wiring diagram this is what I can see.

Cover: ACC, Ign, Bat, Ammeter Amp - stating where the power feed is coming from. i.e. L&R Light, Parking/Tail, etc. all are getting there power from Ammeter. the Horn is connected to the battery etc....

I can't verify the cover, but I don't think it is the correct one (currently 2000 miles from my car). The left side appears to be upside down according to the diagram (horn should be top left).

Phone charging through the cigarette lighter should' cause that. It also draws it's power from the common fuse (lower right).

1. What I would do is start by removing the fuse and connecting an multimeter with the red lead to the Amp side and the common lead to the Park side of the fuse. Set the multimeter to read DC on the 20V scale.

2. With both doors closed and the parking lights off it should read 0V. If not you have a short between the fuse and the head light switch or STG switch/buzzer/ door switch, or some other item.

3. After that I would set the multimeter to read Amps. Turn on the parking lamps, if reading is greater then 20A immediately turn it off.
3a. Unplug dimmer switch. Recheck ammeter reading (short under the dash or at gauges)
3b. Unplug the dash to rear harness plug. Recheck (Short in the rear harness)
3c. Unplug headlight low/high beam relay. Recheck (Relay Bad)
otherwise short is in the front circuit.

4. At this point I would disconnect the battery and use a continuity testing function of the multimeter to check each item on the offending circuit until you find the problem. i.e. connect the common to ground and stick the other probe into each light socket and touch each contact. On contact should be ground and the other(s) and will sound the meter or should go power and if there is no short will not set off the meter. When you find the power wire that sets of the meter then you know the exact wire and general location of the short.

[svwilbur]

I also se that there is GW wire that feeds power to tail and side markers and license plate on right of schematic but flowing the GW back toward the left it goes through a connector and then up as RL to a reostat that then goes to the dash lights in guages. but how does that GW get power?

[svwilbur]

jdflyer. you said:
"Phone charging through the cigarette lighter should' cause that. It also draws it's power from the common fuse (lower right)."

did you mean should'nt. ?

[Jdflyer]

jdflyer. you said:
"Phone charging through the cigarette lighter should' cause that. It also draws it's power from the common fuse (lower right)."

did you mean should'nt. ?

yes sorry

[Jdflyer]

I also se that there is GW wire that feeds power to tail and side markers and license plate on right of schematic but flowing the GW back toward the left it goes through a connector and then up as RL to a reostat that then goes to the dash lights in guages. but how does that GW get power?

The green white wire starts at the melted location of your fuse box.

From there it splits going to the STG switch (not sure what that is right now)
The other half goes to the light switch.

Once the light switch is turned on it connects pin 4 of the switch to pin three (G/W to G/B)
The G/B goes to the headlight relay and then the front parking lamps.
A R/B is spliced into the G/B not far after the switch going in two different directions. 1 to the rheostat and the other then becomes G/W again just before it passes into the rear harness where it goes to the rear parking lights.

[svwilbur]

jdflyer,

Looking at the schematic the cover says HORN BAT for the bottom left 20 A
BUT looking at the schematic and tracing backward from HORNS there is a wire GR that goes around to the top left 20A which my cover labels AIR CON and so does the picture in the manual I think. So maybe the covers are just wrong?

I assume the position of the fuses in the schematic match the real thing in the car. Trying to make sure I am chasing the correct fuse in the schematic.

The COVER say

20___________10
A ___________A

10 __________10
A ___________A

20 ___________20 This one is melted
A ___________ A

20 ___________20
A ____________A

This setup of that AMPs matches the schematic. But I can not read the fuses in the picuture to see if they match.
The one that should have blown (3rd one down on left)does read FUSE 20A

[svwilbur]

Jdflyer you said:
"Once the light switch is turned on it connects pin 4 of the switch to pin three (G/W to G/B)
The G/B goes to the headlight relay and then the front parking lamps.
A R/B is spliced into the G/B not far after the switch going in two different directions. 1 to the rheostat and the other then becomes G/W again just before it passes into the rear harness where it goes to the rear parking lights."

Pin 3 says GL on the schematic I posted not G/B. I do not see the R/B splice either.

[fj20spl311]

Usually the fuse box melting is caused by the rivet getting loose and corrosion between the "Bus Bar" and the little spring clip the holds the fuse.
If the fuses are just getting warm, you can usually peen the rivet. You need to take a fuse box off and support the other side with something very solid. I put a punch in a vise as an anvil.

[svwilbur]

Usually the fuse box melting is caused by the rivet getting loose and corrosion between the "Bus Bar" and the little spring clip the holds the fuse.
If the fuses are just getting warm, you can usually peen the rivet. You need to take a fuse box off and support the other side with something very solid. I put a punch in a vise as an anvil.

I was thinking of taking the box off and try to examine the wires behind it to see if they got damaged or just the box.

I may have another box so I could swap it. Maybe check the rivets first on the old one and the replacement old one.

What do you hit it with? another punch????

I will check it tomorrow. that gives me another path to look at.

Thanks!

[Jdflyer]

Jdflyer you said:
"Once the light switch is turned on it connects pin 4 of the switch to pin three (G/W to G/B)
The G/B goes to the headlight relay and then the front parking lamps.
A R/B is spliced into the G/B not far after the switch going in two different directions. 1 to the rheostat and the other then becomes G/W again just before it passes into the rear harness where it goes to the rear parking lights."

Pin 3 says GL on the schematic I posted not G/B. I do not see the R/B splice either.

I'm using the schematic from the tech section: http://www.311s.org/PDFs/1969-70%20Dats ... 20rev9.pdf