Blown Fusible Link

[boydg1]

Blown Fusible Link

…. Does anybody have any info on the BROWN wire, on the left side, of the Fusible Link Panel located on the driver's side strut tower next to the radiator overflow bottle on an 88 Lx. I'm having trouble trying to find info on this particular wire. I think this wire is part of the carburetor HEATING PLATE, NOT sure. And, does anyone know what size (amps) these three wires are so I can replace them with cartridge style fuses in this panel? :confused1:

Thanks

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[bhazard]

Tried this yet?

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/search.php

[Pu241]

^^^lMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thought the link was going to be a completed search.

[boydg1]

…. Sure could use some genuine help here. I've done most of the SEARCHES and have yet to come close to answering my FIRST question. Even if its' just conversation it may be helpful. Did get an answer to my SECOND question: 30, 40 and 30 amps respectively.


.

Blown Fusible Link

…. Does anybody have any info on the BROWN wire, on the left side, of the Fusible Link Panel located on the driver's side strut tower next to the radiator overflow bottle on an 88 Lx. I'm having trouble trying to find info on this particular wire. I think this wire is part of the carburetor HEATING PLATE, NOT sure. And, does anyone know what size (amps) these three wires are so I can replace them with cartridge style fuses in this panel? :confused1:

Thanks

.

[TominMO]

My 1991 Ford Festiva shop manual sez:

the left one, labeled EGI, is for EFI;
the middle one is labeled Main: for all sorts of things like parking/marker lamps, tail lamps horn and stop lamps, cigar lighter, wiper & washer, cooling fan, etc.
the right one is labeled Head (for headlamps).

[Pu241]

…. Sure could use some genuine help here. I've done most of the SEARCHES and have yet to come close to answering my FIRST question.

Fair enough!

I pretty sure the carbie heat plate is wired directly into the ALT circuit.
I do not have one here to verify, but I recall reading that somewhere on this site.
Someone with a carbie, or someone more knowledgeable can confirm!

Anyone got a Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting guide from Ford for the carbies. I know they exist for EFI, but not certain they do for the Carbies.

[drddan]

Give me a minute. I just got an orig 88 elec & vac guide. I put it up for safe keeping. Let me go look at it and ....i'll be back to try and answer that Q.

EDIT: This is what the elec & vac guide says:

Color ....Ampreage ....Designation ....Circuit Protected
Brown.....15A..............HEAD..............Head lamps
Brown.....15A..............PTC................PTC Heater
Red........25A..............MAIN..............Bran ch Fuse Circuit

This from an original 1988 elec. & vac trouble shooting manual

[gauge_half_inch]

…. Did get an answer to my SECOND question: 30, 40 and 30 amps respectively.


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not sure whos car is in the picture, but there playin with fire running way to big of fuses in all of those spots. the manual calls for 15,25,15 so the closest female style fuses would be 20,30,20. they are set that size to protect the circuit. Even a 10amp difference overload can cause a burned wire, damage to electronic boards, or even fire. I would suggest replacing then asap.

[Pu241]

not sure whos car is in the picture, but there playin with fire running way to big of fuses in all of those spots. the manual calls for 15,25,15 so the closest female style fuses would be 20,30,20. they are set that size to protect the circuit. Even a 10amp difference overload can cause a burned wire, damage to electronic boards, or even fire. I would suggest replacing then asap.

Manual was superseded long ago by a Ford TSB to increase amperage on the main fuse to 35 (don't recall if the other fuses had an increase).
FWIW, I've been running the 30-40-30 for 10 plus years on two cars and have as yet to have an issue.

[boydg1]

Blown Fusible Link

Conclusion
Of This Thread

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.
….Used a 20 amp cartridge fuse in the Fusible Link Panel and about 15 minutes after this it blew. Not knowing if this was too low of amperage or not I replaced it with a 30 amp cartridge fuse and it blew almost as fast. At this point, I knew I very definitely had a SHORT somewhere. Thanks to Pu241, drddan, and gauge-half-inch of this thread and the internet we tracked it down to the PCT HEATER PLATE that the carburetor sits on. I had suspected this heater in the beginning because of the HIGH current drain but was NOT sure. On the internet I learned that there was a RELAY under the dash on the driver's side #H300, DC12V20A,N.O. Four Terminals, Black with White Base attached to a wire hanger. This RELAY is in a plastic snap can, easily opened, absolutely NO carbonization on the inside at all. Matter of fact, it looked so NEW and clean I could NOT believe it was bad. Since it was a RELAY I put 12 volts across the coil and you could hear the relay clicking ON and OFF. When it was ON the other two terminals conducted, consequently I new the RELAY was perfectly good. So that left ONE wire to run down and sure enough it ran to the CONNECTOR for the PCT HEATER PLATE under the carburetor on the back side of the engine very near the alternator. I disconnected this connector and checked both of these spade type terminals for continuity to ground (engine / carburetor) and both were DEAD SHORTS, which is what I feared it would be. The Ford dealer checked their stock and other dealers across the country and NOBODY had a replacement for this PCT HEATER PLATE. Now, the question to myself is just how EFFICIENT is this PTC HEATER PLATE and do I really want to replace it?
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