cooling fan fuse keeps blowing

[ryanprins13]

Glad you got it sorted. Does it work properly now?
For crimping you just need a half decent (moderatly expensive) crimper and proper sized uninsulated connectors and double wall heat shrink-the stuff with glue in it.
What bravekozak mentoned is better of course, this is just what i do. Works ok. Clean the wire with alcohol before using heat shrink.
Something like this.

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[bravekozak]

The .250" terminals are 12 cents each. You only lose about a quarter inch cutting off the old terminals and re-terminating.
Open barrel terminals are what are specified by the manufacturer. The tabs just click into place in the plastic connectors. You are guaranteed not to have a short.
How do you like my pigtail for a second horn, with a separate control, under my Festiva hood? Just get another relay and some connectors from another Festiva and bingo, bango, bongo.

[justinhw]

wow those look good. Are the terminals, crimpers, etc a "standard" or do you have to buy into a certain brand?

[bravekozak]

I use a Hero terminal remover to pop the original terminals out of the plastic connectors.
Mazda uses Yazaki terminals and connectors. I buy mine from Eastern Beaver. $20 minimum order.
Be sure to get a few brass splices and a 317 male and female for the starter motor connector.
Festivas never used watertight connectors. That's why there are so many electrical problems after 30 years of oxidation and corrosion under the hood.
Open barrel connectors curl around from both sides and dig into the middle if the stranded wire.
Another set of tangs curls and digs into the plastic insulation. Much better that closed barrel crimping through insulation.
Besides, they always give you connectors for free at the junk yard. They rarely see anyone take them, and don't have a clue on how to price them.
You can get good open barrel crimpers on eBay.

[WmWatt]

I find cripmers and connectors at garage and rummage sales. Old guy treasure.
Would a dab of silicone do for damp proofing? I've seent that on various electical and electonic devices.
The pick-and-pull here charges $2 admission now which probably covers those odds and ends. I don't go for amusement any more. Used to enjoy wandering about gazing into engine bays.

[FestYboy]

yah i was wondering what main PAL fuses to use - when I searched seems like people were using pink (30A) for the side ones and green (40A) for the middle one

does a 25a fuseable link equate to a different PAL fuse?

Yes since the PAL fuses are quick blow, the max current gets bumped up a bit to compensate.

[justinhw]

sounds good - should i stick with the 40A for main fuse or go with a 30?

Anyways - cooling fan works and doesn't blow the 20amp fuse in the dash immediately like it did before.. but it still blows that fuse if the fan is on more than a minute - being that it improved after fixing the wiring connections maybe it's something like less resistance?

not sure what else I can do - is it OK to run a 30A fuse? or am i gonna burn this thing down?

[ryanprins13]

You rewired it yourself right? What size wires did you use? And does the fan run steady and smooth now?

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[WmWatt]

When a fuse blows I think it means for some reason the wire is drawing too much current. Normaly it's because there is a leak in the circuit (aka sort circuit) where current is escaping. Often the insuation surrounding the metal in the wire has rubbed or burnt off where it touches some moving or hot metal allowing the current to get out. I'd look at the wiring and connectors to see if they are coming in coantact with bare metal somewhere. The current could be leaking from inside the fan itself but they are usually made with that in mind so don't.

[justinhw]

yup i wired it myself - used a section of 14ga wire which looked to me to be the same as the stock - should be good for more than 20A. Runs smooth when it's running, but by the time I check on it again after a short drive to test the fuse is blown.

i'm going to look for shorts next

[ryanprins13]

yup i wired it myself - used a section of 14ga wire which looked to me to be the same as the stock - should be good for more than 20A. Runs smooth when it's running, but by the time I check on it again after a short drive to test the fuse is blown.

i'm going to look for shorts next

Ok, not much voltage drop there so thats not the issue. Best to look for shorts or just rewire it from the fusepanel to the fan, lol.
Take a quick look underneath the dash for melted wiring anywhere. I had to rewire a lot of circuits after my cheap ciggerete lighter fuse didnt blow and it melted the insulation off its wires and all the wires it was with where it ran from the fusebox to the cig lighter



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[justinhw]

oh great idea - yah if i can't find anything i'll just rewire the high current fan relay wire to come from a fuse near the battery rather than go to the dash panel and back.... then maybe i can reuse the dash panel fuse for something else?

I was thinking of upgrading the headunit ( i really like the stocker but the sound is really quiet) - do newer headunits require more power or something?

[firebush357]

oh great idea - yah if i can't find anything i'll just rewire the high current fan relay wire to come from a fuse near the battery rather than go to the dash panel and back.... then maybe i can reuse the dash panel fuse for something else?

I was thinking of upgrading the headunit ( i really like the stocker but the sound is really quiet) - do newer headunits require more power or something?

You should be able to run a new head unit with the same wires and fuses as the stock radio, the power difference is minimal. I would suggest putting in new speakers at the same time because the stock paper cone speakers tend to dry rot and crack. Many of use have installed Door Speakers as well which helps the sound a lot. You will notice that there is a spot on the back of your Door Card that was made to fit a 5.25" Door Speaker.

[justinhw]

sounds good. do i need a special headunit that will run 6 speakers? or do the wires that run the 2 front also just go the two sides?

[ryanprins13]

A new radio is a nice addition. Having bluetooth and handsfree calling is amazing a fair number of guys have put speakers in the doors but i cant recall any mentioning a special radio for it.
Speakers in the doors would be nice, charlie put some in the rear quarters. I have some in the parcel shelf, makes a huge difference. And joe mounted some subwoofers by the windows. ]

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