1987 300D blower fuse location - picture?
 

I have read several threads here about the external strip fuse that Mercedes added as a dealer-fix item to the 1987 300D Turbo. My car has had the same thing done in an aftermarket fashion but the fuse and its holder were under-rated for the job and recently melted (but still work).

I'd like to install the factory parts as shown in the EPC, but I don't know the exact location (suspect it might go on the inner fender ahead of the fuse box). Can anyone provide me with a picture of their car showing the blower strip fuse?

The FSM has a picture but my CD-ROM version is, of course, almost impossible to make out what's in the picture.

Jeremy

In my car, it's very factory lookingly attached to the strut tower ahead of the fuse box inboard of the hood switch.

One pic from the front with the fuse carrier closed, one pic from the rear with the fuse carrier open.

Sixto
87 300D

Argh! Stupid Picasa didn't save the rotated images! Sorry about that.

Sixto
87 300D

Successful installation
 

Here's a photo of my installation. I copied yours as well as I could, Sixto. BTW, your fuse is in the holder backwards.

Photo 2 shows why I had to do this job. The melted fuse and holder is compliments of the PO. The plastic parts of the fuse and the holder have actually melted together into a single 'unit.' Clearly, a 25 amp fuse is not enough for the blower for any length of time at high speed (I was following instructions after changing coolant by running the CCU in "Defrost" until the air bubbles were purged).

Jeremy

bump for update

Well then you didn't copy it as well as you could :P

What do you mean it's backwards? I pulled the fuse yesteray. I didn't see any detents or notches suggesting the fuse strip goes one way or the other. I flipped it just to be sociable.

Sixto
87 300D

Gotcha!!!
 

Gotcha! :D:D:D

That's a joke, son! Of course the electrons don't care.

Jeremy

Are you sure it nots UPside down? :D Just pulling your chain.

If it was upside down you would not be able to read the little stamped "30A" that is on the top side of the fuse only. That's how you know the correct way to put in the fuse -- so you can read the marking when you flip open the cover, standing along side the left fender. Mercedes always keys these things, as you know.

The new fuseholder melted!
 

This is exactly what happened to the aftermarket fuse holder that the PO installed -- the fuse did not blow but the holder melted. Clearly, I have some kind of electrical problem that is drawing a lot of current but not so much as to blow the 30A fuse. Haven't had time to do any diagnosis yet.

I'll have to put an ammeter in the circuit and monitor to see what's wrong. My mechanic says that the a/c blower can sometimes draw more current than it's supposed to but that usually blows the fuse. Anyone ever had this happen to their cars? :confused:

Luckily I found two 300Es at Pick and Pull yesterday and got both their fuse holders.

Jeremy

Update after 4+ months
 

I replaced the melted fuse holder with one from a 1989 300E at Pick and/or Pull. So far it has not melted. The cure was to use a little of the gunk that is sold to electricians when they connect aluminum and copper wires. It's a form of anti-sieze that keeps air (oxygen) away from the junction of the wires. I put a thin coat of the stuff on the aluminum strip fuse and screwed it into the terminal block.

Since most people don't do this and yet don't have problems, it must have been that my first installation was in some way defective, causing one terminal to get very hot and melt the plastic holder. Live and learn.

Jeremy