83SD fuse problem

[greasybenz]

Ok my SD decided to burn out a fuse that lights up the inside dashboard, window switches, right side tailight, and other things. So i replace the fuse and it pops again. Dad told me to put a higher voltage one again it pops. He did a old skool trick of rapping foil around the entire fuse. Was working untill the entire fuse box was smoking! We turned off the lights imedietly after it started smoking.People on the greasecar forum told me it might be a problem in the transmission hub where the window switches are, the wires get cut easily and something might be touching.

any ideas???

[dougand3]

The question that begs to be asked...Did Dad's "Old Skool" burn down?

I would avoid Al foil in fuse boxes (same for pennies in old house fuse boxes.)
An 8 amp circuit should draw 8 amps...you may have been drawing 30 -40 amps with Al foil...fire hazard as the smoke told you.

The fuse you describe looks like #1...My 83 300 SD fuse list shows...parking/tail light right, warning buzzer, license plate/instrument/hazard warning switch/heater and ventilation controls/rocker switches illumination/factory radio illumination.

One of those +12v leads is grounding.

The window rocker switches is a good place to start the search. Look for worn insulation/bare wire or cut wire.

[greasybenz]

Ok well i looked around i did see a cut wire that looked like it was cut by the previous owner. it was wrapped around another wire that was connected to the drivers window switch. didnt want to touch it and shock my myself so i left it alone. But i dont know if there is anything else i can look for? there is alot of changes to the car because when i bought it the previous owner put a homemade kit similar to the greasel system. One red wire was connected to one of the fuse's inside the box that was to the switch inside the car to change from diesel tank to veggie tank. and he said that the kit caused the speedometer to stop working?? fishy stuff here.....

[86560SEL]

Oh my! What a HUGE no-no! Luckily a fire did not break out! It clearly states not to use a higher amp fuse. Using foil is even more dangerous. It was blowing a fuse, because something is shorting out somewhere and by doing that, it was overheating the wires and fuse block. Hopefully you have not caused damage to your fuse box.

Originally Posted by greasybenz

Dad told me to put a higher voltage one again it pops. He did a old skool trick of rapping foil around the entire fuse. Was working untill the entire fuse box was smoking! We turned off the lights imedietly after it started smoking.

any ideas???

[greasybenz]

yeah well i learned not to take advice from my dad anymore. He did the foil thing because i was at his house changing the tranny fluid and swapping the seat belt clip because it broke and it was dark out. The lights would fully light up because of the fuse poping and he said when he had his vw karmen ghia the fuse would constantly pop leaving him with no headlights on the highway so foil or bubble gum wrap would be the solution. but obviously it didnt work for my benz

[Moneypit SEL]

Originally Posted by greasybenz

Ok well i looked around i did see a cut wire that looked like it was cut by the previous owner. it was wrapped around another wire that was connected to the drivers window switch. didnt want to touch it and shock my myself so i left it alone. But i dont know if there is anything else i can look for? there is alot of changes to the car because when i bought it the previous owner put a homemade kit similar to the greasel system. One red wire was connected to one of the fuse's inside the box that was to the switch inside the car to change from diesel tank to veggie tank. and he said that the kit caused the speedometer to stop working?? fishy stuff here.....

Fishy stuff indeed. While somebody here may be familiar enough with the factory wiring to offer guidence, my bet is nobody would be able to sort out the 'home made' wiring hacks without actually seeing the car. I'd suggest you get a good wiring diagram and visually inspect everything on that particular circuit...paying special attention to any non-factory modifications.

Good luck.

[greasybenz]

ok ill go out and look for a wiring diagram, i would take it to the local mb repairshop but by the looks of the people in suits dropping off their newer benz im thinking it would cost a arm and a leg to have them fix it.

[greasybenz]

Fixed the problem. it was that the radio power cable had been exposed and touched the wire to the cigeratte lighter. Re-taped it and put a new fuse. thank god nothing else got messed up.

[donbryce]

Originally Posted by greasybenz

Fixed the problem. it was that the radio power cable had been exposed and touched the wire to the cigeratte lighter. Re-taped it and put a new fuse. thank god nothing else got messed up.

....or at least nothing that you have found...YET.....I'd look on EBay and try to get ahold of a manual or wiring diagram and start checking the circuits before something serious happens, like a fire! It sounds like you have a time bomb there waiting to go off.

[greasybenz]

Originally Posted by donbryce

....or at least nothing that you have found...YET.....I'd look on EBay and try to get ahold of a manual or wiring diagram and start checking the circuits before something serious happens, like a fire! It sounds like you have a time bomb there waiting to go off.

ahh man now your scaring me! well i know it was the problem because when i removed the radio following the wires i saw one wire was bubbled and melted, it hit the power cable to the radio because it was exposed i guess the tape got unwrapped. after i did that turned on the lights checked the fuse and it didnt pop drove it around a little with the lights on. turned them on off and on again it wasnt poping so im hoping thats the least of my worries with this car.

[86560SEL]

Don't be scared, but you do need to be alert, because it sounds like someone has modified some wiring on your car.

Simple "untaping" of a wire should not have caused this short. Ususally wires are taped just to hold them together to other wires and to protect the insulation, not to keep a hot part of that wire to touch another hot wire. In other words, more should have been under the tape, other than exposed wiring. Since that wire was charred, that was probably the problem, but it sounds like some of the insulation was off of it there where it was shorting. Taping it up was a good thing to do. That wire was probably burning at the same time your fuse block was doing the same with that foil in there.

Was you sure to put back in the proper amp fuse?

Hopefully this has fixed the problem.

Strange, but someone else just posted a similar problem. Whats even more ironic, its a 83' 300SD.

[greasybenz]

Yes i put back the proper fuse. i had looked it up on my cd manual to make sure it was the correct fuse. And its been fine for the past week so im hoping this wont happen again.