Re: [DML] fuel pump

["Walter" <Whalt@xxxx>]

Christian,

You are dealing with a type of repair that is only as durable as you make
it. On a friend's D, he had the exact same problem as you. A previous
mechanic replaced the fuse holder, but the new connections were not done
very well. The new pigtail fuse holder melted along with one of the splice
connections to the original wiring.

If you are not electrically inclined, then you might want to have DMC Garden
Grove fix it. It seems that shipping the car would be rather expensive
compared to the simplicity of the repair, but finding a mechanic who is
willing to take the time to do the repair right is a big problem from my
experience.

Since you were able to find the problem yourself, you are probably more than
able to fix it yourself too. Here's how you can do it:

Go to the electrical section of any automotive store and buy a pigtail fuse
holder. Cut the melted repair off while saving as much original wire as you
can. If the wire insulation got hot, then the copper wire inside will be
oxidized and not give a good connection. Either cut more of the original
wire away or try to clean up what you have. It is a judgement call since if
you cut very much away then you will run out of wire. I usually try to save
as much of the old wire as I can by cleaning it up with some fine steel
wool. The wire should be bright, shiny and new looking or else the
connection will eventually melt down again.

>From here, there are a several ways to make the new connection. How you do
it will depend on your skill and experience. My preferred method is to use
a crimp barrel connector. It is basically a small tube made of soft metal.
You stick a clean wire in either end of it and crush the tube with a crimp
tool. These can be bought at the same automotive store. Usually they come
pre-insulated -- meaning that they have a plastic sleeve on the outside. I
don't like these because the plastic gets in the way of making a good crimp.
But this is what most mechanics use. I prefer using a heavier duty one that
comes without insulation. Once the crimp is solid, then I melt some solder
into it to make it permanent and then shrink some rubber tubing over it.
Chances are you won't have the tools on hand to solder and shrink, but it
isn't really necessary.

Some other caveats:
1) Replacement fuse holders can often stand to be tightened up especially if
you are using a 20 amp fuse with it. That may be part of the reason why the
previous repair failed. What you do is lightly crush the female spade lug
connectors inside the fuse holder with a pair of pliers. This will make the
connection better.
2) If fuse #7 has already been bypassed on your fuse block, then chances are
other ones have been bypassed too or are getting ready to need it. Check
all your fuses and make sure they are clean. Replace them otherwise. Take
a close look at fuses #10, 14 & 15. I have seen these get hot too.
3) Fuse #7 should be a yellow 20 amp fuse and not a green 30 amp.
4) If your fuse block needs very much repair, you might want to go on and
have a good mechanic look it over anyway. But if you want to save some
money and you feel adventurous, then try it yourself.

Walt Tampa, FL
-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Williams <delorean@xxxx>

>Ok, I found that I do have an inline fuse holder containing a green "30"
>fuse. It's the only inline fuse holder, and #7 is the only one missing
>from the block, so I'm assuming that this is it.