Any Advice, Part 2!

[Chris152]

Ooh, that looks good tho I'm sure we'd need to focus on getting all the wires in the right place! Maybe a job for when we have other issues sorted, but definitely worth the effort if other things are going to go in that area?
That said, it says: 'Improved replacement for the no longer available fuse box of the Volvo 240 from 1991.
Vehicles up to 1990 can be converted to this version as well.' Ours is 1990, any idea what the extent of the conversion would be?

We just did a 25 mins run, all good, no nasty niffs. I think inspecting and cleaning all contacts and fuses needs to go right up the list of things to do.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

Ah the fuse box, the cause of many a hard to find electrical fault.

There’s nothing wrong with the design per se, but 30 years later good quality fuses are harder to find (by that I mean ones with a ceramic core, not a plastic one) and the fusebox will need a bit of cyclical maintenance to stop issues arising (as others have said above, rotating fuses, cleaning the contacts etc.)

For not much money and not much time it would be worth replacing the fuel pump fuses with blade fuses, this will involve buying two separate blade fuse holders and wiring them in. There have been a few forum posts on this.

Alternatively at long last a blade fuse fusebox became available last year. It’s a bit more money but has the advantage of being a direct replacement.

https://www.classicswede.co.uk/New_2..._20633527.aspx

Cheers

https://www.vehiclewiringproducts.co...6-way-fuse-box

Alternatively a generic 16-way blade fuse box for ~£20 but not a direct fit replacement.

[Chris152]

Dave - you mentioned emery cloth, what grade would you recommend for cleaning connections? I used 180 Mirka abrasive for the one I just did. Doing the rest will be the boy's job. :-)

Also, on the brakes - does the tube with one-way valve need to be in a pot/ can we expect opening the calipers to displace enough fluid to need that? I remember as a youngster bleeding the brakes with a tube blocked at one end, with a slit in and submerged beneath fluid.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Dave - you mentioned emery cloth, what grade would you recommend for cleaning connections? I used 180 Mirka abrasive for the one I just did. Doing the rest will be the boy's job. :-)

Also, on the brakes - does the tube with one-way valve need to be in a pot/ can we expect opening the calipers to displace enough fluid to need that? I remember as a youngster bleeding the brakes with a tube blocked at one end, with a slit in and submerged beneath fluid.

Sorry to sound gormless Chris but i'll have to check - mainly because i'm feeling a bit gormless at the moment! Had the second Kung Flu jab yesterday and after a few hours i felt like i'd done 15 rounds with Oliver Reed - still woozy now and not thinking straight.

Ideally you'd want the end of the tube in a vessel with some brake fluid covering the end of it to prevent air ingress - belt'n'braces with the one-way valve but better to be safe than sorry.

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

https://www.vehiclewiringproducts.co...6-way-fuse-box

Alternatively a generic 16-way blade fuse box for ~£20 but not a direct fit replacement.

I can’t find the forum post where it was discussed at length, but the main issue with swapping the volvo fusebox for a generic one is the volvo one has the inputs and outputs on the same side and no-one could find a generic fusebox of that design, they all have the inputs on one side and outputs on the other.

The result is it’s very difficult to make a generic fusebox fit and a lot of wires need to be extended. By the time that’s all done, with more connectors bought etc the higher cost of the direct drop in replacement might not seem so high anymore.

Cheers

[Chris152]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Sorry to sound gormless Chris but i'll have to check - mainly because i'm feeling a bit gormless at the moment! Had the second Kung Flu jab yesterday and after a few hours i felt like i'd done 15 rounds with Oliver Reed - still woozy now and not thinking straight.

Ideally you'd want the end of the tube in a vessel with some brake fluid covering the end of it to prevent air ingress - belt'n'braces with the one-way valve but better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks Dave - hope you're feeling better in the morning!
C

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Thanks Dave - hope you're feeling better in the morning!
C

Thanks Chris, looking good so far, still a bit woolly-headed but hopeful for a normal day! If so i'll double-check when i go out to the shed on the emery.

[Stephen Edwin]

Chris,

Fuel pump/relay/fuse issues are an established issue of the 240 section of the forum, as you have found by searching the forum, well done. So I suspected the fuse issue early on as the obvious suspect. One members car failed on a very busy roundabout. eek

Dimples sound interesting. Drill bits sound harsh for cleaning and please disconnect the battery, better safe than sorry with electrics. Although one forum member advocates playing live wire roulette when testing re alternators. eek

So far as I can remember earlier threads, and these seem to be tried and tested opinions, points and issues:

1. The fuses over heat because the metal used in modern "ceramic" fuses is a different nature from the contacts in the fuse box. Corrosion results and so there is increased electrical resistance and, heat.

2. The fuse bodies are not usually ceramic. It has become a vague name, like hoover for vacuum cleaner. So with heat the plastic bodies melt.

Remedies have been tried:

1. Thorough electrical cleaning of the fuse box and fuses by a very diligent forum member. Not very long afterwards his 240 suffered a failed fuel pump fuse. A major road or motorway was mentioned.

2. Cleaning PLUS fitting better fuses. I have seen previously fuses for sale on eBay with copper/brass metal and with actual ceramic bodies. We have reliable respected advice in this thread that good fuses are still available on eBay, or perhaps have been available until recently?

3. My vote for best remedy. And already mentioned earlier. Fit instead, in-line blade fuses for both the fuel pumps. Discussed in the thread(s) you have found. That has worked for me, so far.

I should be interested to see a test report by a buyer of the blade fuse replacement fuse box.

Chris. I think the car is being enjoyed.

Stephen

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[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Stephen Edwin

I should be interested to see a test report by a buyer of the blade fuse replacement fuse box.

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I’ve got one, I just haven’t got round to fitting it yet. I’ll share photos and write up when I do.

Cheers

[Stephen Edwin]

Originally Posted by Bugjam1999

I’ve got one, I just haven’t got round to fitting it yet. I’ll share photos and write up when I do.

Cheers

Thank you.

Stephen

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