Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Re: Wire leaked it's smoke
From:David Beierl
Date:Thu, 19 Jul 2001 08:59:20 -0400

At 06:07 AM 7/19/2001, Boroko wrote:
>in my two current vans to preclude similar problems.  The power feeding the
>relay goes to: the injectors, the fuel pump, the ECU, and the o2 heater.
>With that kind of loading, I doubt that I can get the fuse to be small
>enough to be of any use.  Still pondering...

Sure you can.  It needs to be small enough to keep the wire from melting
its insulation when shorted to ground.  The wire coming from the box is 1.5
sq mm area, with rated max current of 24 amps at 30C and 17 amps at 50C --
I think that a 30-amp fuse would take care of it.  Of course it would be
good to measure the actual max load and fuse somewhat above that, but
failing that I think 30 amps will take care of you.  As you know you want
it as small as reasonable so that it will blow promptly if one of the
smaller wires shorts, but big enough to avoid nuisance blowing.

>I'm curious if any others have had failures in this area?  I know of one
>other van that had a  wiring problem, but don't know the root cause.

It happened to the PO of Poor Relation.  Same thing, curiously enough -- PS
boost switch.

david

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"