Burned fuse block = Dark ride home

[KIC]

On my way home from a meeting tonight I noticed my volt meter acting weird and my dash panel would flicker. Next thing I know it got real dark. Pulled over under a street lamp and found this when I pulled the false tank top off:

 

Two fuses melted to the max. Luckily my wife was driving home at the same time so I called her to follow me home. Long dark ride...even had a patrol car pass me and keep going...guess you cant pull over what you can't see...

Edited May 8, 2013 by KIC

[Yammer Dan]

Makes me think I need to do that Mod on my fuse panel...

[timgray]

This is why I carry a very high power 400 lumen LED flashlight with me and some duct tape. you can tape the flashlight to the bike to light your way.

 

Problem is it looked like it took out two, did you lose your tail lights as well?

[MiCarl]

Looks like you have 2 problems:

 

(1) Something is drawing too much current.

(2) Your fuses didn't blow.

 

I know Harbor Freight had a recall on some fuses because they were causing fires. A friend gave me some cheap fuses (don't know brand) that didn't blow when they should have. I've gone to only using Buss fuses from the auto parts store.

[Marcarl]

Looks like you have 2 problems:

 

(1) Something is drawing too much current.

(2) Your fuses didn't blow.

 

I know Harbor Freight had a recall on some fuses because they were causing fires. A friend gave me some cheap fuses (don't know brand) that didn't blow when they should have. I've gone to only using Buss fuses from the auto parts store.

 

Problem #3 is you should have more circuits, I think maybe you cooked it by drawing too much for too long, things got warm enough to overheat and then melt together. Each wire should have it's own circuit, fused with the right amperage.

You could also have a loose leg on the fuses. Looks like maybe the one side was arching, and so slowly got hot.

just some thoughts.

[dacheedah]

fuse gets hot it should pop, more fuses low amps enough to power their circuit but not over sized.

[Flyinfool]

It appears that the melting happened on the battery side of the fuses?

Check your main fuse, you do still have one right?

 

The 2 melted screw heads look to be higher up than the others, and it looks like a metal plate under the fuse block, could those screws have been longer and touched the plate on the back side?

Maybe the screws were longer they were never tightened down due to bottoming out. A loose connection can make that kind of heat.

 

You may have issues other than just the melted fuses. You need to do some sleuthing to figure out why this happened so that you can fix the real problem.

[KIC]

I did lose all the lights, front and back since those were the two fuses that burned. I think they were from a Harbor Freight kit, so that might have something to do with it. I did the mod a while ago, so not sure why now.

 

I ordered a new block for my 87 yesterday so timing was right, I will rewire using more fuses this time. I got everything to work last night moving the wires to unused fuse links.

 

I will be looking for another "cause" if there is one... You would think the fuse would just go and be done with it...

[Flyinfool]

... You would think the fuse would just go and be done with it...

 

Normally you would think that.

 

But if the problem is on the power side of the fuse, before the fuse, then the fuse can not protect it. At this point you would be relying on the 40 Amp main fuse. If the problem was drawing less than 40 amps then the main would not stop it either.

 

Since the melting and wire damage is so localized, it was something that happened right there, most likely a poor connection at either the wire or the fuse socket.

[dacheedah]

Agree with Jeff their should be a main fuse rated for the supply wire between the battery and fuse box.

[Marcarl]

Agree with Jeff their should be a main fuse rated for the supply wire between the battery and fuse box.

Looks like there was protection, the wires did not melt, it was the fuse holder, so looks like a poor connection or short in the fuse block.

[KIC]

That makes sense since the lights worked on & off..flickered until it finally went. So the fuse kept giving some power.. I do have a main fuse from battery to fuse block and it did not go. Everything looks like it is working now. I had ordered a new fuse block early yesterday for the 87, Guess it will go into the 89 and I'll order another one for the 87.

[Snaggletooth]

I know Harbor Freight had a recall on some fuses because they were causing fires. A friend gave me some cheap fuses (don't know brand) that didn't blow when they should have. I've gone to only using Buss fuses from the auto parts store.

 

 

A lot of places sell low grade fuses for low prices. Not worth the buck saved. I had problems with cheap fuses failing to blow myself.

[Flyinfool]

I now only buy the Indicator fuses from LittleFuse.

This is a name brand fuse that also has a built in LED that will glow when the fuse is blown, Makes it easy to find the culprit without testing each one or pulling them out to look at the element.