Over the winter, I replaced my fuse panel circuit board with one from Guido. I will share my steps. Hopefully it adds to community knowledge. To start, here is the new board ordered from redbaycars.com
Image Unavailable, Please Login It will replace this one Image Unavailable, Please Login But first, how to get it out..
The fuse panel in the car Image Unavailable, Please Login Disconnect battery, located ahead of right front wheel Image Unavailable, Please Login
The panel is attached with screws from behind Image Unavailable, Please Login Before removing any wires, I labeled the connectors and panel locations Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Once all connectors disconnected, the panel is pulled forward and lifted out Image Unavailable, Please Login Panel out Image Unavailable, Please Login
Panel before disassembly Image Unavailable, Please Login I took pictures and laid out the removed fuses and relays. Then removed the back cover (5 screws) Image Unavailable, Please Login I removed the screws holding the circuit board to the plastic panel and remove board. Then separated the plastic washers from the screws per the install instructions. The washers will be used as spacers for the back cover. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The new board is screwed to the panel, sorry, I neglected to snap a picture of it. The first time I screwed the new board to the panel cover, but found it difficult to line up the relay connectors when plugging in. So, I removed the screws, plugged in all the relays then screwed down the board without the plastic washers used on the original board. The back cover is installed with plastic washers from original board acting as spacers to make room for the wires on the back of the board. I trimmed the washers to fit on the edge of the panel housing. Image Unavailable, Please Login Cover back on Image Unavailable, Please Login Relays installed. Next the fuses. Image Unavailable, Please Login Coming up, the wiring. Will upload the process soon.
I also recommend to install the wires and white plugs first and then the fuses and relais. Its more complicated putting the wires with those in place.
On with the wires. Before removing wires from the connector, I took Guido's advice and wired the wires together on order of placement (and took pictures). The one red wire needs a repair... Image Unavailable, Please Login I popped the wire connectors out with a very small screwdriver Image Unavailable, Please Login
Plastic plug ready for the Dremel. This one only has four that need to be cut out so I marked them. Image Unavailable, Please Login The cut out process, repeat and repeat….. Image Unavailable, Please Login I started out with using a vice as seen here, but ended up sitting outside holding with one hand and dremeling with the other. After cutting out the plug, I went back to the car, cut off the old connectors and pulled the wires through. Image Unavailable, Please Login Strip, crimp and solder Image Unavailable, Please Login
A fireworks of wires! The picture shows the fuse panel in place, but I sat the panel up on the trunk edge to install the wires. Image Unavailable, Please Login I started connecting, making it even harder on myself by starting on the outer connector. Just too excited to get going and not thinking ahead! Image Unavailable, Please Login The inner was tight! Image Unavailable, Please Login
The first three plugs installed easily, then I had one fell like it was hanging up on something. Following instructions, I kept all the connectors facing one direction. When I looked close at the where the plug was hanging up, I noticed some of the electrical spades were slightly offset between the panel dividers. Image Unavailable, Please Login The spade, blue arrow, is closer to the top red arrow than the bottom red. If the loop side (wide) of the wire connector was on the skinny side, the plug divider would not fit between the spade and the panel divider. In these cases I simply flipped the connector and it worked fine. All re-wired plugs connected. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Fuse panel installed with a few tire wraps to clean it up. Image Unavailable, Please Login Cover on Image Unavailable, Please Login I connected the battery back up and everything works!!!!
RobbyC - thanks for the post. I bought Guido's kit last year, but have not set aside the time to do it (beyond removing the board). It's more than a 1-day job -- at least at my speed level, although the skills needed are not great, right? (When I realized I had to modify all 5 connectors, and not just the one that was burned out, I lost the energy.) EDIT AFTER REVIEWING YOUR EXCELLENT PIX) Two questions: 1) Did you have to be very careful in cutting the slots in the 5 connectors? Any worries about the new larger spade connectors bridging the gap and contacting each other? 2) Are you going to separate out the fuel pump relay circuit from the board (IIRC, several on this forum recommended this separation to decrease the heat transfer)? Thanks.
Hi Stasha, 1)There are 8 connectors so it is a lot of slot cutting. I was very cautious at first but after a bit it becomes easy and you would really have to mess up to ruin it. I went outside in the sun and could see through the connector housing where the guards were. If you go a little too deep it is ok. No worries contacting each other as long as you don't break of the divider in between and I think you would have to try to do that. They are pretty solid. 2) The fuel pump relay is on my list to investigate. I had no issues going into this, just a preventative replacement since I understand it is just a matter of time with the original circuit board. The car is new to me as of last summer and I plan to keep for the long haul. It may be a good project next winter! Thanks, Rob
Steve, 1- cutting is no problem, its just plastic. A little saw or dremel will do the job. 2- no need to put separate relais for fuel pump. My board can handle it... To spread the heat over all relais, you can put an alu sheet over them like on this picture. No need to put the plastic transparent cover over it. Normaly there is no humidity in the front boot. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Great post and thanks for showing us how to do the installation. Looking almost like stock ! You are lucky the wires are long enough to do the installation with that board loose. Most mondials and other ferrari's do not have so long wires.
Thanks Guido! I remove the beauty cover over the brake reservoir and the wire cover below that which helped me pull the wires up. There was a bit of finesse tucking of the wires back under the panel. You can see the wire cover with the hump in it below the panel cover. This is a Mondial T BTW. Image Unavailable, Please Login
