Just stop fooling around and do it.
Hi Bad Dogg, yup I am doing it - my response was about the actual taking out of the fusebox - any special steps in removing it, etc... Cheers
Before you yank it out and FedEx it, email or call Dave. He may ask you to take some pictures of the ECU and Fuel pump relays in the trunk as well as the white fuse-box connectors. He has incredible knowledge on the electrical system and ECU and it's definitely worth your time to follow any advise he gives and to take advantage of his expertise, which he is very generous with. The photos are also handy when you go to re-install it, although Dave provides excellent instructions with his own color photos. To remove it the hold-down screws are on the radiator side of the box through the fiberglass partition, once the screws and wires are disconnected it just lifts out. Dave
When I had my '84 Mondial QV, it had a ton of electrical gremlins. Many were fixed when I got rid of the cut-off switch in the ground line from the battery to the chassis, and put new grounding straps on the engine. Many problems with old cars can be traced directly to bad grounds. That said, the fuse block was a problem. At the time, someone was working on a new fuse block that was going to be between $1500 and $2K, and seemed well worth the cost. But that did not come to fruition while I owned the car. If Dave's solution had existed, I probably would have sent him my fuse box. Don't be surprised if the fuse box overhaul does not cure the slow window issue. There are two distinct causes and two different fixes. Slow windows could be caused by dried up grease in the motor. Best fix is to take the motor apart and re-grease it. The other problem is low voltage. Best fix is to make or buy one of those relay kits that redirects the wiring through a relay so you get full power to the motors. Do a search in the 308 section and you'll find several threads dealing with slow window motor issues and how to fix them.
+1 Usually it is indeed multiple issues and often both (Ground and fusebox)... I replaced my grounds, some things went and some things stayed. Dozen connectors already cleaned and I am now down to the fusebox. This one takes time Paul
Merry Christmas everyone, hope everybody had a great holiday. Had some time to pop open the hood, got my screwdriver out - and unscrewed the fusebox from the frame. The hardest part was unlocking the white electrical clips from the fusebox (best done with a flat head screwdriver) - The process takes about 20 minutes - no crazy screws or anything like that. While removing the fusebox - I identified this high pitch whine coming from the relay that controls the motors for the headlamps (makes sense since my headlamps don't work) - I tried switching the relays with one that was working and the high pitch whine was still there so I'm pretty sure something is messed up in the breadboard. Based on some advice from ssrealty - I made sure to inspect for burning on the white connectors - I noticed some were slightly brown - one connection was completely burned on the side (see picture) - but the wires and actual metal contact seemed okay. (do they sell that white peice of plastic somewhere for less than $1,000?) Also on a side note - anybody know if you have to do an engine out to do a valve timing adjustment? Cheers Off to Dave! Hope this fixes some of my electrical issues. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The white connector is NLA. However, Dave's kit bypasses the two common burned connections for a/c and fuel pump. He cuts the wires off at these connections.
Yikes. That broken connector is a problem. Maybe you can super-glue it back together. Possibly add some carbon fiber thread and epoxy on the outside to add some strength. (you know, I mean just until you can find a replacement connector) I think you could do the valve shims with the engine in the car. You will need to get underneath in order to turn the engine though. Here's a pic of our intact but burned (Air con) connector next to yours. Dave Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks guys for your comments - yeah I figured the white clip would be a relic - I'll try to jury rig something based on your recommendation - thanks bros!
I jokingly say to own a Ferrari (especially an old/vintage one) can be masochistic. Images of an ancient monk self-flagellating come to mind. It is true that owning a Ferrari can be time consuming and painful. While working on the car though, I realized that it can also be a source of great enjoyment and pride. Getting your hands dirty (literally) and learning about the inner workings of a vehicle gives you a sense of fulfillment. The satisfaction you get from really getting to know these cars makes this more than just ownership – it makes it a hobby. I don’t bemoan car owners that only have to worry about an occasional oil change on their new rides. All things being equal – it would be foolish of me to argue you want problems with your car. What I am saying though, is if you have the time (and the deep pockets) – working on these cars can be a source of joy in of itself. This weekend I get my upgraded fuse box back (as well as some parts I’ve ordered) I’m hoping these exercise some of my electrical demons. I’m also putting a new set of shoes on the cars – full reports to come.
So just go the fusebox back - got stuck my cables were not numbered (so I don't know which wires to splice em with (and that I needed to get a soldering iron) looking at the fuse box from the back they wires are RED/YELLOW/WHITE/BLACK - I have no idea which do these wires correspond to. Also need to know if its necessary to remove the negative battery cable from the battery per the instructions? I have no way to remove the front wheel well (and because the car is immobile I"m in a catch 22. Thanks
Got the fuse box back on Friday - took the tools out and started installing. It was a lot harder then I expected. Just a couple things to note. You'll have to have access to the battery, and as I didn't have a jack or the necessary tools - I couldn't finish the job complete. I'll expound on this later. First putting back the fuse box was pretty easy, I decided to clean the contacts with some electrical lubricant. You then drill a couple holes into the fiberglass shell of where the spare tire should be and install the supplemental fuse box. Then the harder part - you strip wires and solder them onto the existing wires - this takes a steady hand and some patience. I went out and bought a soldering iron to get that part done. I plugged back in all the plastic ports, and left the supplemental fuse box unattached to the power. Engine roared right back up! As people stated, things some snappier - it fixed two of my electrical demons (headlights, dashboard lights) and speed up the windows - overall - very pleased - drove it over to another shop to get the auxillary cable installed. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I hope this helps anybody that plans to do this install: Instructions for Fuse box upgrade installation Tools you’ll need 10mm wrench (for fusebox bolts) 13mm wrench (for battery disconnect Lift/Jacks for safe lifting and removal of front passenger tire Soldering Iron/Soldering wire Heat Gun Electrical Tape Drill with 3/16 bit Some plastic wire ties Small level Vacuum Cleaner with hose 1) First thing you should do is make sure you have safe/clean well lit area and about 3 hours (that’s probably too much for skilled folks, I’m a noob so I did things really slow 2) Open up the kit and layout all the parts out with your tools 3) Turn off the battery by using the round knob next to the passenger headlight inside the front hood 4) Remove the front passenger wheel and remove the battery panel (3 bolts) – remove the battery restraining rod and unplug the cables on the battery 5) Open hood and clean all electrical contacts with your cleaner of choice. I used some electrical contact cleaner, a vacuum comes in handy here since it’s a good time to clean up your area anyway. 6) Reinstall the fuse box in the bottom ports and align the top 2 screws in the pre-made holes on the top. Make sure that you give enough clearance and alignment to the new fuse box cables that are now part of the fuse box. 7) Using the auxiliary fuse box as a template, drill a hole in the top left part of the auxiliary fuse box. Get a level and make sure it’s aligned properly and drill the second hole – screw them auxiliary fuse box on. 8) Drill a 3/16 hole below the auxiliary fuse box and install the supplied rubber grommet on the hole (I recommend using some sort of adhesive to keep the grommet in place. 9) Using the instructions that come with the fuse box – identify and strip the 4 (5 on non-t models) wires and solder them onto the new wires that come with the fuse box. Slip the rubber shrink insulations over the solder points and reinforce with electrical tape if necessary (this is the most time consuming part and takes the huge bulk of the time for the install 10) Re-attached all the white plugs 11) Connect the power cable from the auxiliary fuse box (through the hole you made, in the grommet and to the power point in the battery 12) Start up the car and test all electrical components to check for bad solders or incorrect install, if everything checks out – proceed! 13) Tie down and wrap the rubber shield around the power cable. 14) Reinstall the ground cable in the battery 15) Reinstall the battery panel 16) Reinstall the wheel 17) Use the vacuum to clean up all the debris and loose odds/ends that resulted from the job. Enjoy the Car! I’ll try to add some pictures I have on my phone shortly.
This is the step that requires the most care, as a poor solder joint can fail intermittently. Be sure your splice is mechanically sound before soldering, and that you've heated the wire sufficiently before applying solder; use the heat of the wire to melt the solder, never the iron itself. Lastly, be sure to clean any rosin / residue off the joint when you are done. I'd also recommend avoiding electrical tape. If the heat-shrink is properly sized and properly shrunk, it will make a good, weather-resistant, mechanical connection between the joined wires. All electrical tape does is make for a sticky gooey mess down the road.
great comments blownfuse - you're absolutely correct - this is the hardest (and most crucial step) Agreed that the heat-shrink should do the trick - I messed up one of the heat-shrinks - hence my necessary electrical tape on one of the connections....(that's my fault)
