White Fuse Box Connectors

Changing the terminals is not going to correct the problem. If you continue and do not make the mod you risk ruining your fuse box. Actually it's inevitable. Fuse boxes are harder to find and are expensive. The heat runs thru the circuit boards and that will eventually destroy your fuse box. If you drive the car and want to enjoy her there is no choice but to complete the fuse box mod. I recommend the Dave Helms mod and that is the best solution. I've seen some adding relays and performing other work arounds but the Dave Helms system works and is proven to put the issue to bed for good. This is just one of those situations that you have to make a command decision. Everyone and anyone that knows anything about the TR knows that this is a plus not a minus.

R

 

+1

 

When the PO had problems with the fuse box white connector overheating he removed the wires from the connector by cracking the connector at the wire. He then bypassed the fuse box and installed inline fuses. When I installed Dave Helm updated the fuse box I removed all the PO's wiring, replaced the damaged white connector and reconnected the wiring properly. I could not get all the white connectors at one location, but here are the part numbers and where I ordered the replacement white connectors in 2012. Searching their web site by part number show them still available.

12280280 - Left vertical 8 pin connector (qty 1)
T. Rutlands 13.96
Ricambi America 9.41

12281280 - Left vertical 9 pin connector (qty 2)
Ricambi America 5.07

12284080 - Right vertical 10 pin connector (qty 1)
T. Rutlands 19.35

12284780 - Lower right horizontal 11 pin connector (qty 2)
T. Rutlands 19.50
Ricambi America 25.00

12285580 - Upper left horizontal 12 pin connector (qty 2)
T. Rutlands 19.75

Jim

 

I understand where you are coming from but you need to realize that the fuse box is a poor design that when new was at max capacity. The absolute limit... When your fan motors, fuel pumps etc. get older what happens? They draw more power. More power that the fuse box cannot deliver because it is already at its max. Unless your ready to replace all the components associated with the high draw currents your shoveling sand against the tide. The connection at the fuse box got loose because of the excess heat from the high draw the components are demanding.. Your off base on this.. Im sorry.. 32,000 mile car the last thing I would be worrying about is a deduction at a concour event... 3,200 miles is alittle different.. Make her right and take the deduction.. Ask the judge to pay his half when you have to buy a new fuse box - then it will happen all over again.. Its not the terminals - its the old components drawing more power from age.. Heat then messes up the terminals.. then the circuit board.. If your circuit board is "a" ok.. thats a plus and your way ahead of the game.. Talk to some TR owners who are looking for and have been looking for a replacement fuse box because the damage was too far gone to salvage.. In the end its your car but you need to know why this happended to your connectors and fuse box.. that is where your off.. Which ever way you decide I wish you many miles and awards.. Be Well..

R

 

You won't receive ANY deductions in any sanctioned Ferrari event--the judges can't and won't ask you to open your fuse panel door, battery door, etc.

You WILL however receive deductions if your A/C doesn't work because your fuse panel connections failed...

I'm extremely anal about originality--my fuse panel has been sorted, I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Chairman....it is the connectors that cause the heat. It is not the fuse board. The poor connection causes resistance....this causes heat....and transfers the heat into the fuse board.

He is correct. If all his connections are always maintained he should be ok. It is the the terrible connectors Ferrari used that grenades the fusebox.

 

Nope. The connections are a small part of the problem, not all. As Robbie stated, as the circuits age they draw more power, more power=more heat. As you mentioned, the individual wire "pins" have a very small contact surface--under-engineered. The heat is transferred through the pins and will start to damage the board. Eventually the board will break down and/or the pins will start to spread and stop making contact. Either results in a dead or intermittent circuit.

Changing the white "connectors", as the OP wishes, will do little to help the issue. Granted if badly melted a new connector will allow secure retention of the individual wires again, but will do nothing to resolve spread pins (closing the gap by bending the pins is not a good solution) or internal issues on the PCB. Replacing pins is also futile, the circuit is still generating more heat than designed. So even with everything pristine at the circuit board, you still have 5 old circuits generating excessive heat--only a matter of time before they again start to fail.

If you really wanted to stay "original", replace the connectors, replace the damaged pins, replace the circuit board (if damaged), replace both fuel pumps, both water fans, the A/C condenser fan, possibly the oil fans, and inspect/repair/replace any damaged wiring or terminations between those components and the fuse panel. Then you have basically re-set the clock. Enjoy the car for XXX miles until it happens again. Or... isolate the bad circuits once and for all and never worry again.

 

+10,000 - Great post... You explained it better then I did..

R

 

12284780, I believe is discontinued and unavailable from Ferrari worldwide. (At least I should say, "the last time we tried to get any").


I was tired to telling customers "not available", so we had them remanufactured, and now have about 300 in inventory.

12284780 E/CONN 11 WAY : Ricambi America


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Jim94,
I was in the same boat. Slight browining on one of the connectors. As others have stated, the heat transfers back into the circuit board. I had Dave Helms do his thing and replaced the coolant fans. The difference is night and day. The fans are more quiet, pull more air and draw less current.

If you do decide to go with the wait and see route, I highly recommend changing out the fans and fuel pumps at least. They are super cheap.