Hi Josef,
I completely understand your points and generally agree about a minimalist
approach to those who are not electrically literate, especially alongside the
road. I also agree it is a nightmare when all wires are the same color, and
worse, undocumented. I have an engineering background as well so I understand
where you are coming from. When I wire a car, I use different color wires for
each circuit wherever possible and tend to use kits from companies that label
the function of the wire all along its length. Modern fuse box assemblies from
these companies tend to be very reliable and I've never had a problem with them
and it provides the circuit isolation to prevent a massive failure. Since you
are an engineer in Germany, I suspect any German automaker has an electrical
system that is considerably complex as compared to cars from the last century.
It is just progress and due to increasing use of electronic "nannies" or safety
systems in modern cars. I like the old school systems as well but I just feel
safer when each circuit is individually protected and damage is limited to the
circuit in which the failure occurs. It make troubleshooting for the average
Joe easier if he/she doesn't have the experience to find a fault on a system
with one or two fuses. Having a fuse blow for the rear tail lights is easier
to find if the problem is segregated to just the rear tail light circuit, and
not have to hunt for a fault on many circuits. But in the end, it is just what
you are most comfortable with in dealing with problems in an old car. Many
problems can be avoided by having clean connections, and a good wiring harness
protected from rubbing on the chassis with proper clamps and grommets.
Gil
-----Original Message-----
From: josef-eckert@t-online.de [mailto:josef-eckert@t-online.de]
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2015 9:36 AM
To: Gil Rockwell; Healeys, Forum
Subject: New Classic Technologies Fuse Box
Gil,
I am working as an electronic engineer in the automove industry. The company I
am working for parttime is one of the big parts sellers for classic British
cars here in Europe. In my spare time I work on my classic cars and help
friends with their car electrics. Often I get additional grey hairs when I want
to fix something on a friends car and see a wiring harness nobody is anymore
able to find the routes of the cables and circuits. A network of additional
cables, additional fuses and relais added without any documentation, cable
colours not as they should be and all mixed together or all in one colour!!. A
network of cables under the dashboard which reminds me to a telecom switching
centre - nightmare.
I see your point and you and many others feel saver the more fuses and relais
are installed in the car. Don´t forget they can also fail, and the more you
add the more can fail. Its usually the connectors and connections which fail.
When you double the fuses and relais you eightfold the connections in the
wiring system. So 10times more causes for trouble.
When an electric device fails, it usually causes a short circuit or an open
cirquit. Open cirquit means no harm to the system. Short cirquit means any
fuse, 5 Amps or 50 Amps blow off before the wiring melts. There are only very
isolated failures which can cause real trouble like the overdrive solenoid,
when its internal contacts do not open when engaged. This is a point to fit an
additional fuse. Another one is the not originally fused back light cirquit.
Your point "Losing just one smaller circuit rather than disabling a major
portion of the car can make the difference between getting back home or being
completely disabled alongside the road."
This I see as a valid point for those drivers who have only marginal skils with
electrical systems and are not able to find the issue by their own. But when
you can read a wiring diagram and know how to use a volt meter, it shouldn´t
be a problem to find the source of the problem and isolate it. I think there
are much more who get stranded with generator failure (No, I have to say
alternator failure, as these are morre prone to fail than the old LUCAS
generator) or electronic ignition failure.
You see my experiance is more from the other side and I am really happy when I
have an original wired car with an electrical problem, than one of these with
modified electrical systems which usually cause havoc.
Don´t forget, British classic cars were simple cars and the engineers were
clever enough to keep them simple. If you want a complex classic car there are
so many mainly Italian, French, classics where you can find these gimmicks and
they always cause troubles. That´s why they very hardly won an indurance
rally. Austin-Healeys came through and one reason for that was their
elementary but very reliable electrical system with the LUCAS name on it.
Josef Eckert
Germany
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