Fuse melting engine cuts out - help please

I was just testing things.

I've put everything back as it was

 

I haven't checked what is on 8 yet.

Interior lights are on the leisure circuit.

 

These vans are simple with only a few wires and there colour coded I think your just over thinking it.

Get a wiring diagram (I prefer the later ones) that shows the fuse box, wire colours and sizes and just follow one wire at a time

 

So if the fuse is not blowing but the contacts are overheating it sounds like you have too much load on that fuse. Looks like its a 16A fuse in there, I bet you’re drawing about that or a bit more causing the fuse to get hot but not enough to blow it. You need to look at what circuits are connected to it. Easiest way if you’re unsure is take the fuse out & see what doesn’t work.
Some multi meters will measure up to 20A so you could measure across the fusebox contacts to determine what current draw you have. I would put a 15A fuse in the multi meter cable though to protect the meter.
Sorry if i have lost you. Being an auto trician it sort of comes naturally

 

Not anywhere near Sheff then ??
Asking for a friend ...

 

Could be

 

OY - stand by your bed @paulcalf ...

 

Do you fancy sorting it?

Id rather pay a fellow vdubber, the people I've called so far haven't even called me back.

 

I had the big red ignition wire wired up wrong onto the fuse box line .
Can't remember which fuse blew ...but it was the same one ...every thing shut down and came to a standstill .
It always happened when lots of electrics were used ...as in one night ,lights on ,snail fan on , indicator on approaching round about , then brakes then nothing stuck in middle of round about .
Wife towed me back the last 1/4 of mile .
Got auto electrician in as i Hate electrics ...told me that big red one wired totally wrong .

 

I know the problem is with something connected to my big red wire on fuse 9.

The problem I have is I have no idea how any of the other cables join into the big red cable.

I don't have a multi meter and failed gcse physics!

 

Are you in/near Sheffield? I am buried this weekend but could poss have a view next week.

 

Legend. I'll pm you

 

Here we go Mike, I knew I'd seen one of these somewhere.

I've liberated it from the back of my partners modern car.

Far more useful in the bus!

 

Is that a sonic screwdriver?

 

Even better, I've used it to replace fuse 9, shouldn't have any issues again!

 

To explain Zed's post: to show what you should have on a late Late fusebox, see pic below (ignore my extra stuff).

Power comes in to the bottom of the box via the thick red/white, onto the base of F9. This should be linked across to F8, acting as the power "busbar" for everything. The "30" supply for the ignition switch (thick red wire) is also taken from the base of F8, which powers everything ignition-switched. Anything that's not (flashers, etc) then goes through the top of F8.

F7 and F9 are really for "accessories", with power linked across to F7 if necessary. They may not actually be used for anything.

Sounds like your guy wired everything to the top of F9, which then powered every electrical load in the bus (and got hot doing so).

I'd locate and rip the immobiliser out, BTW. They don't really do anything, apart from going wrong and turning your sparks off while you're overtaking a truck in the rain. A Bay's so easy to hot-wire, they serve no purpose anyway.

 

This is great, do you have the full image perhaps (with fuses 1-3)?

I'm reading a lot due to the fact I'm trying to figure my own wiring out, and I'm getting the impression that there's a lot of peoples buses with too many accessories wired up (usually to F9).

I've just removed my steering wheel to be able to get the Instrument Cluster out. Then it hit me. Just remove 9 hex screws, and I can just walk around all the shops with the steering wheel...

 

Thanks snotty

That is very useful.

My quite thick red and white wire comes in at the bottom of fuse 8, which as you say is linked to F9.
Currently 'shed loads of stuff' comes off the top of fuse 9, i've no idea if it has been like that for 18 years or if someone has moved it from bottom to top more recently.

@Gooders is going to have a look, so I will follow his advice about what needs removing and what needs moving.
Seems stupid to have everything on f9, when f7 is completely empty!

Happy to get rid of the immobiliser, but if it was on the unfused side it wouldn't cut the engine out if my fuse blows.

I'm having some wiring diagrams printed, which should also help.

 

Not sure the full diagram would help you. I only drew it up to try and keep track of all the extra stuff I'd wired in. The +12V feeds at the bottom don't really indicate the actual wiring, just what becomes live and when.

F7 and F9 on a late bus are completely free/"spare", and are included (I assume) for adding additional stuff. F7 may not even be connected (I had to add the bottom link to my fusebox).

Plenty of proper wiring diagrams out there on the interweb. What year is your bus?