Anyone know the rating for the fuseable links in the main harness of early 90's Range Rovers (92 specifically)?
According to my manual, they don't exist. Anyone have the ETM? There's a replacement part (AMR3928), but I must be able to fix this for less than $80 US +S/H + taxes/duty.
Did a search and only came up with threads about axles :shaking:

Any info appreciated.

I've got an 87/88/89 ETM as well as a 91 ETM.

They are at the farm, just tell me what you need to know.
-pw
PS: brooksy just chopped off his foot! SO i'm gonna take his new '89 rangie to Mexico... stopping every 1/4 mile to let it cool off, of course.

Uh.......bad luck about the foot.

I'm just wondering what amp rating the links have so that I can replace them with inline fuses or a small under hood fuseblock.

Slow
-somewhat confused and concerned about a possible loose foot

Edit - BTW, hope any pirates in Florida are alright.

Dude, you can't tell someone that a foot got chopped off and not give us more info. Come on guy spill the beans.

10 spline, in a fit of overstatement, might have misrepresented my little opportunity for mobility excellence. . . I tried to punt a vaccuum cleaner and broke two toes laterally so that they're now splayed at 30 deg. from where they should be, managed to dislocate a knuckle too. It frigging hurts, but the foot is still attached. Thanks for the concern!

For tech content, Patrick and I will be heading over to pick up the $100 rangie tomorrow am (hurricane allowing). Will attempt to drive it out of the back alleys of DC so that a flatbed can get to it. The PO left the keys and signed title in it with the doors unlocked for 3 days in Georgetown -- who say's DC is dangerous . . .

I've been told you can get fuseable link wire at autoparts stores. Maybe I'll just try to make my own by estimating the lenght and guage, since mine were all swollen and broken from corrosion.

Or you can just use a big maxi-fuse inline replacement. Or two for some reduntancy. Use waterproof butt splices.

Jim Pendleton

Yeah, but Pendy, what is the amperage I need? That is what nobody can tell me. Also, some people feel the "slow-burn" characteristic of the fuseable link is important, although I figure a MAXI-fuse is easy enought to change that I don't care if one blows every once in a while where a link wouldn't have just got hot but not failed.

I can't believe the info on what the links are rated at is so hard to find. LR did a terrible job of documenting this addition to the main harness (anyone know which year they added it...89?).

MAXI fuses go from what...50 to 100 amps? Maybe I should just put in a mitt-full of 50 amp fuses and then keep working up until they stop blowing.

I would do a couple 50 ampers. But you are missing the point. First fix what is blowing the fusible links or fuses. You have fuses for the seperate systems. This is a link to prevent a direct short or potential fire hazard off the battery to the electrical system. It does not matter it you over kill the fuse rating here. A short will still make short work of it.

Outside the box man, think.

JP

Pendy, pendy, pendy, :shaking:

The man hasn't blown any yet, they are wasted from corrosion.

That and I can't believe that with the hell you give me about my wiring projects, you even chimed in on this one :flipoff2:

As for the maximum amperage, let's think about this for a minute... If the fusable links feed the main fuse box, would the current carrying capacity of those fusable links have to be slightly greater than the total of all the circuits attached? Maybe one could do something as simple as adding the ratings of the fuses in the fuse box and look for a fuse in that range... I leave it up to the masses to figure out how the two circuits are separated and the ratings for them from there.

As for what fuses to use, go to Mouser or Digi-key and look to see what they offer. I strongly suspect that there is something more suitable than a maxi-fuse for what you wish to do here.

FAR too often, folks will suggest replacing entire wiring harnesses just because they either don't know how to fix, or are out to sell a harness.

Peace,
PT

Paul is correct, none of the links have failed, they're just corroded and breaking up like Fall-apart Rabbit.
Also, I guess I didn't make this clear, about 14 inches from the positive terminal of the battery, the harness breaks into about seven wires which each have a fuseable link. So Paul's idea of adding up the fuses won't work as I don't know where each goes.
Here are the wire colours if that helps anyone...
Orange with light blue/grey tracer
Orange with brown tracer
Orange with yellow tracer
Orange with red tracer
Orange with white tracer
Orange with green tracer
Orange with blue tracer.

If you go on the AB site you can see the pic of the repair kit (AMR3928) if my description isn't clear.

Edit - Oh yeah, I was looking on OVLR's LR FAQ last night at the model year differences for Range Rovers and it says that the links were added to the harness in '91. I wonder if anything changed that year or if the earlier trucks are just more succeptable to burning down.

MAXI fuses go from what...50 to 100 amps? Maybe I should just put in a mitt-full of 50 amp fuses and then keep working up until they stop blowing.

That statement earned you my response. Here is another KISS. You guys want to fix the truck or start a science project. You got my .02 cents so good luck.

JP

What I meant was keep moving up until they stop blowing to determine what the rating of the link is supposed to be (ie. if the link was 80 amps, the 50 would blow soon and I could keep moving up by, say 10 amps, until I got to 80amp and the circuit would work). Obviosuly if there was a short, continuing to move up until I stopped blowing fuses would not be a good idea but I only have evidence of corrossion, no shorts in the harness.

I think a 100 amp bridge is enough. In the real world fuses blow from shorts not load. In automotive repair that is. Please all pencil pushers quote numbers to dispute this.

JP

What I meant was keep moving up until they stop blowing to determine what the rating of the link is supposed to be (ie. if the link was 80 amps, the 50 would blow soon and I could keep moving up by, say 10 amps, until I got to 80amp and the circuit would work). Obviosuly if there was a short, continuing to move up until I stopped blowing fuses would not be a good idea but I only have evidence of corrossion, no shorts in the harness.

Guys, this is like way too complex. What is the gauge of these wires - I'm betting they aren't too much bigger than ten gauge. I don't think Rover would have been hopping 100 amps of juice along some 10 ga wiring, even being the wiring mastaz that they are. What the hell are these circuits running, a defibrillator? Why not just go out and get 6-7 GM 40 amp solder in fusible links and go nuts? For 5$? I'm betting that 40 amps is plenty for most automotive feed circuits. You can usually tell what you need by the wiring Ga.

But, because this is who it is, my vote is for Pendy's kiss fix. That way you might actually drive the thing on Labour Day.

Why not just go out and get 6-7 GM 40 amp solder in fusible links and go nuts? For 5$? I'm betting that 40 amps is plenty for most automotive feed circuits. You can usually tell what you need by the wiring Ga.

I think that's what I'll do for now.

But, because this is who it is, my vote is for Pendy's kiss fix. That way you might actually drive the thing on Labour Day.

:flipoff2: :flipoff2:

I wonder if anything changed that year or if the earlier trucks are just more succeptable to burning down.

(OS voice on) You can stay :flipoff2: (OS voice off)

The more I thought about it, I realized that the wires with the fuseable links don't really feed the fuse box (to the best of my recollection).

How about, we put a big-ass ammeter in the circuit, huh, huh? Nothing like direct empirical, experimental data to answer a question :flipoff2:

Given the sizes of the wires containing the fuseable links, the current draw couldn't be more than 50 amps.

Peace,
PT

Hmmmm.......rating is determined by guage and length of link, yeah? This info must be documented somewhere because the links are different lengths.

Orange with light blue/grey tracer 8.5 cm (3.3")
Orange with brown tracer 5 cm (2")
Orange with yellow tracer 8 cm (3")
Orange with red tracer 20 cm (7.9")
Orange with white tracer 6 - 7 cm(2.65"?)
Orange with green tracer 19 cm (7.5")
Orange with blue tracer ?? cm

Ok, went to NAPA and they have fuseable link and it is dirt cheap. :shaking: I'm a dumbass.

Anyway, I'm only half out of the woods cause I can't be sure exactly what guage I need or what length. Oh well, I'm just going to wing it :D

Thanks everyone for your help so far.

This document tells that 8 links should be 1mm and 2 2mm, if that is enough info, I have no idea?
http://www.jpurnell.com/RR/repairs/fusible%20link%20repair.htm

Also it spells fusible link, perhaps more luck with that spelling when looking for internet sources?

Tobias

Doh!! Right you are Tobias, I've been spelling it wrong all along. Thanks for the pointer.

Ok, I picked up some fusible link of what I think is the correct guage from NAPA for $16cdn. If this works I'll have saved a bunch of money.

Any tips for soldering the fusiblt link?