spridgets
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: advice on fuses

To: <Hlsinger@aol.com>, <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: advice on fuses
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 00:29:45 -0400charset="iso-8859-1"
References: <56.1e7016.26e013c2@aol.com>
This is a bit of a coincidence. I just bought a '71 myself and have been
staring at wires and circuit diagrams rather intently trying to undo the DPO
stuff. The headlight switch on mine was bad so the guy was feeding ALL the
lights off of one parking lamp circuit! Including driving lights! And most
of his splices were just twisted together ends with electrical tape, and a
lot of that was missing so bare hot wires were exposed many places. Eek!

Anyway, to your questions. I have "The Complete Official 1275cc
Sprite/Midget 1967-1974" Robert Bentley manual. Not perfect, but a whole lot
better than the Haynes that I have, at least for electrical stuff - I really
recommend getting a copy. The diagrams in the Haynes manual that are
supposedly for a '71 don't look anything like the ones in the Bentley
manual, nor do they resemble anything in the car. So what I tell you comes
from the Bentley book. It looks like all the fuses in the block are the
same - "current rated 17 amp. (35 amp. blow rated)."

Connectors 1 & 3 should be connected together to a red/green wire (I think
this may be a double wire, or one to each - I'd have to look at the car).
The red/green lead goes to the headlight switch and feeds the parking lights
and rear tag lights. Power goes from the switch through fuse 1-2 to the left
side of the car and 3-4 to the right side - these leads are all red. You're
right - you should move one set to the 1-2 fuse. To be exactly original you
could figure out which wires feed the left and put those on 1-2, but it
really doesn't matter since the fuses are the same and each side has the
same load - one front park, one rear park, and one rear tag.

Just FYI, fuse 5-6 protects circuits which operate with the ignition on -
stop lights, backup lights. Fuse 7-8 protects circuits which operate
independent of the ignition - horns, interior light, cigarette lighter.

There is also an inline fuse just above the fuse block that runs the heater
fan, windshield wiper, and (I think) windshield washer. There is another
fuse behind the console for the emergency flasher circuit. I don't know what
rating these are - possibly the same as the others. (If anyone on the list
knows, let me know - I need one for the hazard circuit).

One thing that REALLY worries me on this thing is that (as far as I can
tell) there is no fuse or relay in the main headlight circuit. I'm actually
planning on eventually getting a wiring panel and harness from someplace
like American Autowire or Painless Wiring and rewire the whole thing with a
more modern design and a lot more circuits. Seems I recall someone on the
list recently mentioning that he had done this.

Hope this helps!

Eddie

----- Original Message -----
From <Hlsinger at aol.com>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 4:02 PM
Subject: advice on fuses


> We have a 1971 Midget with the four glass fuse fuseblock.   On the fuse
block
> there are no red wires attached to the 1-2 fuse holder.  There are two
sets
> of red wires attached to the 3-4 fuse holder.  The ratings on three of the
> four fuses are unreadable.  The fourth is a 30 amp on 7-8 to accommodate
> driving lights.  I think this may be too large for some of the smaller
wiring
> on that fuse.  I believe one set of the red wires from the 3-4 fuse
belongs
> on the 1-2 fuse.  Questions are:
>
> What are the original fuse ratings for each of the four fuses without
extras
> such as driving lights installed?  No ratings given in the diagrams I
have.
>
> Does it matter which set of red wires is moved to the 1-2 fuse?  Which set
> actually belongs there?  The manuals I have conflict on this.
>
> Thanks in advance for the help.
>
> Alex Holsinger
> 1971 Midget
> Tulsa, Oklahoma
>


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>