Preventitive maintenance on late model Ford Truck engine fuse boxes

[GON]

Came across a issue and think it is a design issues. Ford's micro fuses in fuse boxes located in the engine compartment.

The fuses are too small to handle the engine heat, and the casing comes apart when trying to remove a fuse. The result is the fuse contacts stay in the fuse receiver. In my case, the fuse receptacle was very hard to reach. Need a pick to remove the leads. Tiny needed nose pliers would not fit for the lead removal.

One can look in the very corner empty fuse receiver next to the 10amp, and see the fuse leads are still in the receptacle. The removed leads can be seen next to the end of the pick.

What I am going to do is pull all the fuses under the hood, and coat the fuse receivers with silicone paste.

Ford in hopes of saving costs, size, and weight makes what should be a simple fuse replacement into a potential issue if replacing a fuse, especially a fuse replacement while traveling.

 

[nomas]

I can't remember the last time I needed to replace a fuse unless I was dicking around with trailer lights , etc. What's the original issue ?

 

[SC Maintenance]

I have never had an issue and all my vehicles have had fuses under the hood for decades. Perhaps its unique to this model - no ventilation at that location or something.

Heat no doubt kills plastic and electronics.

 

[GON]

I can't remember the last time I needed to replace a fuse unless I was dicking around with trailer lights , etc. What's the original issue ?

I was troubleshooting a issue when I purchased the truck. If you look closely at the fuse box you will send a handful of fuse.covers off, as I could not get the fuse out.

 

[nomas]

I was troubleshooting a issue when I purchased the truck. If you look closely at the fuse box you will send a handful of fuse.covers off, as I could not get the fuse out.

I was just curious what started the process .

 

[GON]

I have never had an issue and all my vehicles have had fuses under the hood for decades. Perhaps its unique to this model - no ventilation at that location or something.

Heat no doubt kills plastic and electronics.

Ford has gone with very tiny fuses. Like you, this is a new to me issue and I have only seen it with these tiny fuses. In the cab, to save space and money Ford has gone with dual lead micro fuses, which is another major thing for another thread.

Have you seen or worked with triple lead fuses before? This was a first for me.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I have had even the full size spade fuses come apart - but only after they shorted. I assumed the sudden heat affected the glue or plastic. Obviously it was easy to pull the contacts out as they were larger.

Did this happen with many - or just the one? Possibly just a dud fuse?

My Toyota has the micro fuses - I think only 2 terminal ones but I will look now that you mention it. Its too new to have problems yet.

I agree the 3 lead fuse is a solution in search of a problem. Definitely putting more force on the housing by having to remove 3 contacts at once. I am not even sure how that saves any money - since a normal fuse box feeds the hot side of every fuse with the same bus bar anyway?

 

[GON]

I have had even the full size spade fuses come apart - but only after they shorted. I assumed the sudden heat affected the glue or plastic. Obviously it was easy to pull the contacts out as they were larger.

Did this happen with many - or just the one? Possibly just a dud fuse?

My Toyota has the micro fuses - I think only 2 terminal ones but I will look now that you mention it. Its too new to have problems yet.

I agree the 3 lead fuse is a solution in search of a problem. Definitely putting more force on the housing by having to remove 3 contacts at once. I am not even sure how that saves any money - since a normal fuse box feeds the hot side of every fuse with the same bus bar anyway?

All the fuses that I tried in this fuse box are very hard to remove, and as the picture shows two of the box fuses covers came off instead of the fuse assembly.

It is clear these fuses are very difficult to remove and/or to small for being under a the heat of a engine compartment. I will be spending a few hours pulling them all, trying without breaking, and covering the fuse receiver in silicon paste.

Life experience tells me if these fuses were standard sized, I would not be performing preventative maintenance on a fuse box.

 

[SC Maintenance]

A stitch in time saves being stuck on the road.

All new fuses also I presume?

 

[GON]

A stitch in time saves being stuck on the road.

All new fuses also I presume?

Didn't think about replacing all the fuses. Something with thinking about.

 

[MSCH]

GON, I have a tendency to hose down electrical boxes with WD40 or equivalent. when I change the oil.

 

[Dave9]

We can't see the faulty fuse now that it's come apart. Is it possible that what you are troubleshooting, had that fuse blow previously and the owner replaced it with a substandard generic chinese fuse and this accounts for it falling apart? I mean sure the others may be in their nice and tight but that's sort of what you want, as long as they survive extraction.

I'd also try pliers with a wider jaw than pictured, for more purchase on the fuse body. I *thought* (could be wrong) that some fords had the plastic fuse extraction tool held by clips onto the back of the fuse box cover.

I do agree that they shouldn't have downsized the fuses, and all the other nonsense we have to put up with so an auto manufacturer can make the engine bay 2" smaller.

 

[Chris142]

Ford put that fuse box in a terrible place. I'm constantly messing with them. Never have I had a fuse come apart.

 

[GON]

We can't see the faulty fuse now that it's come apart. Is it possible that what you are troubleshooting, had that fuse blow previously and the owner replaced it with a substandard generic chinese fuse and this accounts for it falling apart? I mean sure the others may be in their nice and tight but that's sort of what you want, as long as they survive extraction.

I'd also try pliers with a wider jaw than pictured, for more purchase on the fuse body. I *thought* (could be wrong) that some fords had the plastic fuse extraction tool held by clips onto the back of the fuse box cover.

I do agree that they shouldn't have downsized the fuses, and all the other nonsense we have to put up with so an auto manufacturer can make the engine bay 2" smaller.

Every fuse I tried either broke apart or was on the verge of breaking. Look the the picture, you can see multiple fuse covers missing from block fuses.

No reason I can see to dig deep on this issue. Ford, in order to save space, weight, and money went with fuses that are too small to be used in a truck with a diesel engine, especially if the truck is being worked in a southern state like Texas.

We know ford made a engineering risk to the truck owners.Latenl model Ford truck owners especially if in the south may want to be proactive and take steps to mitigate the sickly design. And do it sooner than later. The mitigation is not so hard. But it is well worth doing on a Saturday morning.

 

[SC Maintenance]

If your going to pull them all out, replacing them with Buss made in USA fuses would be worth the cost, IMHO. If your planning on keeping this rig that is.

 

[Oillover]

I can't remember the last time I needed to replace a fuse unless I was dicking around with trailer lights , etc. What's the original issue ?

Seems you've never owned a Volvo.
Despite being stock, they'd consume those ceramic-style fuses and incandescent bulbs almost weekly.
The 8A fuses were the most popular, those cars loved 'em!

 

[oldcodger]

I appears a bent nose needle nose pliers would work. I have never had much luck with the plastic puller furnished with some vehicles. They just slip off instead of removing the fuse.

 

[GON]

I appears a bent nose needle nose pliers would work. I have never had much luck with the plastic puller furnished with some vehicles. They just slip off instead of removing the fuse.

Nothing would work. The fuse body failed, likely from a combination or heat, being too small for the intended purpose, and a strong fuse box receptacle.