A typical melted DeLorean fuse box.
The replacement that will be installed. It's an NOS piece that I won at a raffle years ago and kept, knowing I'd need it eventually...
Replacing a Melted Fuse Box
Introduction
Original DeLorean fuse boxes are known for melting down. There are many theories as to why, including:
- Poor plastic material on the OE unit
- Lousy terminals used
- Corrosion on the terminals, exacerbated by being placed directly over an (outgassing) old battery
- Excess heat generated by leaving the cover on
Pretty much every original DeLorean will have a melted fuse #7 slot and an ugly bypass fuse installed in its place. The fuse box shown has a few more starting to melt down. The only solution is a complete replacement. While we're in there, why not eliminate those old Lucas relays and refresh those terminals too? And clean up the wiring...
Tools
The big ones here are a quality terminal crimper (you will be crimping a LOT of terminals for this task!) and wire stripper. Some wire snips will also be required.
Basic tools needed.
Parts
You need a fuse box, available from the usual DeLorean vendors. You can get everything else from them too, but here are the parts from DigiKey.
Fuse box parts | ||||
| Description | Qty. | DigiKey PN | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATO fuse contacts | 36 | F5190-ND | These are high-quality 30A continuous-rated contacts (made in Germany). Don't skimp on the fuse contacts. | |
| 10A ATO fuse | 9 | F4199-ND | ||
| 20A ATO fuse | 8 | F4201-ND | ||
| 30A ATO fuse | 1 | F4202-ND | ||
Relay section parts | ||||
| Description | Qty. | DigiKey PN | Notes | |
| SPDT automotive relay | 7 | 255-1825-ND | You can use any kind of standard automotive relay that you like. These Panasonic relays have a slightly smaller form factor than most and are high quality. | |
| SPDT automotive relay (High Temp) | 1 | 255-2726-ND | For the engine compartment. Why not replace that one too? | |
| Relay socket | 12 | PB1317-ND | Only if you need/want to replace them | |
| Female 1/4" terminal, 10-12 AWG | A bunch | A100857CT-ND | ||
| Female 1/4" terminal, 14-18 AWG | A bunch | A27936CT-ND | ||
| Splice connector | 2 | A27211-ND | I can't remember exactly which of these I used. I have a variety in the bin, but will explain its purpose later. You need a proper crimper (and a big one) for this, too. | |