Hot Fuse! How to Fix?

[Gordon Powell]

Help (please!)

I have an 1991 Volvo 240 manual transmission. The fuse in line with the fuel
pump circuit gets HOT but doesn't blow. When that happens, the car bucks and
jerks and then stalls.

Sometimes it starts up with out a problem and sometimes I have to wait 10
minutes or more.

Can anyone shed some light on this annoying problem?

P.S. The relay has been replaced, along with most of the rest of the car.

 

[Bonnet Lock]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Help (please!)

I have an 1991 Volvo 240 manual transmission. The fuse in line with
the fuel pump circuit gets HOT but doesn't blow. When that happens,
the car bucks and jerks and then stalls.

Sometimes it starts up with out a problem and sometimes I have to
wait 10 minutes or more.

Can anyone shed some light on this annoying problem?

P.S. The relay has been replaced, along with most of the rest of the
car.

Assuming you're using a fuse of the correct rating, if it gets hot it's
almost certainly down to a bad cintact in the fuse holder. The current
flowing through the high resistance will genrate heat - and the current will
also be reduced so the fuel pump will be operating at a reduced voltage -
which probably accounts for the problems.

Clean up the ends of the fuse and its contacts in the fuse holder with some
emery paper. If the contacts have lost their springiness, renew the fuse
holder.

 

[Gary Heston]

Help (please!)

I have an 1991 Volvo 240 manual transmission. The fuse in line with the fuel
pump circuit gets HOT but doesn't blow. When that happens, the car bucks and
jerks and then stalls.

Sometimes it starts up with out a problem and sometimes I have to wait 10
minutes or more.

Can anyone shed some light on this annoying problem?

Sounds like a bad connection.

P.S. The relay has been replaced, along with most of the rest of the car.

Check/clean/tighten every connection in the fuel pump wiring circuit,
including the ones on the back of the fuse block itself, if you can get
to them. IIRC, your car should have two fuel pumps--one in the tank, one
under the car. Verify that both are working.

If it's not a bad connection or a failed pump, try to determine if there's
a pattern to the problem occuring--only when lights are on, only when wipers
are on, after hard cornering, after going over a bump, anything that always
or only happens at the same time as the fuel problem. You may be getting a
fuel line pinched, or a piece of debris blocking the intake in the tank.


Gary

 

[James Sweet]

Help (please!)

I have an 1991 Volvo 240 manual transmission. The fuse in line with the fuel
pump circuit gets HOT but doesn't blow. When that happens, the car bucks and
jerks and then stalls.

Sometimes it starts up with out a problem and sometimes I have to wait 10
minutes or more.

Can anyone shed some light on this annoying problem?

P.S. The relay has been replaced, along with most of the rest of the car.

If the fuse holder contact is clean and tight then you may have a bad fuel
pump, if you connect an amp meter across the fuse contacts with the fuse
removed and start the car you should see about 10A. First thing I would
check though is the fuse holder, it can be either oxidized or the contact
can get bent outward so it's not gripping the fuse well. That fuse panel is
one of the less than ideal elements of a 240.

 

[brackenburn]

Hi Gordon,

If the problem is due to corrosion on the ceramic fuse contacts,or even if
it's not (!) ......... (Why wait for it? It's a well -known fault with the
200 series), disconnect the battery, remove all fuses, clean the brass
contact strips 'til they're shiny, bend them if necessary to ensure tighter
contact with the fuses, coat them with dielectric grease, replace any fuse
which has the grey/silvery type contacts with equal amperage brass/ copper
ended type. In my experience Volvo dealers don't stock them (shame!) but VW
parts depts. do , and independents who cater to VW needs.

It's the two dissimilar metals (Zinc & Copper) together with the moisture
which pervades that ill-chosen location of the 200 series fuse box that's
largely responsible for the corrosion. ("Galvanic Action")

Good Luck.
Andy I.


| Help (please!)
|
| I have an 1991 Volvo 240 manual transmission. The fuse in line with the
fuel
| pump circuit gets HOT but doesn't blow. When that happens, the car bucks
and
| jerks and then stalls.
|
| Sometimes it starts up with out a problem and sometimes I have to wait 10
| minutes or more.
|
| Can anyone shed some light on this annoying problem?
|
| P.S. The relay has been replaced, along with most of the rest of the car.
|
|