Wiper fuse with mysterious wire sticking out fusebox

[PeterTor]

I’ve got a late 2006 LS460. Fuse number 2 (windshield wiper) has a red wire jammed into it, running to the lavender cable on the wire loom on the passengers side of the engine bay. There’s an inline fuse fitted (15A). Should I be worried? Wipers seem fine, but there’s bubbled plastic around the fuse in the fuse box

[PeterTorbet]

[harrylime]

I'd be worried. I'm no good with car electrics but my only suggestion would be to remove it, (or cut it in a convenient location so that it can be reconnected), and find out what, if anything, doesn't work any more.

[PeterTorbet]

mmm. seems a real hack-job to get the wipers working, and avoid having to re-trace back to a (bigger?) fault. I've only had the car 3 weeks so I'll run it down to the dealer and see what he says. didn't notice this at first due to the engine cover being on. only noticed as I was changing the air filters. d'oh!

Edited November 25, 2019 by PeterTorbet
close-up image

[Chris JJ]

My advice for now get a piggy back connector, change the fuse for that at least it would be properly protected until you decide what to do longer term. I most likely have a spare one in my electrical bits so happy to post you one out FOC? At the moment it looks like a fire waiting to start?

 

[PeterTorbet]

1 hour ago, Chris JJ said:

My advice for now get a piggy back connector, change the fuse for that at least it would be properly protected until you decide what to do longer term. I most likely have a spare one in my electrical bits so happy to post you one out FOC? At the moment it looks like a fire waiting to start?

 

Makes sense, thanks for the offer to send the connector, but given the fire warning, I’ll bob down to a parts store and pick one up first thing tomorrow. 

[Britprius]

Pulling the inline fuse would be a good starting point with this to find what works and what does not. At the moment you do not know if the wire was added to feed the wipers or if this is a poor attempt to get an ignition controlled 12 volt supply for some other circuit.
As others have said a piggyback fuse would make a better job, but make sure the piggyback is fitted the correct way round. The terminal with the lead attached should go to the live side of the fuse "the side that has 12 volts on it with the fuse removed". If connected the other way round the OEM fuse will not only have the wiper load across it it will also have whatever load is on the added cable, and this could be enough to overload the fuse.

If the added cable is is supplying current to the wipers, and the OEM supply also becomes active the fuse rating for the wipers will be the sum of the OEM fuse and the added fuse. Enough to cause a fire in the wiper circuit in the event of a fault or stalled wiper motor.

John. 

[runsgrateasanut]

Unbelievable,  to find such a botch in a LS460. Shocking! Good luck with your research.

[Malc]

would it not simply be a better option to get a competent auto electrician to deal with it even it's to ( just   )  avoid a catastrophic fire somewhere in the car

Malc

[Chris JJ]

13 minutes ago, Malc said:

would it not simply be a better option to get a competent auto electrician to deal with it even it's to ( just   )  avoid a catastrophic fire somewhere in the car

Malc

[Chris JJ]

Better it has some protection prior to anyone looking at it though, but your logic is hard to disagree with 🙂

[PeterTorbet]

Thanks all, it’s booked into the garage I bought it from tomorrow. Glad I asked on this as I’d have left well alone, until the warning about fire was mentioned!

[steve2006]

What a bodge! I hope the overheating hasn’t damaged the fuse holder itself.

The fact that the bypass wire has overheated when connected to a thinner gauge purple wire would suggest it has been arcing at the fuse box for some time.

[PeterTorbet]

Update: Initial inspection by the garage (where I bought it from) has them stumped, so their Auto Electrician specialist taking a look tomorrow with all his gadgets.

[runsgrateasanut]

Does the Car have a Tow Bar fitted?  If so, that would be my guess.

[Cotswold Pete]

I was wondering if the bubbling on the fuse is where the numpty who did this had a go at soldering the lead to the fuse leg, and that heat caused the bubbling.  On the other hand the cable has not been tinned (solder covered before attempting to attach to fuse leg), which would mean a failed joint anyway, and from my experiencing (not on cars)  tinning fuse legs usually results in the plastic melting, because it takes too long to heat the metal legs right through, so the surface heat dissapates into the plastic.

Hopefully the Auto Electrician can work out what 'the four and a half' the pilchard who did this was trying to solve.

Best of luck.

 

[Chris JJ]

On 11/26/2019 at 9:04 PM, PeterTorbet said:

Thanks all, it’s booked into the garage I bought it from tomorrow. Glad I asked on this as I’d have left well alone, until the warning about fire was mentioned!

Hi did you get it sorted?

[PeterTorbet]

So the cars back! They traced the problem to: previous owner couldn’t find a blown fuse - which turned out to be in the fuse box in the interior - so instead bypassed it with the red wire and piggy back fuse. Garage didn’t say what or why the fuse had blown, but it’s been sorted. Additionally they spotted a pipe going into the radiator had perished so replaced it. Next thing now it to peel all the engine covers off to see what’s what! Once I’ve been to pic up some replacement plastics clips(!)

[Malc]

6 hours ago, PeterTorbet said:

pipe going into the radiator had perished

what might that be ??

not the dreaded near effect of gearbox contamination with coolant from the radiator surely !

if it was I hope they replaced the radiator to prevent that ingress happening

has yours ever been changed yet ?

Malc

[PeterTorbet]

24 minutes ago, Malc said:

what might that be ??

not the dreaded near effect of gearbox contamination with coolant from the radiator surely !

if it was I hope they replaced the radiator to prevent that ingress happening

has yours ever been changed yet ?

Malc

Ooosh! I’ll take a pic tomorrow to check we’re talking about the exact same pipe 👍 is there a recommended date / mileage to be replacing the radiator?

[Tulpen]

11 hours ago, PeterTorbet said:

Ooosh! I’ll take a pic tomorrow to check we’re talking about the exact same pipe 👍 is there a recommended date / mileage to be replacing the radiator?

I had mine changed at 100,000 miles/12 years. The technician who did it said that there were signs of 'distress' in the area of the oil cooler connection. I really think that it is a case of 'a stitch in time saves thousands'.

Here in Europe, Lexus say that their automatic gearboxes never need to be drained, flushed or filled under normal use. It appears to have been a selling point to compete with Mercedes and BMW, who say the same thing (in Europe). Having done an engineering apprenticeship many years ago, I think that is total rubbish. I had my gearbox drained, flushed and refilled last week at an automatic transmission specialist (it requires specialist equipment). I can really feel the difference.