Best Fuse Slot Repair Option

Hey guys, new to the forum.

I recently picked up an 87 XJ in what I consider to be decent condition. I'm trying to get it ready to pass inspection so I can get it on the road. The previous owner did some, let's call it "creative", wiring and I've spent the better part of two days trying to figure out what is wrong with my turn signals/hazards/brake lights, as well as removing all the half-assed connections he made. I finally narrowed it down to a combination of burned out bulbs, flashers, and bad fuse slots.

The only thing that I'm actually worried about is getting the fuse to stay in, and have good contact. It looks like the spring contact is completely worn out for the hazard/brake circuit, and bent down in there. I'm wondering what the best route to repair this is? If I put the fuse in, it doesn't work, but when I jammed a wire in and wiggled it some, it works. If I do manage to get the fuse in there and working, I feel like I'll just be waiting for a big bump to kill my brake lights. I don't consider that safe.

So what are the best options? I'm sure I could remove the wires from the backside and add an inline fuse, but this seems like an ugly option. There's already enough random things dangling under the dash from the previous owner. Ideas?

In my '92 (which is, I realize, an HO and not a Renix like yours), the under-dash fuse panel is also what the big "bulkhead" connector on the engine bay harness connects to (the panel serves as the "jack" in the firewall).

I replaced the bulkhead in my jeep with one off a junked vehicle by cutting one wire at a time from the old (rotted out) connector and splicing it to the replacement (when I cut the connector out of the junker, I took about a foot of the engine harness with it to give me something to splice to). Seems to me that the same could be done with the fuse panel side, if a bit more awkwardly due to being under the dash and all...

I understand doing it ugly as long as you do it right and it is robust. My preference would be to pull a "fresh" fuseblock/bulkhead connector from a JY or donor and splice it in place one wire at a time with good butt splices, solder them, and heat shrink them.

Another thing to consider: that truck is now 30 years old. If one slot's already gone dead, there's probably more slots barely hanging on by their fingernails, waiting to go onesy-twosey for the next couple years.

Swap in a whole new fuse panel/bulkhead connector now, and you should be good for a LONG time...

Quick and dirty: Google search for Dorman 85606. Basically a piece of "brass" that's folded over to wrap around the blade of an ATO fuse. I'd be willing to bet that the PO used one of these and that's why it's fubared.

On my "DD" XJ, I have a relay and two Bussman 15600-08-20 for ignition hot and constant 12V wedged in and zip tied under my dash. I wouldn't hesitate to bypass the fuse block with a low amp circuit, especially constant 12V. My power wire and reset-able circuit breaker are certainly superior to the OEM wiring...

The above suggestions to replace it are absolutely the "best" way to do it, but if I were going to put that much effort into it, I'd move it somewhere else while I was at it... Painless Wiring universal if you got the cash, otherwise I'm certain you can find something in a JY. In my "fun" XJ, I have an underhood panel from an old Dodge pickup that fits beside the master cylinder.

Dorman 85327 may be the replacement terminal for the fuse block. If not, I'm pretty sure that the terminals from the 85668 auxiliary fuse block kit will work. Worst case, use the fuse block to abandon the original block.

I just rebuilt my fuse block and cleaned the C101 connector in my 89 MJ two months ago. Took me about 3 hours total. I had the same issue with burnt fuse holders, having to tap the fuse box with my foot while driving to get the dash to start working again, slow wipers, voltage dropping if I turned the fan on high, etc. In hindsight I should have done this repair a long time ago!

There was a flathead screw in the center of the bulkhead on the engine side that's a bitch to get to and you need a mirror to even see it. I replaced it with a hex head to make life easier. There are 4 bolts holding the fusebox to the firewall. Pull the C101 connector off, and clean all the brown goo out with contact or carb cleaner and regrease with silicon grease. Pull the fusebox down and separate the back half and you'll see the fuse terminals. Take several close up pictures just in case you lose track of what wires go where. The wiring diagram from the FSM is hard to read but can help get you back on track too. Use a thin screw driver to press the tabs from the front and push them out the back. Do one wire at a time. Cut the wire right at the terminal and crimp a new terminal on and slide it back in. I also soldered them as well. I had to splice on a few inches to a few wires. The terminal wires for the flasher and relay module are different. I used some regular spade terminals to fix the corroded connections for the buzzer module.

I ordered these terminals from www.delcity.net for under $25 with shipping. They were a perfect match.
(24) 7388520 Single Terminal for ATC/ATO Fuse Bl $0.3645 each
(4) 7389520 4-Way Terminal Strip for ATC/ATO $2.25 each

I probably should have ordered a few more of the singles as I used all of them. You may need more if you have other options on your vehicle. I cut the 4-way strips down to 3 and 2 section strips as needed since it was cheaper than ordering the shorter lengths. Along the top of the block there is a section of empty holes for accessories. I had a few wires that I had used fuse tapes for the CB and radio. I crimped a fuse terminal on those wires and stuck them into the back of the holes, and now just stick a fuse in those positions.

edit- Before reinstalling the fuse block, you might want to put silicon on the thin rubber foam seal is it's not intact. I also put a bead around the top and sides of the C101 connector under the hood to make sure it didn't leak water.

EDIT: ^^ Beat me.

Replace the bad terminal(s). I've used these before for the MJ/XJ fuse blocks.

https://www.delcity.net/store/1!way-Fuse-Block-Terminal/p_11128.h_26861

comanche91 said:

I've used these before for the MJ/XJ fuse blocks.

Click to expand...

Yup, that's the singles
https://www.delcity.net/store/1!way-Fuse-Block-Terminal/p_11128.h_26861



and the 4-long ones (for one wire feeding multiple fuses)
https://www.delcity.net/store/4!way-Fuse-Block-Terminal-Strip/p_11129.h_26968

Nice find. My google-fu sucks.

Thanks for the input, guys. I'm definitely planning on replacing some/most of the terminals in the fuse block, I was just hoping that it was both possible and worth it. It may be easier to replace it with a newer fuse block, but then I wouldn't be able to keep that stock look...

Seriously, though. Thanks for your help. I was about at the point of just jamming/soldering some extra wire in there to eat up the space. This is a much more elegant solution, and what I was really looking to do, anyway. Just wanted to hear from some people who had already messed with it.