SO..... Friday night I'm riding down the interstate to the local kiddie hardpark fest that we crash every Friday night. Next thing I know I have no dash light and no tail lights (so a buddy tells me). Check tail light fuse... blown... replace tail light fuse... blows...

Next day I put yet another fuse in. Doens't blow... hmm odd. Take is as it is and try to drive out saturday night. Get half way out the neighborhood and eveyrthing goes out. All I have is engine and headlights. I say **** it and drive my truck the rest of the night.

Sunday, I do some digging. Find that that the drivers tail light harness is completely FUBAR! Something rubbed through the wires and caused a a serious short of the main power and main ground to the tail lights. So, I repair that, put a new fuse in and golden.... Nope...

Now nothing works right. I go through and pull the fuse block out and... WOW... harness is pretty much fried.

So, now I'm going through the process and pulling the dash out and trying to repair problems.

NOTE: I always used the correctly labeled fuses. so when the one didn't blow I dont know what the hell heppened... so pretty much F...M...L...

 

If you have a blown fuse, do not keep putting in fuses and hoping it will fix it. You may very well caused more damage that way. Miatas generally have a quality electrical system, however the wires are very small and will not tolerate abuse like that.

 

oh I know that. I went through 2 fuses after the orignal bc I was checking relays and what not. so total 3 blown fuses after the original fuse went. all 15amp minis

 

I don't agree with this. My buddy taught me that if a fuse keeps blowing, you can just put a penny in the fuse holder and you'll be ok. I think a more permanent fix is just to solder a wire between the two terminals but the penny is just easier.

 

You are kidding me right.

So this whole time fuses are just a ploy to use against us. What will they think of next.....................don't say it.................it can't be true.................RELAYS..............NOOOOOOOO

 

Not a good idea.

 

Clearly a troll attempt...

 

I'm sorry but most of the time fuses are bullshit. Think about the devices that are being powered. They themselves have their own safety systems and I mean if they get too much current then they will just take themselves out. You can then just replace the part and then you know what is wrong and won't have to **** around with your wires and fuses. It's a lot simpler and this is how all the formula one teams wire these days. Except they use the teflon coated wire because it won't overheat-- so that way the device is isolated.

 

I put a 20 amp fuse in a 10 amp slot once because that is all I had on me and when the wire got hot it destroyed my whole electrical harness. Melted the insulation then I had shorts all over under the dash and up into the engine bay.

lesson learned.

Bob

 

If people actually believe it, it is a good idea for them....

I will second the comment about the Miata's wiring harness being of great quality. I was truly amazed while working with it. Unlike American cars, Mazda really cut no corners.

 

What makes a harness high quality?

 

yeah, I kept using the 15 fuses. But I am think that the last 15 amp fuse I used wasn't really a 15 amp. thats the only explaination i can think of. it only got 3-4 more wires. I got the dash out last night and its not that bad, just time comsuming to make sure i really get all the wires affected.

 

The fuses aren't there to protect the loads, they're there to protect the wiring.

 

Gauge of wire, using Relay's instead of making the switches carry the load, and the use of multiple grounds.

I assume you are joking with the comments in this thread.

 

Sometimes non OEM fuses will blow at a higher or lower load.

 

Reliability, reasonably easy to work on, not to heavy.