Fuse box panel deckboard removal

[Boxbot]

New owner here. It's embarrassing, but I cannot figure out how to remove my wooden rear deckboard to access the fuse box. I don't see a write-up or details anywhere, so I figure I'm just missing something - but it seems to be wedged in tight and will not budge in any direction.

[Michael]

There should be a finger cutout at the rear(closest to the engine). It just sets in place but kind of seats under the seat partition so the top has to come up first.

[CFI]

New owner here. It's embarrassing, but I cannot figure out how to remove my wooden rear deckboard to access the fuse box. I don't see a write-up or details anywhere, so I figure I'm just missing something - but it seems to be wedged in tight and will not budge in any direction.

I had the same problem. Look towards the back of the board. You should see a small section that’s been cut out. Put your fingers in there, pull towards the front of the car. The panel will slide forward half an inch or so. Now lift the rear of that panel.

These panels are wedged in pretty good so it will take some force.

[Boxbot]

I had the same problem. Look towards the back of the board. You should see a small section that’s been cut out. Put your fingers in there, pull towards the front of the car. The panel will slide forward half an inch or so. Now lift the rear of that panel.

These panels are wedged in pretty good so it will take some force.

Thank you! Holy hell, that took a lot of force to get the rear part of the board out that is on the right of the cutout notch out. I may trim a tiny bit of the board on that side.

My first day of trying to work on the car didn't go too well. I thought I would start with some small projects. I took off the bottom of the cracked steering wheel canopy and repaired it as best I could with some correct sized screws and crazy glue. Then I attempted to install the Gowesty lighter. I didn't disconnect the battery first and must have shorted something out. Both the lighter and my clock stopped working and my Craig radio's display is now wonky. The PO installed an aux input and tied into the lighter wiring harness. One 20A fuse is blown. I will have to go buy a fuse tomorrow and hope that fixes it. If I fried my radio and/or my clock I'm going to be extraordinarily pissed.

Sigh. And this was supposed to be the simplest job on my list.

[CFI]

Thank you! Holy hell, that took a lot of force to get the rear part of the board out that is on the right of the cutout notch out. I may trim a tiny bit of the board on that side.

Trimming the board is not a bad idea. Mine was so difficult to remove that I didn’t bother to fully push it back into place. The back end of my board now sits at a slight angle just above the area where it “locks in”.

While that board is out you may consider taping a fuse/relay reference chart to the top of it. This may prove useful to yourself or your local mechanic. You’ll find a copy of the chart on this forum. I’ve added notes to mine to indicate fuses/relays that I’ve purposely removed or disabled (like my door light fuse or door lock module).






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[Jonathan]

I would suggest looking around to see if something else is interfering before cutting that board. Measure twice and cut once? Once you cut it, you can't go back and uncut it.

The vertical backboard that the rear edge of those corner covers need to get past might be sticking out more than it is supposed to. They have some foam on the back of them and can be pushed around a little to get it out of the way, or better positioned.

Backboard here: http://store.delorean.com/p-10037-re...-insl-pad.aspx

And there are also four bizarrely shaped clips along the top of that backboard that do two things: first, they secure the top of that board into place, and second, they are what you clip the cargo net to. (And third, I suppose, they hold that horizontally mounted trim piece under the rear glass in place).

Those clips are here: http://store.delorean.com/p-10086-lu...uter-clip.aspx

And apparently there is an inner clip and an outer clip, with some sort of difference I'm not aware of: http://store.delorean.com/p-10085-lu...nner-clip.aspx

If the clips on your car aren't in correctly, it could be adding to the interference issues.

...I feel for you on a "simple" job gone bad. I've had my car for over 11 years and it seems like I still have not found a single job that should be simple and actually was simple. Most things get much easier or simpler once you've done them before or at least opened up various areas and sorta know how to get in and get back out again.

One piece of advice I heard from Dave at Midwest that I thought was really valuable was that if you're working on something plastic (or metal in some cases too) and it won't quite snap in to place or it seems like you have to add extra force to get it to go, then stop. Because things like that are usually telling you something isn't right or it's misaligned somewhat and you need to figure that out first and then try again. Forcing things, especially plastic, and ESPECIALLY if working on the car when it's cold (and plastic doesn't bend or forgive nearly as well) tends to end up with you breaking it and having yet another part needing replacement.

Patience on any job, simple or otherwise, is a valuable commodity while working on these cars.

[Boxbot]

Patience on any job, simple or otherwise, is a valuable commodity while working on these cars.

What a difference a day makes. Felt behind vertical wall and there is thick soft foam there. It doesn't feel like old stuff. Maybe PO did some sound deadening? The board is stuck pretty far under that rear ledge, but all plastic and hooks for net appear to be in the right spot.

Replaced clock/lighter 20A fuse. Everything works 100%. Put car back together and now I have a lighter that works for my 120v accessories and the green ring lights up when the headlights are on! A little thing that made a big difference.

Also, this looks like an original (non-melted) fuse box. The PO replaced the interior, door, and rear lights with LEDs and upgraded the door solenoids. Does it still need to be replaced if original? What causes these to melt?

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