Found the "burning" smell source (pic)

[sdg3205]

Do you guys think that cranking on it, cycling the fuel pump on and off to get it to start so many times could have contributed?

It's very hard on your starter motor at the very least.

[DeLorean03]

I am not saying "You have to do this." but you really might want to follow what I did in this thread:

No More Burned Fuse #7

All I did was remove the two wires that go from the RPM relay to the fuel pump. From there, I installed 12 gauge wires. One is a wire going straight from the battery to the fuel pump with an in-line 20A fuse. The other is a black ground wire going from the radiator mounting bracket that attaches to the frame on the driver's side and goes up to the fuel pump. You are, in essence, adding what I cordially call "Fuse 18A" (18 fuses in the fusebox, this one gets an "A" in its name) - a separate fuse dedicated entirely to the operation of the fuel pump, and you are increasing the gauge of the wiring from 16 to 12, allowing MUCH better flow of current and way less heat buildup.

Trust me, it's worth it.

Full details and pictures are available by request if not already in the aforementioned thread.

Remember how we always say "It's not the fan control unit, it's the fans that cause so much trouble in the cooling system..." ? This is the same thing here. It is not the fuse (fuse #7) that is the issue; it is the fact that this wiring is inferior and there are far too many components on fuse #7. Changing a fuse once a year is a bandaid. Increasing the gauge of the wiring for the fuel pump and giving the fuel pump its own dedicated fuse is a permanent solution.

(And my car has no inertia switch plugged in - never has - so I accept that risk. If you follow the instructions in my link, you do so at your own risk, and I am not responsible for any consequences or after-effects.) Besides, I am confident that you could always include the inertia switch with your new wiring if you so choose.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Have you installed higher power headlights? This was a problem with the guys over the pond about 5 years ago. They had to install higher power headlights and that put the fuse near max rating. Their fix was to up to the next current fuse.

[ZX-14]

I got the car with the high powered primary head lights. The entire housing, bulb and plug is different from the factory lights.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I got the car with the high powered primary head lights. The entire housing, bulb and plug is different from the factory lights.

You can measure the current if you have a meter capable of 20 amps but my guess is your really close to 20 amps and therefor....if it were me, I would run 25 amp fuses. That is when you put in a new fuse box.

[Jonathan]

do you guys think caused it? Looks like I have to replace the box??

Any particular reason why you went with a 10 Amp fuse in #5 instead of the 20 Amp fuse recommended in the drawings?

It's the only one I saw not the proper size. Not sure it really would have had any impact on the melting, but just an observation.

[ZX-14]

Pulled all the melted fuses- the headlights are somehow getting those fuses hott. As far as the fuel pump fuse, I replaced it and drove it quite a bit today, reached over and touched it periodically and never even got warm.

So I have decided to bypass the box with the headlights only. I am using an inline glass fuse x2, the box shouldn't get hot- but if it does somehow in the future, I will replace it with a better box , as there are a few out there.

Until then, i will be keeping an eye on the fuel pump fuse, but so far, it's not the culprit.

Hot start problem is fixed, car is really coming along and drives/runs perfect, just slow.

[jawn101]

Pulled all the melted fuses- the headlights are somehow getting those fuses hott. As far as the fuel pump fuse, I replaced it and drove it quite a bit today, reached over and touched it periodically and never even got warm.

So I have decided to bypass the box with the headlights only. I am using an inline glass fuse x2, the box shouldn't get hot- but if it does somehow in the future, I will replace it with a better box , as there are a few out there.

Until then, i will be keeping an eye on the fuel pump fuse, but so far, it's not the culprit.

Hot start problem is fixed, car is really coming along and drives/runs perfect, just slow.

This doesn't address the issues though... If there is heat being generated from wiring issues you're just going to move it. The next thing that burns or melts won't be as easy to fix. You should really find and address the source of the issues before they multiply and/or do some real damage.

[ZX-14]

The only issue is coming from the lights. Changing the box will not solve that issue alone. There are aftermarket H2 powered lights on the car. The ground and wires are correct. The box melted at those fuses and at the pump fuse, which is no longer heating up.

Replacing everything at random won't reveal a problem if it all melts again.

What would you suggest I do extra?

[jawn101]

Yeah, I'm not saying changing the box will fix the issue - but you should track down whatever it is, wherever it exists. Maybe upgrade the wiring to the headlamp circuit if it's known that the HID upgrade draws too much power. I hadn't heard that before but I've never seen this upgrade installed before either. Or perhaps restore the headlamps to their stock config. And like David T said, the melted fuse #7 indicates something more dramatic may be going on with the fuel pump.

I don't have all the info on your car or config so my advice is pretty general....