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EDITED topic - Fuse Identification still causing a headache


Mucus72

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hi POBC- I had a spin in the morning session and rolled backwards out of it. Car stalled, and I couldn't restart it. 

Its been that way since. It turns over but doesn't fire. I reset the inertia switch. I've checked fuel level, more than 50%. It's noisy here but I don't think that I hear the fuel pump kick in. Wondering if it's that or immobiliser. Took battery negative off to see if this may reset something. 

Its a 420R. Wondering if it's a fuse too. I've reseated them but still no joy. Does anyone know which fuse to check please. Or general help!!!

thanks

marcus

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Glad you got it sorted. Interestingly the exact same thing happened to another Duratec caterham at the last track day I did last year. I wonder what it is about spinning it and going backwards which causes the fuel pup fuse to blow?

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That is interesting Tom. I don't know. At a guess I'd say that the fuel pump when suddenly confronted with the car rotating 180 degrees reaches its max load? But I have spun many times in my old K series on tracks and never had this problem. Also this one yesterday was really innocuous. Coming out of the hairpin Tarzan, 3rd gear on a very damp but drying track, searching for grip, one gear higher than normal, and on a wide, wet line. Sudden loss of grip when crossing the normal dry line on wide exit and bam, couldn't catch it. So it wasn't a really fast spin. The only other notable point is that I didnt dip the clutch in time to stop the engine stalling, but I was close, just missed it. 

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And for JK, some detail on the fuse. It was fuse F in your diagram - very useful thank you. Its in the "Fuel pump relay" cluster of fuses, but the diagram to the left calls out F as "Instrument lights". It may well have a dual purpose. My instruments themselves were working, but sadly I didn't notice whether either dial or dashboard switch lines were not working.

One of my mates yesterday questioned why I didn't have a fuse "grabber" or whatever they are called. The little plastic tongs that make life really easy to extract the fuses. Its a really good point. Caterham should supply one clipped into the fuse area. Maybe its a weight reduction thing?!

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Its in the "Fuel pump relay" cluster of fuses, but the diagram to the left calls out F as "Instrument lights". It may well have a dual purpose.

That sounds unlikely... we probably still don't have the right layout yet. Please could you check your Assembly Guide and Handbook when convenient.

One of my mates yesterday questioned why I didn't have a fuse "grabber" or whatever they are called. The little plastic tongs that make life really easy to extract the fuses. Its a really good point. Caterham should supply one clipped into the fuse area. Maybe its a weight reduction thing?!

Anyone thinking about fuses might also want to consider:

  • Fuses that show a little light when they've failed.
  • Resettable circuit breakers rather than fuses.

Those are both available for blade fuses and probably other formats.

Jonathan

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I've been looking into this a little further Chris and POBC. I got the fuse diagram from my assembly guide and fuse F (number 6 from top) blew, rated at 7.5A and called out as RHS Tail Light.

Another fuse, fuse M, rated at 15A is the fuel pump.

However, that was fine, and the fuel pump was NOT whirring up until fuse F was replaced.

Does anyone with any knowledge of things electrical know why this is the case. Is it just me that thinks that its also weird (related?) that the fuel pump is very near the RHS rear tail light physically?

 

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Agreed - take out F and see if anything else stops working, and take out M and see what stops.  

I don't think it's weird, I think it's a shame changes are made and the documentation given to the owners / customers is not updated.    I have posted before that there are wires in my old Sigma cars loom that aren't in the wiring diagrams, and you car has CAN bus instruments, but that isn't shown in the wiring diagrams either. 

At this rate your going to have the complete list of 420R fuses mapped Marcus, but don't publish it, sell it back to Caterham  :-)

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Shoot me if I'm wrong ! Doesn't the Duratec fail safe when a fuse blows  ? , the ECU see's a fault so fails safe ! ,until the fuse is replaced and the fault rectified the engine won't start. In this case the light fuse was replaced the ECU see's no fault and the fuel pump starts .

I know if the speedo sensor fails it can blow a fuse and won't start until it's replaced .

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I got the fuse diagram from my assembly guide and fuse F (number 6 from top) blew, rated at 7.5A and called out as RHS Tail Light.

Another fuse, fuse M, rated at 15A is the fuel pump.

A thought...

Can you explore the back of fuses F and M and tell us what wires you find there?  That may give us a clue as to what's going on.

JV

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Let me do a transposition check when I get home first and if it all goes to pot then the "ECU fail safe" scenario may be in operation. But as above, that would be potentially catastrophic....

Will report back gents.

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Hi Tom, hope you are well? Thanks for fishing that thread out - no like a gormless idiot having a panic on track, I just did the unthinkable (actually sorry JK!) and posted a net new thread.

So that link in the older thread to teh diagram to print out with the 50% of fuses reversed is, I think what I have. Did you take a copy of the file and if so could you upload somewhere and link to it please?

Thanks

Marcus

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