Old Gerrard (JTD 115/8v) has sat unloved on my driveway since I bought my X.. but after a few months of moss growing on it, I managed to summon up enough enthusiasm to try and get him back on the road.
I decided (for some reason that made sense at the time) to brush out the mouse droppings and nut shells using a pressure washer. Mickey had made his home inside the bonnet liner.. but had obviously used the gearbox as his dining room.
Anyhow, all that went well.. although I did splash the fuse box... (the grey one with the fuses and relays, next to the battery) so after that, the car's brains went a bit schizophrenic and it flashed up electrical system warnings and the odd immobiliser didn't disarm. I'm 100% confident it was me what norksed it up, since the car had started fine before I drowned it, with only a dead tail-lamp bulb reported (which is true).
I removed the fusebox and sprayed the b'Jesus out of it with WD40 and Electrical contact cleaner but every time I rotated it around, some fluid or another would seep out. When I turned on the ignition, I could hear some fizzing or popping noises inside the fuse box and occasionally a bit of steam coming out, so it's short circuiting in there somewhere. I've left it to dry in a warm place and it'll hopefully recover.
But.. if some fluid is lingering in there and as a last resort, can I dismantle the fuse box? It looks like a lot of steel and plastic plates sandwiched together.. that just need to be prised apart.. but is that it? Is there anything that I can break apart from all those tiny pins? How do you do it?
Obviously, if it works okay once it's dried out, I won't touch it..
Ralf S.
I decided (for some reason that made sense at the time) to brush out the mouse droppings and nut shells using a pressure washer. Mickey had made his home inside the bonnet liner.. but had obviously used the gearbox as his dining room.
Anyhow, all that went well.. although I did splash the fuse box... (the grey one with the fuses and relays, next to the battery) so after that, the car's brains went a bit schizophrenic and it flashed up electrical system warnings and the odd immobiliser didn't disarm. I'm 100% confident it was me what norksed it up, since the car had started fine before I drowned it, with only a dead tail-lamp bulb reported (which is true).
I removed the fusebox and sprayed the b'Jesus out of it with WD40 and Electrical contact cleaner but every time I rotated it around, some fluid or another would seep out. When I turned on the ignition, I could hear some fizzing or popping noises inside the fuse box and occasionally a bit of steam coming out, so it's short circuiting in there somewhere. I've left it to dry in a warm place and it'll hopefully recover.
But.. if some fluid is lingering in there and as a last resort, can I dismantle the fuse box? It looks like a lot of steel and plastic plates sandwiched together.. that just need to be prised apart.. but is that it? Is there anything that I can break apart from all those tiny pins? How do you do it?
Obviously, if it works okay once it's dried out, I won't touch it..
Ralf S.
