jrfiero

Seems like a stupid question, but I have a blown 120A ALT fuse in my 93 SC300, it wouldn't pull out by hand, I can't see any clips on it, and it shattered easily when I used a pair of pliers. How does a person remove it?
FYI, I do have the battery disconnected, and I own the manuals but can't find them after our move from VA to MA.

My issues were similar to another thread, car not started for three months, seemingly dead battery, after/while charging the door open chime and door open dashboard symbol come on, the dome light and the lights at the bottom of the doors come on, and the horn blows. No other dashboard lights or electrical things work.

I cleaned the battery terminals, and the battery appears at full charge according to the rudimentary gauge on the charger. I noticed the blown fuse as soon as I opened the fusebox.
Previous to it sitting idle (shoulder surgery - it's a stick) it ran fine, but the AC had recently stopped blowing cold, although the fan and controls worked. I don't expect that's related, but I can always hope.

I have to go buy a new fuse anyway, so that will give me a clue about how it installs/removes before I go breaking other things.

Jonas

jrfiero

Okay, so I have the fuse block up from its box, the front separated from the back, and the screws/machine bolts removed from front and back under the fuse, as well as loosening the adjacent screws in case they were clamping the 120A fuse. Still no luck.

The local Toyota dealer (no Lexus dealers on Cape Cod) says they might have one, bring in the old one. The local parts store says they have no 120A fuses.

Thoughts?

Jonas

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

A couple of those are real head scratchers at first. You should be just about there... Once all the fuse housing is unclipped and pulled apart, you'll see two screws per holding a few of the fuses in, one on each side.

jrfiero

Thanks, I have those two screws out, but the fuse won't budge. If that's all that's holding it, I'll get more aggressive. All the plastic of the fuse seems very brittle, every time I try to use needle nose on anything it just comes apart.

Do you suggest I dig down to the metal pieces and get it out of there?

Thanks again,
Jonas

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

Take a picture of what you've got. I'm not entirely confident we're talking about the same screws. Once you have the correct ones out, the fuse should wiggle out pretty easily.

jrfiero

Will do, pics tomorrow.
13mm hex heads with Phillips crosses in the center, one from the front, one from the back.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

That sounds like you've just taken the two screws out for the overall fuse box, not the two per fuse that holds in a few of them such as the alternator one.

jrfiero

I have the screws below the fuse out, hopefully shown in my first attempt attach pics (in a long time, anyway). Second pic is upside down, but you get the picture!
Now what?

jrfiero

Guess I'll take the whole front of the fuse block out and bring it inside where I can investigate better and flip it upside down. I found a thread from 2010 on the GS forum which shows the same thing I'm doing, but my fuse won't let go. then there's the question of why it blew in the first place ...
Kinda screwed up my healing shoulder just holding the block while using the socket wrench to get the bolts out. Surgery & getting old sucks.

1A1

They bolt in from the bottom.

Steve

jrfiero

"They bolt in from the bottom. "

Could you clarify that? Are you saying that in addition to the front and back bolts there is another that comes up into the bottom of the fuse? After ordering new fuses and viewing them online it appears that just those front and back bolts/screws hold them in place.

t2d2

iTrader: (8)

As I figured. That whole piece in your hand comes apart, exposing screws underneath that hold the fuses in. I forget exactly how it releases, but there are a few tabs on it that should be self-evident.

jrfiero

So, no, they don't "bolt in from the bottom" other than the two screws we've been discussing, and the pictures show I've already removed those two screws. At this point it should come right out, there are no tabs.
But, there's a small ridge on one of the copper legs caused by one of the screws which prevented it from coming out. I pushed it up from underneath with a small screwdriver.
Here's what it looks like, or what's left of it. RockAuto sells them for $1.87.