What do you call the fuse/relay block for safety stuff (and can you remove it)?

[Puggy]

I've removed most all the unused wires from the bus that ran to backup beepers, extra lights, STOP signs, etc., cutting them off at that control box that's loaded with fuses, blinkers, relays, etc.

This one, that's above the driver's door in the Collins...


Question 1: What do you call this thing?

Question 2: I am assuming that "that thing" is now doing hardly anything at all, and in fact may be doing nothing. Is there a way to just remove it? That is, directly connect some of the wires going in to the matching wire going out?

I figure that there's a blinker already under the dash that handles the turn signals, and the wires for the tail lights are just passing through and not doing anything for example.

[Albatross]

Unless you can find the schematics or another sort of wiring diagram for your bus( and even then), the best way to figure out is to trace or follow all of those wires back to wherever else they go and figure out what they are/were for. Once you know what they are, you can figure out if anything is necessary, and figure out how to relocate it if you want to scrap the whole box.

[Puggy]

That was the next step. My guess is the standard system wiring is simply passing through.

[BlackJohn]

That is a really nice whatever! it's a 12v system at any rate and most likely in that location for ease of access for maintenance. What it controls is another issue tho.
could be lighting, door alarm systems, backup alarms, stop sign or other such as speakers or PA system.
Have you tested any of those fuses to see if any are hot? if so what is working and what isn't on the bus?
I wouldn't assume anything about that and definitely would secure it again from bouncing around. Does it have a panel cover at all? If it is a live panel try unplugging those brown junction blocks on the bottom and see what you loose but definitely don't change any connections at this stage.

[Puggy]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

That is a really nice whatever! it's a 12v system at any rate and most likely in that location for ease of access for maintenance. What it controls is another issue tho.
could be lighting, door alarm systems, backup alarms, stop sign or other such as speakers or PA system.
Have you tested any of those fuses to see if any are hot? if so what is working and what isn't on the bus?
I wouldn't assume anything about that and definitely would secure it again from bouncing around. Does it have a panel cover at all? If it is a live panel try unplugging those brown junction blocks on the bottom and see what you loose but definitely don't change any connections at this stage.

Yea that's exactly what it does (control the safety stuff). I just don't know the proper name, nor if it actually does anything for standard vehicle function such as turn signals, reverse light, etc.

The brown plug on the left has wires going back to the tail lights, and the one on the right I believe goes to the STOP sign and other front features. I have snipped off all the wires going into the left plug that went to disconnected rear bus-specific features, and all that is left are the turn signals, tail lights, backup light, and brake lights. Unfortunately the plug on the right sends wires down into the dash and front, which is a lot harder to trace than the ones that went to the back.

My *guess* is that it's basically doing nothing - and that none of the fuses, relays, blinkers, etc. are doing anything useful, since the bus has had it's control panel removed along with all bus-specific lights and devices.

Time, as suggested, to just trace the wires and see what does what. I just thought maybe someone had already done a similar "de-schooling" of their bus and dealt with this.

For reference, here's the pile of "did nothing" wires that went to the back...


And here is the pile of hydraulic and other hoses that also went to the back...


Interestingly the hydraulics connected to nothing in the back, ran all the way to the engine area in front, and connected to nothing there either. The wheelchair lift previously in the bus was electric - no hydraulics. Maybe it was run by Collins as an option in case someone wanted to use it in the future?

[crazycal]

Rat's nest.

[Puggy]

OK a follow up on this.

You know what that thing did in my bus? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

I started tracing wires, and realized there were only 3 wires coming from it to the rear of the bus. And I start thinking, "OK backup light, that's one. Brakes, that's two. Left turn, that's three... wait - what about right turn? what about tail lights?"

And that's when it hit me that the wires that come from the bus control panel are completely separate from the normal auto control lighting, and in fact that all runs in separate wires under the bus.

Meaning that at least on my 1991 Collins, that whole panel and that big bundle of wires going to the back and then to the front did NOTHING. Meaning that it's all gone now

Oh one caveat. The bus control panel needed power apparently, and two of the wires (big fat ones) were ground and 12V, so I had to treat them a bit more carefully and cap them off so they don't short on anything.