Door Fuse

davidshelton · 03-03-2014, 07:17 AM

I am converting a 1996 Ford MetroTrans to a car hauler and now the electric door quit working, Anyone know where I could look for a fuse? Looked at both fuse blocks. Not even sure how this thing works.

roach711 · 03-03-2014, 03:00 PM

Our bus had a 12v linear actuator motor above the door and had a double pole switch which reversed the polarity to open & close the doors. Try disconnecting the bus wiring at the motor and checking for 12v power at the leads by flipping the switch. If you have power there it's likely a bad motor. If no power there check power to the switch then test switch function. If all that is OK then you get to chase some wiring.

It's a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Our bus has a separate fuse box for all the added on bus stuff. It's mounted in what would normally be the passenger foot well but I've seen other buses that had theirs mounted in the overhead compartments over the driver's seat.

davidshelton · 03-03-2014, 03:22 PM

Thanks. Sounds like a good starting plan. The door was working fine using the switch overhead of the driver. Saturday, I was messing with the 3 wires at the switch at the outside of the door (bad switch) and found out that touching one wire to the 3rd wire (ground) momentarily, the door opened. Touching the other wire to the ground momentarily, the door closed. Then nothing would work. Are these 2 wires supposed to be hot? Guess I will have to trace everything. Sure wish I could get a wiring diagram on the door opener.

Tango · 03-04-2014, 04:22 PM

Makes me wonder how many people here (not including yours truly, of course) have at some point muttered or wondered..."hmmm...it was working fine until I fixed it".

davidshelton · 03-04-2014, 09:15 PM

Yep, very true.

roach711 · 03-05-2014, 05:14 PM

I'm making some assumptions here since we don't know what system you have. Pictures would help, particularly of the motor and switch wiring.

Did you replace the switch? If yes I would think that the new switch is the problem.

Here's the wiring diagram for our door switch. Battery power comes in on the center switch terminals. When the rocker switch is pressed down the polarity is minus on the right hand wire going to the motor and plus is on the left wire. When the rocker is pressed up the polarity reverses to the motor terminals. It took me a while to figure this out!

First thing I'd do is check power to the switch to rule out a blown fuse. If power's good put the wiring back the way it was, including the old switch, then try the driver's door switch. If it works then you need to puzzle out the outer switch wiring. Getting the right replacement switch is key. A simple on/off switch won't work here.

Here's a link to the proper switch - http://www.elecdirect.com/product/4331f ... 4a092.aspx

davidshelton · 03-07-2014, 07:20 AM

Mine is a different setup. Only 3 wires to either switch location. Power is handled by relays. Has 2 relays and a "door controller". I did not replace the switch so that's not the problem. I will dig deeper this weekend.

davidshelton · 03-07-2014, 11:51 PM

FOUND IT!!!!!!! Traced all of the wiring and found no problems. Decided to take the Bode Door Control module apart and found there is a fuse inside. It was blown. It was a 6.3 amp fuse so I replaced it and everything works fine. Does anyone know if this is the correct size fuse for a Bode Door Control Module? Even installed the new switch on the outside, so it works good too!!

nat_ster · 03-08-2014, 09:29 PM

A 6.3 amp fuse is quite specific. Chances are that was the original fuse, you shorted it out while you were working on it the first time.

Glad to here all is well now.

Nat

davidshelton · 03-09-2014, 07:30 AM

I thought the 6.3amp 250volt fuse was kinda strange, but it works and fits correctly. The fuse holder is for a 5mm x 20mm fuse with room for nothing else, so a normal old-style automotive fuse won't fit. I did buy spares.

nat_ster · 03-09-2014, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidshelton

I thought the 6.3amp 250volt fuse was kinda strange, but it works and fits correctly. The fuse holder is for a 5mm x 20mm fuse with room for nothing else, so a normal old-style automotive fuse won't fit. I did buy spares.

Wow, 6.3 amps at 250 volts?

That would be over 100 amps at 12 volt. Something don't sound right.

Nat

davidshelton · 03-09-2014, 06:18 PM

Not sure, but I don't think fuses are rated that way. There is no way that little wire inside the fuse will handle 100amps at 12v DC.

Redbear · 03-16-2014, 12:26 PM

The fuse ratings are either/or maximums. You can use it in any circuit up to the maximum voltage or maximum current. A 6.3-amp, 250-volt fuse should not be used in a 10-amp circuit, nor in a 480-volt circuit. You don't multiply the ratings to get a 1575-watt capable fuse at any voltage below the maximum, like you would if you were calculating the wattage of a load.

I suspect the fuse does not power the actuator, but only the control module, or the control module and the relays selected by the operator's switches.

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