100 Amp Fuse Replacement

[erkoines414]

Hey all,

New Prius owner, old DYI guy.

Wife got a 2001 Prius. The 100 amp fuse on the drivers side fuse box is blown. How do I get the bugger out? Looking at the new one, it looks like the blades are bolted in.

I have spent a couple hours trying to get the fuse block apart, but can't seem to find whatever the easy trick is.

HELP!

ETS

[naterprius]

That's bad. That's not a fuse, it's a fusible link. They have a slow burn, indicating not just a quick spike in current, but a sustained (too high) current draw. You should locate the short before you replace the fusible link; it will blow again.

Nate

[erkoines414]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Nov 2 2006, 11:08 PM) [snapback]342983[/snapback]</div>

That's bad. That's not a fuse, it's a fusible link. They have a slow burn, indicating not just a quick spike in current, but a sustained (too high) current draw. You should locate the short before you replace the fusible link; it will blow again.

Nate
[/b]

I know what blew it. I put the battery charger on the aux. battery without disconnecting the ground. Won't do that again.

ETS

[tochatihu]

Hi ETS, I read one account of replacing this fuse in the yahoo toyota prius technical group, and will try to dig that up. But basically you need to unbolt that entire fuse/relay box and lift it up to be able to unbolt the big fuse from below. Obviously everything must be powered down while you are shortin' all those wires together on the underside of the box.

Rated as "possible but I'd hate to" on the DIY scale. Good luck.

Previous blowouts resulted from reversed polarity on external 12 volt connections IIRC.

[erkoines414]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tochatihu @ Nov 3 2006, 10:21 AM) [snapback]343152[/snapback]</div>

Hi ETS, I read one account of replacing this fuse in the yahoo toyota prius technical group, and will try to dig that up. But basically you need to unbolt that entire fuse/relay box and lift it up to be able to unbolt the big fuse from below. Obviously everything must be powered down while you are shortin' all those wires together on the underside of the box.

Rated as "possible but I'd hate to" on the DIY scale. Good luck.

Previous blowouts resulted from reversed polarity on external 12 volt connections IIRC.
[/b]

Yeah, that's what I've been working on. Definately a PITA. Not a lot of room in there, especially with the high side A/C line running over the top of the box.

ETS

[erkoines414]

Alright. It's done, so I'll let you all know how much fun it was. Again, this is a 2001 Base model.

1. Disconnect the positive lead for the auxilliary battery.

2. Remove the funnel attachment for the wiper fluid reservoir.

3. Disconnect the 5 electrical connecters (each is unique so no worries when re-assembling) to the left of the fuse box. Pull that bundle back and undo the tie to the fusebox and the first two ties on the aquarium cover.

4. Remove at least 1 screw from the bracket holding the bundle connectors that run under the electric motor housing cover. You probably can't get to the second one anyway. I couldn't. Push the bracket down and to the left as much as possible.

5. Remove the 2 x 10MM bolts that secure the fusebox to the body. I needed a wobbly bar and a 90 degree adapter for the rear one.

6. Unclip the highside A/C line from the front ground cable and aquarium cover and move it to the left a couple inches. Take care not to kink the line. That would be bad.

7. Using a flathead screwdriver, unclip the 4 clips (1 on each side) that hold the bottom cover of the fusebox to the top and wiggle the bottom out from underneath. There is a cutout so that it goes around the bundles running into the box.

8. Use a flathead screwdriver to push in the two clips that hold the fusible link connector block to the fusebox. Slide it out the bottom of the fusebox. Move the main fusebox as far forward as possible.

9. Disconnect the black connector on the bottom of the link block.

10. Pry back the 4 arrowhead shaped retainer clips on the longer sides of the fusible link block. Slide the lighter colored covers down, revealing the retaining bolts (4 total) for the link and cables.

11. Loosen the 10MM bolt holding the link on the right side. Loosen the 8MM bolt holding the link on the left side. Pull out the blown 100A link. You do not need to remove the other 2 bolts.

12. Replacement is reverse of removal.

13. Check the rest of your fuses. I had 4 blown 10A and 15A fuses from the original overload. All minor stuff, but blown is blown.

It's running fine now.

Happy motoring,

ETS

[tochatihu]

Thanks a lot for posting the details. Let all who read this thread know that if you do something really bad to the 12 volt circuit, your Prius will be dead until fixed in this way.

This is of particular interest for jump-starting other vehicles: be sure, as never have been before, that you have the polarity right. Couldn't some other car be used as a donor instead?

Also for those who add a 110 vac inverter (as I have). Please learn about adding another, smaller 'sacrificial' fuse ahead of this hard-to-change thing. Then you'll be able to drive home afterwards...