Fuse Box -- Need Help

[PtPtPt]

Hi, new member here. Have a question about the fuse box cover. I know where the box is, and the owner's manual says just to "open" it to inspect and replace fuses.

How do I open it?

I need to know what tools it may require, as well as how to get it open without damaging other wires that are close by. I know this should be a no-brainer but I don't have much of a brain.

Attached is an image of the fuse cover in question. Can anyone tell me what the red thing is that is scaring me from trying to rip the box open with a screwdriver?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[reevescajr]

I'm pretty sure the red thing is just a cover over the post the yellow arrow is pointing to. It just pulls off.

[Chip18sw]

It's not you!

And yes it should be as simple as you describe but it's not! You need to undo the clamp for the top of the air cleaner, leave the cover on the positive battery terminal!

Press on the clamp in the corner above the positive terminal. I used a screw driver to pry, it just take your time and nothing should break or snap off!y takes


Yes it actually takes tools to remove the fuse box cover!

[2step]

If your Cruiser came with an owner's manual the "how to" should be in there. If the manual is missing and has been lost along the way, then the post from Chip should get you on the right track.

[Chip18sw]

Originally Posted by 2step

If your Cruiser came with an owner's manual the "how to" should be in there. If the manual is missing and has been lost along the way, then the post from Chip should get you on the right track.

Manual ticked me off! I think it said remover air filter cover and pull off fuse box cover!

In essence yes but not quite that simple! I was p'ed off! But yeah I did not break anything, you should not need to have been working on cars for years just to pull the cover off a freaking fuse box!

[PtPtPt]

I don't know where I found it but I found an online repair manual that showed this diagram:



The owner's manual shows this:



No red button of doom on top of it, no clips or anything even remotely looking like a clip. In the manual, it looks like you just lift the lid and take the cookie out of the jar. I'm no mechanic, but I've had lots of cars that I've helped take apart -- never before has a simple fuse box kicked my azzz.

So the above image does suggest one must remove or at least put out of the way the air cleaner cover. Did you say this is not necessary? I read another link somewhere that says I can potentially toast the wiring harness by doing it wrong. I get skeered!

The funny thing is, it might not even solve my woes. Which will be the next new thread (if I get the fuse cover open) -- called "My Tail Lights Don't Light Up And It's Not The Fuse". I have a sneaking suspicion this is the case.

I bought this cruiser used. My last partner -- oh sorry, "car" -- and I were together for 18 years. Knew every inch of it. It was a dinosaur but it was my dinosaur. Now I have to learn about a car whose engine compartment you can't crawl inside in to take a nap. It takes some adjusting.

chip... you said "you should not need to have been working on cars for years just to pull the cover off a freaking fuse box!" ... but it sure feels that way at times!


p.s. the owner's manual image is in the text here but doesn't show in the preview. 3rd time's a charm, or 3 strikes and i'm out. Either way, tried it 3x to get it in there and can't see it.

[Chip18sw]

Yeah that's it the red cover is for the positive battery terminal. If you pry on the clip with a screw driver you need to leave that terminal covered!

You should be able to push the corner clip by hand and it should come lose but I used a screw driver and I undid the hose clamp to move the air cleaner out of the way.

It's not complicated but you do have a potenial for breaking crap if your not careful..so it's not just you!

[sanatanadharma]

Welcome to forum. It is all quite simple unless you have a 2006 or newer.
In the picture:
The red cover is removed by pressing the top center release downward with a thumb while the two adjacent fingers lift the two seen tabs. This exposes your positive battery jumper connector stub.
It also helps for PDC cover clearance. Loosening the air-box cover so that it and the air tube can be lifted for clearance also helps.
The cover release tab is at the right, just above the red in picture.
No more than finger pressure is required to squeeze tab (to left), lift that end and release the two tab/ slots at the other end; removing cover.

You say tail lights are the problem? Tail lights? Brake lights? Turn lights? How about the front? Do you have a shop manual- electrical schematic?

[Chip18sw]

Originally Posted by sanatanadharma

Welcome to forum. It is all quite simple unless you have a 2006 or newer.
In the picture:
The red cover is removed by pressing the top center release downward with a thumb while the two adjacent fingers lift the two seen tabs. This exposes your positive battery jumper connector stub.
It also helps for PDC cover clearance. Loosening the air-box cover so that it and the air tube can be lifted for clearance also helps.
The cover release tab is at the right, just above the red in picture.
No more than finger pressure is required to squeeze tab (to left), lift that end and release the two tab/ slots at the other end; removing cover.

You say tail lights are the problem? Tail lights? Brake lights? Turn lights? How about the front? Do you have a shop manual- electrical schematic?

The 2006's are worse!

[PtPtPt]

Originally Posted by sanatanadharma

You say tail lights are the problem? Tail lights? Brake lights? Turn lights? How about the front? Do you have a shop manual- electrical schematic?

Thank you for the welcome to the community.

A couple of nights ago I was pulling into a market after dark and someone standing outside who watched me pull in told me my tail lights were off. So I started it back up, drove to a vacant store front and backed into it to use their windows for mirrors. No running lights, and no brake lights when I tapped them. The headlights worked in the front. The license lamp did work in the back. I forgot to check to see if the signal lights worked.

I do have a 2000-odd manual that was available online, from this site. I wouldn't know how to interpret an electrical schematic if my life depended on it. Not being facetious, just have some brain damage that prevents me from making sense out of directional sorts of things, positional things, and anything to do with numbers. I am capable of inspecting and changing a fuse, if it turns out to be that simple -- if I can get the fuse cover off without electrocuting myself