Starting Without "Stubbies" fuses

[ChrisInNashville]

OK, in a post this weekend, I confessed to blowing my "stubbies" - the 25 amp fuses in position 2 and 6 - while replacing my cigarette lighter...

Despite this, the car still started - albeit a bit slow - and ran fine.   I'm waiting on my stubbies from Millers to arrive.  

Tonight, after a one mile drive (my third drive of the evening), the starter will crank, but it won't connect.   I "jury rigged" some modern 25amp fuses into the empty slots to make the connection, with no result.  Headlights & electric seem to be otherwise fine.   So,

a) Have I done damage by continuing to use without the starter assist.

b) do i simply need to wait for my "stubbies"

c) is there something else I've missed.

[graphic66]

I can't see how those would affect the starter. Only one wire energizes the starter solonoid from the ignition switch in my 66 230SL and if your starter is turning then it's getting power. Sounds like the problem is in your starter solonoid. I just found the back of my solonoid was falling off.  Of the 2 screws holding it on, one was gone and one was real loose. My car would not engage the flywheel every time. It only happened about once every few hundred starts. I just fixed it and havn't driven it yet to check. So check your solonoid, you may need a new one or it may just be loose.

[Jonny B]

You should be able to replace the stubbies, with a regular size 25 amp fuse. Isn't there a brass insert that holds the stubby fuse in place in line with all the other?

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[ChrisInNashville]

Yes, there are inserts, but they're riveted into place and I don't want to destroy the lead by ripping it out.

Stubbies are being fedex'ed and I'll have Friday.

The car did start after sitting 24 hours, but after a one mile drive home, it won't restart...this is what has me perplexed.

[graphic66]

If the starter is spinning, meaning a whirring noise it could be many things. One is a bad connection at the battery, starter or ground. The accesories can work fine but when you need heavy amps, as in starting it won't do it. The other could simply be a bad battery, same scenario. I suggest trying a jump start from another running car. If that helps it is a bad battery or bad connections on the terminals. If that doesn't do it double check your connections. Remove the battery terminals and clean them, pull hard on the cable end on the starter and grounds, if you can move these with your hand they are to loose. Lastly beat the starter with a hammer the try it. If beating the starter helps then you probably have a bad solonoid on the starter. If none of the above help you should get a new solonoid, pull the starter and bench check it. The solonoid is easily replaced when the starter is out. Remember when removing the starter the top bolt is accessed through the opening in the tranny tunnel from the interior down by the passengers feet.

[ChrisInNashville]

Thanks for the feedback.   I'll be working on it this weekend and will update the board soon.

[66andBlue]

quote:Originally posted by Jonny B

You should be able to replace the stubbies, with a regular size 25 amp fuse. Isn't there a brass insert that holds the stubby fuse in place in line with all the other?

quote:Originally posted by christietz
Yes, there are inserts, but they're riveted into place and I don't want to destroy the lead by ripping it out.

Does anyone know a somewhat safe way to remove these inserts? Who has tried and succeeded?

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

[bsimaz]

I removed mine by using a drill bit.   Use a slightly bigger bit than the size of the rivit and turn it by hand.   The rivit is brass ( I think) and should shave off pretty easy.  I went by hand so I didn't drill through the bracket holding on the rivit.  Only shave off enough so the rivit falls out.


Bill Simaz
'66 230sl
Back on the Road

[J. Huber]

I'd disconnect the battery before I went too far ... [:0]

James
63 230SL

[George Des]

The use of "stubbies" in these slots has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. I assume it was too prevent using the wrong rating fuze in that location--assuming "stubbies" do only come in one rating?? If not it would be interesting to find out what the factory rationale was for making these slots different from the others. Any guesses?

George Des

[al_lieffring]

My fuse #2 still has the stubby but the #6 for the heater fan has the bushing removed. I guess I did it when my fan motor burnt out. Back 25 years ago the stubby fuses were not much easer to find than they are now.

George, I imagine that a shorter length of fusable wire would have less resistance so that it could take more current (16 amps) to heat up to the melting temprature causing the fuse to "blow". Improvements in technology later produced different alloys of the fuse link that could carry different current loads, eliminating the need for the "stubbies" in later production cars.

Al Lieffring
66 230Sl
Jones'n for a new gas tank