Testarossa fuse board rebuild

Four solutions that I know of that have proven to "work" over time (in my order of preference):
1. Fix it yourself by adding high-current capable parallel wire paths from the stock relay output terminals to the wires downstream of the offending white connectors (downside = you can't buy this from someone else).
2. Guido's hardwired replacement board and connectors.
3. GT Car Parts thicker traces replacement board.
4. Scuderia Rampante's modification relocating the relays and bypassing the offending white connectors (downside = the added relays are in a not easy to access location and most visually "modified" option).

 

It's worth adding that the terminals on the GT Car Parts boards are thicker than factory terminals where the white plugs go, and they make better contact (more pressure from the springed pins) as a result. I didn't know my radio light wasn't supposed to dim with the side markers on. Replaced the board and learned they don't dim.

Anyway, my misdirected vote for GT Car Parts fix.

 

my car is a 1990 with 18 k miles on original fuse board ,had tech looked into it last service stated no signs of concern do they all go bad?

 

If not all, certainly the vast majority do eventually have a problem on one, or more, of the high-current circuits. In addition to mileage (i.e., time being used), I think a big factor could be the atmospheric conditions were used/stored -- humidity, pollution (salt, sulfur), condensation, etc.. It's very much a "forward-feedback" problem -- if a little resistance develops = heats the connection more = oxidizes the connection more = raises the resistance more = heats the connection even more = oxidizes the connection even more...until failure.

 

Can’t really tell until the board is removed and opened to look at the circuit. I doubt the tech would do that. My 41k km looked perfectly fine from the outside until I removed and looked, and could see the discoloration on the high amp circuits.


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the easiest and cheapest way, so I also did

 

I continue to be of the minority opinion, that the fuse board is fine.

IMHO the problem is low voltage and high resistance leading to high current required for operation (and thus high temperature at the connectors, fuses and relays).
E.g.: the fuel pump has to deliver fuel at a certain pressure. If resistance is higher and voltage is lower than initially, the only way to deliver the same pressure (power) is to increase current.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm%27s_law

Cluprits are consumers, ground points and switches such as relays and the trunk battery switch.

Here is what I have done:
- cleaned ground point at battery, fuse board and engine.
- disassembled battery switch in trunk and flodded it with WD40.
- installed new fuel pumps (Bosch standard pump; quite cheap).
- installed new fans (Spal standard fans; quite cheap). Additionally I've added cooling water cleaner befor changing the cooling water. This was definetly a good iead as the water came out quite dark.

I can positively confirm that the fuel pump connector heat is resolved with this.

Fans were recently installed and thus I can't report back yet.

PS: if your driving lights become brighter when you rev the engine from idle this may indicate some ground points or switches wanting to be cleaned.

 

+1 for the GTCP board. Installed one this winter and it's much beefier than the stock PCB(stock board is a thin POS IMHO) and not ridiculously priced. Turnaround time was about 2 weeks.

 

Run a dedicated wire from engine chassis ground to battery, install relays on headlight circuit to take current load off switch stalk. Relocate hi current relays form circuit board. Power window circuit upgrade.

 

Essentially there are two approaches:

1) Get the high power loads off the circuit board.
Steve’s line items #1 and #4
2) Modify the boards to accept high power loads.
Steve’s line items #2 and #3

Decide which approach you wish to pursue, then decide between the options.

My choice for SN 83958 went with approach #1: Get the high power loads off the circuit board. No high loads, no heat, no problems. With that decision, the Scuderia option was a clean, well thought out, commercially recognized solution.

The Scuderia option was well documented and installed exactly as expected. No issues, no surprises and no heat. The new relays are mounted behind the board and out of sight. Theoretically, never to be seen again.

The install, to my eye appears to be totally OEM. The only real ‘tell’ are the small black wires exiting the affected, bypassed relays.

Count me as very satisfied with all aspects of the Scuderia solution.

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Hi, Ken
I did start a conversation about your fuseboard.

 

You mean excluding that added 6-position fuse panel, the completely different d and e connectors, and the missing stock fuses? Just giving you some jazz -- I know that it's perfectly functional. My biggest complaint is the more difficult access to the added relays. I have the same feeling for relays (or window accelerators) that get added inside the doors to reduce the current in the window switches -- good for function, but not an easy place to access replacement (or even know that they are there).

 

Yeah… of course. But you’ve gotta admit, the relocated fuse panel has been well thought out and fits just like an OEM configuration. Only an eye as keen as yours would even notice.

Not to mention the orange paint that marks where the OEM fuses are removed

Can’t see it very well in the pic, but Scuderia even provided a sticker to demarcate the new fuses in the new panel. Look just left of the OEM sticker.

 

As I originally said, the SR solution is one that has proven to work well over time. Nice touch with the added fuse label, but a label saying something about some of the relays being located on the backside wouldn't hurt -- then having a label on the backside to identify who's who, too. The only picture I have of the SR design doesn't label the functions of the added relays:
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Go with a new fuse board. GT Car parts is plug and play. Guidos works good but you do have to modify the white clips on a TR. not on a 512tr. The boards are all delaminating it is only a manner of time till you will have a problem. Do it!


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Good points. I’ll give ‘em a call and rattle their cage.

Keep in mind, Ferrari also places unmarked relays behind the circuit board.

 

That's a little different -- the stock "relays" mounted behind the fuse-relay panel are all unique physically (and are identified in the TR SPC). Six identical little black boxes in a row give no identification of function at all...

 

Hi, F-chatters, every solution for those fuse boards have pro and contras. Its important they work and if possible for a long time. So luckely there are solutions on the marked that makes our cars staying on the road !!
Notice = yes, with my boards for TR, testarossa, 400i, 412, all mondial, 328, 208Turbo, F40 and 288GTO, the white plugs that holds the wires have to be cut a bit. Why is that ? The connectors that I use are bigger then the OEM so I did have to turn them 90 degrees.
No big deal...with a dremel or little saw. A 2 to 3 hours job.
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The other boards for 550, 456 and 512TR are plug and play...no transformations to make.
Guido

 

I'm having Jenni & Dave at Scuderia do our 1990 TR board right now

 

I sent ‘em a note per Steve’s suggestion in post #16. Give them a call and insist on them making labels to note the location and id the individual relays.

It’ll help them improve their product!

 

I did Guido’s board a few weeks ago. Working great. Very nicely made and would definitely recommend it. Would be easy to repair if ever necessary too. Took me a bit longer then 2-3 hours tho, but could do it much faster next time. I like to think I’m a quick learner but it took me a bit to figure out the best way for me to install and next time I’d probably do it slightly differently.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/index.php?threads/Some-quality-time-with-relatively-new-to-me-%E2%80%9887-TR---fuse-board-and-Clifford-alarm%2E.658281/


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The other thing is that you realize when working on the connectors is how undersized the stock pins are compared to some of the larger gauge and multiple wires that attach to one connector/pin. Guido’s spade connectors/pins are bigger then stock (?2x surface area - which is one of the reasons I went with his board).


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Not quite sure what gauge the top 2 larger wires are (on the second pin there’s 2 wires going to the same pin), they’re
pretty hefty. There’s a few like that.


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