Burnt connector

[Lynne Roy]

This is under the seat connected to the Electroblock bl2 pin 1. Is it a fuse or just a joint please.

 

[Figaro]

Looks like just a burnt joint, look at one behind, it`s appears the same.
Bad connection by the looks of it

 

[Garfields]

Agree with Figaro

 

[pappajohn]

Looks like just a burnt joint, look at one behind, it`s appears the same.
Bad connection by the looks of it

Hardly surprising with a joint like that. Should be a male and female spade joint, that looks like 2 x female and a male coupler.

 

[autorouter]

Looks like just a burnt joint, look at one behind, it`s appears the same.
Bad connection by the looks of it

Agreed. Am I right in thinking the red wire goes to pin 4 of the 4-way connector on the EBL?

If so, this wire carries the power for the fridge 12V heater element, and the current it carries is quite high - about 16A. That's just about at the limit of what these push-on terminals can take without overheating. Any slight resistance and heat builds up, causing oxidation and even more resistance, more heating etc until it fails.

To me it looks like that has happened before. The 4-way connector on the EBL gets burnt like that, and someone replaces it. They cut off the burnt connector, and replace it with a few inches of extra wire because the cut off wires are now too short. If the joints are not absolutely 100%, you get the same thing happening again.

I'd suggest replacing these joints with crimped butt connectors, to make a permanent connection. The short bits of wire look a bit thinner than the main wire, but for that short length it doesn't really matter so much.

Butt Connectors (Red, Blue, Yellow)

High quality insulated butt crimp connectors in red, blue & yellow for 0.5-6.0mm² cable. Tinned copper conductor & PVC insulation.

www.12voltplanet.co.uk

The colour indicates the wire thickness. I'd guess the yellow is the one you want.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

Standard ¼" push on may have been loose and arcing. Block 2 pin 1 is the fridge connection. If you have the tall fridge/freezer they take 13 to 15 amps. I would replace it with a crimped butt joint.

Edit: Autorouter beat me while I was looking up the EBL connections.

 

[Jev88]

I take it that isn't a piece of heat shrink wrap over the joint and someone has over cooked the heat sealing of it?

 

[TheBig1]

For that sort of butt joint, I now prefer to use a combined crimp and shrink connector. A good manual crimped connection, sealed immediately with the glue lined sleeve shrunk on to prevent any future oxidising

 

[Lynne Roy]

Thanks everyone, we bought it brand new so is original, we smelled burning so investigated, appreciate your advice x

 

[autorouter]

Thanks everyone, we bought it brand new so is original, we smelled burning so investigated, appreciate your advice x

At least you haven't made the same mistake as me. Driving back from Germany through the Netherlands I noticed a burning smell, but only when the engine was running. I concluded, logically, that it was a slipping clutch, and drove very carefully back to the ferry in Rotterdam. I took it straight a local lorry place where I get the MOT, and they were happy to put in a new clutch for a reasonable rate. Then driving it home, there was the burning smell again

Of course it turned out to be the 4-way connector on the EBL. The EBL is located in a cupboard just to the right of the driving seat, and the smell was coming from there.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lynne Roy]

I have changed the joint but now the short piece of wire heats up al lot when the fridge is on and engine running ,it’s pulling just over 16amps I have a cheep meter I carry with me But I’m no electrician. I am a bit worried about it catching fire. Its definitely pin 1 block 2 on the five pin connector .
Is there anywhere I could take it to be fixed.

 

[Manic]

This type of joint burning has been mentioned a few times on the Facebook Hymer group.
Would be worth replacing with something better. Also been mentioned that the connector into the EBL can do the same.

 

[tonyidle]

I have changed the joint but now the short piece of wire heats up al lot when the fridge is on and engine running ,it’s pulling just over 16amps I have a cheep meter I carry with me But I’m no electrician. I am a bit worried about it catching fire. Its definitely pin 1 block 2 on the five pin connector .
Is there anywhere I could take it to be fixed.

The wire looks OK for 16A over a short distance and hasn't suffered any ill-effects up to now. It may get warm to the touch but won't continue to get any hotter. Using a thinner wire into the Electrobloc is a common way to overcome the fact that the Electrobloc plug pins aren't designed to accept anything thicker.

 

[autorouter]

Can you tell if it is the joint, the wire itself, or the connector pin on the EBL that is heating up? The wire looks thick enough to take 16A without getting warm. Those connectors on the EBL can lose contact a bit if there is strain on the wires, causing them to heat up.