Engine Bay Fuse Box

[Bruke]

For anyone who has tapped into the fuse box in the engine bay, can you share a step by step? I want to do some aux lighting projects, but I haven't been able to find the proper steps for accessing the fuses. The BS definitely isn't as straight forward as my old 2011 Impala. Thanks!

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[Wabarca2]

Are you looking for a 12v source?

 

[Mark S.]

For anyone who has tapped into the fuse box in the engine bay, can you share a step by step? I want to do some aux lighting projects, but I haven't been able to find the proper steps for accessing the fuses. The BS definitely isn't as straight forward as my old 2011 Impala. Thanks!

It really depends on what you're trying to do. Do you need a relay, or just a 12V power source? Unless you need a high-amperage source, the easiest way to get power from a fuse box is with a fuse tap.

 

[Bruke]

i plan on using a fuse tap, what i'm looking for is the steps for the removal of the fuse cover itself. Ford has the instructions on how to do it in the manual, but I guess I'm more curious about people's experiences with actually doing it.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=7450&languageCode=EN&countryCode=USA&Uid=G2123954&ProcUid=G2080268&userMarket=usa&div=f&vCode=&vFilteringEnabled=False

 

[VirtualJMills]

i plan on using a fuse tap, what i'm looking for is the steps for the removal of the fuse cover itself. Ford has the instructions on how to do it in the manual, but I guess I'm more curious about people's experiences with actually doing it.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=7450&languageCode=EN&countryCode=USA&Uid=G2123954&ProcUid=G2080268&userMarket=usa&div=f&vCode=&vFilteringEnabled=False

Done it once.

It's super fiddly, and leaves you feeling like you're going to break something even though it's quite elegantly designed.

The design is an outer pair of high wire-count bulkhead connectors, a "floating" fuse/bulkhead backplane (the thing marked `SCRAP IF DROPPED`), and then the inbound power feed plane anchored to the vehicle.

When you "open" it, you're disconnecting those bulkhead connectors from their "docked" state, and then carefully lifting up-and-out the entire backplane.

All fuses (minus a few failsafe ones in the power feed plane) are attached to the backplane.

This is in contrast to legacy fuse-box designs (and the under-glove-box fuses), where all circuits remain live while the "lid" is open, because the "lid" is just a cosmetic cover to a fixed-in-place combination backplane + power feed plane.

 

[Bruke]

Done it once.

It's super fiddly, and leaves you feeling like you're going to break something even though it's quite elegantly designed.

The design is an outer pair of high wire-count bulkhead connectors, a "floating" fuse/bulkhead backplane (the thing marked `SCRAP IF DROPPED`), and then the inbound power feed plane anchored to the vehicle.

When you "open" it, you're disconnecting those bulkhead connectors from their "docked" state, and then carefully lifting up-and-out the entire backplane.

All fuses (minus a few failsafe ones in the power feed plane) are attached to the backplane.

This is in contrast to legacy fuse-box designs (and the under-glove-box fuses), where all circuits remain live while the "lid" is open, because the "lid" is just a cosmetic cover to a fixed-in-place combination backplane + power feed plane.

So does this mean when you open it and the bulkhead is disconnected you won’t have power running to any of the fuses?

 

[VirtualJMills]

So does this mean when you open it and the bulkhead is disconnected you won’t have power running to any of the fuses?

Correct. Prepare for system reboot. :-/

There are some critical circuits that remain live, but anything listed as being served via a fuse on that removable backplane/midplane is disconnected during this process.

 

[Bruke]

Correct. Prepare for system reboot. :-/

There are some critical circuits that remain live, but anything listed as being served via a fuse on that removable backplane/midplane is disconnected during this process.

Damn! So no easy way to test what has power when the car is on/off

 

[VirtualJMills]

Damn! So no easy way to test what has power when the car is on/off

The ideal way to do this is analysis of the shop manual, wiring diagrams, and theory-of-operation narratives.

Not having any of those (I don't either), you're in the gamble department, hoping all of the post-shutdown delay circuits are also powered-off, in order to confirm that you'll have guaranteed power "forever", versus "for the next 5 - 15 minutes of key-out, engine-off state".

Possible that someone with access to the diagrams and such can chime-in on the circuits marked as "Not Used" but actually populated in the two fuse locations.

 

[VirtualJMills]

The ideal way to do this is analysis of the shop manual, wiring diagrams, and theory-of-operation narratives.

Clarification: The SUPER ideal way would be for Ford to just publish the location of the "pre-wire" circuits in the Bronco Sport (C430/Cx430 platform), and their intended use-cases, such as the roof light-bar circuit. But, let's pretend we're still in the real world, and that there is no Upfitter's Guide for the Bronco Sport, 'cause, there ain't one.

 

[John J]

My two cents:. (4 cents now with inflation ) I went the Auxbeam switch box route. Very easy and neat. I wired the switch panel power right to the battery. It's on all the time but draws minimal power. Never had battery drain and only drive my Bronco once every 7-10 days. Makes hooking up extra lights stupid easy.

 

[Megakatx]

For anyone who has tapped into the fuse box in the engine bay, can you share a step by step? I want to do some aux lighting projects, but I haven't been able to find the proper steps for accessing the fuses. The BS definitely isn't as straight forward as my old 2011 Impala. Thanks!

Maybe the best way to get a live connection is from the indoor fuse box on the passenger side. I think it's impossible get a wire from the engine fuse box...

 

[Bruke]

My two cents:. (4 cents now with inflation ) I went the Auxbeam switch box route. Very easy and neat. I wired the switch panel power right to the battery. It's on all the time but draws minimal power. Never had battery drain and only drive my Bronco once every 7-10 days. Makes hooking up extra lights stupid easy.

Do you mind sharing the link to the box you used?

 

[John J]

Do you mind sharing the link to the box you used?

ww.auxbeam.com

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