What is this box

rabithd · 03-09-2008, 12:40 PM

I am trying to find out what the 3 wire box on the right side of the engine compartment near the coil is called. It says Brown Red Brown Pic and Main

kdr358 · 03-09-2008, 07:19 PM

Starter selloniod maybe?

mark v · 03-09-2008, 08:04 PM

Looks aftermarket.

jr78 · 03-09-2008, 11:03 PM

Not only does it look aftermarket, it doesn't look like it's wired to anything but itself.

phantom_smack · 03-10-2008, 11:37 AM

The 3 looped wires are the fusible links

DONAL23 · 03-11-2008, 01:15 PM

I have a 88 festiva with the same thing. I think Phamtom_smack is correct they look like fusible links,cant remember if they had any wires hooked to them But I will looking tonight.Don't know exactly what they are for just thought they were spares.....

dareall · 03-13-2008, 10:52 AM

phantom is correct about what this item is. The wires that are hooked to them connect from beneath. They run along a loom that is under the coolant overflow bottle.

FistyFetiva · 03-15-2008, 11:36 PM

We have a 93 Festiva GL with an automatic tranny and A/C. The 30 amp link melts after about one or two minutes. The alternator is putting out at idle 12.9 and at running speed 13.6. The odd thing is the interior lights and seat belt motors won't run. The seat belt fuse was blown and installing a new one and trying to install the Link fuse and got mega sparks until we took the seat belt motor fuse out. The Link fuse still heats. We have even used an auto-reset circuit breaker and it burned up after six weeks. We had no indications the circuit breaker was reseting. One other thing that is odd is the alternator has two wires going to the fuse link block. One is connected to the 15 amp the other is connected to the 30 amp link, then connected together and it's the 30 that is opening up. I was a TV/VCR tech for over 35 years and understand trouble shooting but this has got me. Any ideas?

bassman2k2 · 03-16-2008, 07:54 AM

I've dealt with 4 Festivas all manual trans. None of them had this. It must be for auto trans only.

FistyFetiva · 03-16-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassman2k2

I've dealt with 4 Festivas all manual trans. None of them had this. It must be for auto trans only.

Thanks Bassman, I never thought about the electrical on the transmission.

There does seem to cabling that goes to what looks like an old/new version of an overdrive solenoid on the automatic transmission. I've dealt with 1950's era electric and manual overdrives on Ford, Plymouth and Rambler's before. It's a place to start anyway.

I am also wondering if anyone has ever heard of a dual set of windings on an alternator? This thing has three wires coming off the alternator, one hot to the bat, which I know is normal, the other two go through the mysterious link fuse box. Don't slap me down, but I wonder if the Mazda version had the same problems?

My book, Haynes which spotty at best about the electrics, shows almost every Festiva having this same configuration but does not distinguish the difference between automatics and 5 speeds. Haynes doesn't even show the seat belt motors or relays.