CamaroSS

iTrader: (2)

I have had a Racetronix pump kit for about 6 months, and I had no problems with it until it started popping fuses. I would be driving along and the car would die, pop the hood and the fuse would be black from popping. I started melting them, and was forced to tow the car home one day, and ended up replacing the relay, and it stopped popping them. Now they seem to just melt, about every 3 weeks I have to put in a new fuse because the pump just shuts off.

This is getting very annoying, and I am VERY lucky that it hasn't happened while I was racing, or in an area with no place to turn off. My days are numbered though, and I would like to know what the problem is or maybe where to start looking.

I have the pump wired off the power on the driver's side. (was originally wired to the battery directly and I was told to change that) I have the fuse box thing sitting in an area where it wont see excessive heat or water, just in case.

Has anyone heard of this problem at all? I was told to not run the hot wire kit, but I don't think I would see the extra pressure which is the reason I bought the damn thing!

Thanks for any help, tips, or leads.

ZL1Killa

iTrader: (17)

if you hook the kit up just as your are supposed to, with the wiring harness and the factory connection at the back of the car too, and there are no shorts or anything near the wires that they could arc on, it should be fine.

i hooked up the kit with their harness and everything like it should be done, and i have had no problems... (i don't think that i changed their fuse to a higher rating??)
you gotta have something going on with the wiring.

CamaroSS

iTrader: (2)

Well the strange thing is that it was done exactly like they say to in the kit. The fuse that is in the little thingy is a 20A and I keep replacing that with the same fuse. I also fucked up the Relay in the rear, and I had to buy a new relay to replace it.

Nobody locally can explain this fuel pump phenomenon haha.

02 Pewter LS1

iTrader: (8)

I have mine installed with the harness they give you and it is hooked up to the 12v power block on the drivers side like you. It has been on there for over 2 years so I do not think that is your problem. Sorry I could not be of any help but like the other guy said look for a short somewhere in the wire.

LostCauseZ06

iTrader: (4)

why would you hook it to a 12v block? that makes no sense... the whole point in the hotwire kit is to pull directly off your alternator or battery so that your giving your pump a good 13-14 volts (they are rated good to like 14.4 volts) therefore increasing flow...

CamaroSS

iTrader: (2)

Well I didn't know that, and I was told I was "stupid" for wiring it directly off the battery, and was told to connect it there. The shop he works for installs all their Racetronix pumps off that.

Well I cleared out the fuse slots since they were all gunked up with melted metal from the bad melted ones of the past. I realized when I had the cap off that they were loose when inside the slot, so I bent the prongs in and am going to try that. I think the current problem was being caused by the debris inside.

FYI, I dyno'd last month and the air fuel was at 10:1 without any other changes, so the pump was pushing like hell.

Racetronix

iTrader: (2)

This usually happens if the fuse contact gets dirty then arcs.
Some customers remove the cap and fuse when installing the harness.
If the fuse contacts are handled with greasy fingers it can cause this problem over a period of time.
It is best to clean the fuse contacts before inserting the fuse.
Once the terminal plating is compromised the problem will reoccur.
Please contact support@racetronix.com for a replacement part.

MIGHTYMOUSE

iTrader: (59)

bad ground

Racetronix

iTrader: (2)

A bad ground would not cause this customer's problem.

The RX harness incorporates a redundant grounding system.
Even if a customer failed to ground the harness properly it would still get ground from the factory harness.

edcmat-l1

iTrader: (10)

It shouldnt matter if its hooked to the battery, alt, or the power distribution block. the voltage should be within a couple tenths of charge voltage. if not there is a voltage drop somewhere and that aint good.
As far as whats causing the fuse to melt, you need to get the thing to an electrical specialist who can analyze the circuit using a scope and a low amp inductive pickup. thats the only way to "see" whats going on. Everything else is nothing more than hypothetical.
If it were a dead short the fuse would blow instantly. If it were an intermittent short, it would still blow as opposed to melting.
If it were a bad connection, USUALLY the bad connection itself becomes the resistor, and the heat and melting takes place at that point.
Something is happening to cause that circuit to draw enough amperage to turn the fuse into a resistor. This is where an inductive amp probe is indispensible. The technician will be able to see what the pump is drawing, and if there is any amperage "spikes" that may be caused by an intermittent short to ground.

Racetronix

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for all the input guys. Nobody knows Racetronix product better than Racetronix. We have dealt with this type of problem before.

The customer should e-mail support@racetronix.com with his contact info and we will get him on track with the right parts and without overcomplicating the issue.
Thanks.

edcmat-l1

iTrader: (10)

Sorry if it seems I'm "over complicating". Just a little electrical 101.
It kills me when people run in circles trying to diag electrical problems that are above their head, and chose not to turn to trained professionals for assistance.
And yes, RACETRONIX tech support should be the first recourse.

Racetronix

iTrader: (2)

Constructive technical posts such as yours are always welcome.



The Delphi fuse holder and relay contacts are rated at 46 amps. The average draw of the Racetronix F99-FPA is 10-12 amps. If all the fuse contacts are in good shape then the fuse should blow well before the contacts start to heat up. From time to time we see this problem. Sometimes the problem can be caused by dirt or bad plating. Either way the fuse holder terminals should be replaced. The Racetronix harness comes with a lifetime warranty and in many cases we turn a blind eye to customer installation oversight and supply the repair parts for free.

edcmat-l1

iTrader: (10)

Thank you. Too many times the good info gets overlooked in all the blah blah blah....

Very, very admirable.....especially having to deal with all BS
PS Sorry for the

LostCauseZ06

iTrader: (4)

i was under the understanding that most electircal used some sort of resister or something to drop the voltage to dead on 12 volts... lol obviously i have some research to do

DanZ28

iTrader: (5)

Why is their a resister soldered on the relay? (slight hijack)

CamaroSS

iTrader: (2)

Look at this customer service. Thanks guys, I hope we can get this handled.

Racetronix

iTrader: (2)

To suppress voltage spikes caused by the coil being turned off and on. These voltage spikes can damage sensitive electronic circuits in your vehicle.

DanZ28

iTrader: (5)

Thanks, my relay went bad (first relay I ever saw go bad). I temporarily am using a standard relay, should I solder a new resister on this one? and what kind of resister is it? Suppose I could look up the color code..

Dan

Racetronix

iTrader: (2)

If it's a Racetronix harness and you can provide proof of purchase the relay can be replaced free of charge. We will require the old relay back for evaluation.



Relay failures or for that matter any type of harness failure is VERY rare. The Siemens/Tyco relays we use are the best on the market by far. On the rare occurrence when a relay is sent back to us there is usually nothing wrong with it.



How did you go about diagnosing the relay and do you still have the old relay?



By using a non-sealed relay you may have compromised the relay socket by leaving it exposed. This can lead to contact failure down the road. It is always best to contact the vendor and arrange for a proper replacement.