Extra fuse on Battery

[danc12]

Does anyone else have an extra fuse coming directly off the positive battery terminal? It has an in-line fuse and goes to a preform plug that is normally taped up. You can see where they have cut the tape to get to the plug. The only mod I have to the car is the Tow Kit but I can't believe that they would do this kind of klugy fix for the fusing for the kit especially given that there is a pre-form plug?

MikeD, Do you have the same thing on yours since I know that we got them form the same dealership?

Dan C

[Mike DiD]

Dan, where is this plug ? How many wires go to it ?

I don't have a Towbar but I'm looking at fitting one soon.

Just came back from Canberra - got 9.9 l/100km driving at 120km/h indicated (110 actual) with the aircon working hard. Can't complain about that !

[danc12]

Pics

Mike, See the attached photos at each end of the connection.

Let me know what is under your bonnet, Anyone??

Thanks Dan

[willow65]

plugs shown in photos are for trailer lights fitted my own looks the same

[Mike DiD]

This seems to be for the 12 volts feed for the Trailer connector - it doesn't exist on my NS.

The thick White/Green/Red cable leads to a connector behind the panel beside the passenger's left foot. At that place is another connector that runs the same coloured wiresn above the right rear wheel arch, just forward of the cigarette lighter socket.

It's an easy way of getting a high current supply to the rear without lifting lots of panels or carpet.

Each wire is 2mmsq so if they were paralleled they would be rated at 40 amps, although for voltage drop reasons you wouldn't use it for more than 10 amps.

So Mitsu have put this wiring in every NS and don't use it - but they run a pathetically tiny wire to the rear Cigarette Lighter socket which they laughably rate at 10 amps ! ? @ #

[Hookey]

Hello all,

Is the Mitsu "tow kit" the full tow bar/hitch and wiring or just the wiring loom? I asked my local dealer (Alto, Gordon, NSW) who couldn't find any info, and told me to get the hitch fitted by whoever and do the wiring myself. I'd like to use the vehicle cabling for aux power. Anyone know the Mitsu part number for the cabling and/or any more info on the location of the connector near the rear cigarette lighter socket?

Cheers,
Hookey

[Walker]

Mike, See the attached photos at each end of the connection.

Let me know what is under your bonnet, Anyone??

Thanks Dan

Dan, it is for the trailer wiring. The trailer wiring comes from a BCU (body control unit) and the fuse you see is the 12v active for the BCU. Unlike older cars you can't just pick up power for the trailer lights from the rear tailights. It is all fed via fibre optics to the BCU and from there it goes to the trailer plug.

Only reason I know all this is because I had a problem with my trailer wiring and the fuse did not blow as it should and it blew up the BCU. I had a fight with Mitsubishi because they said it was my fault because a fault in my trailer wiring had caused a dead short. I argued that the fuse they put in was meant to protect the BCU and it was not my fault the fuse did not blow. After much argument they finally agreed to replace the BCU under warranty.

[psproule]

I'm fairly certain that there are no Fibre Optics in your pajero. They do use a CAN bus to comunicate from module to module over wire. But optics? - cant see the point in a car and too fragile & difficult to terminate compared to wire.

[konerl]

Mike, See the attached photos at each end of the connection.

Let me know what is under your bonnet, Anyone??

Thanks Dan

This looks ugly! I have a towbar connection which also charges the battery in my camper. The power is very neatly taken from the 2nd battery and was fitted by my Icelandic dealership.

K.

[Walker]

I'm fairly certain that there are no Fibre Optics in your pajero. They do use a CAN bus to comunicate from module to module over wire. But optics? - cant see the point in a car and too fragile & difficult to terminate compared to wire.

You are probably right, the bus sounds more logical. I was just using the terms the dealer told me.

[athino]

For the record,

Some of the vehicle makers using fiber-optics in their cars include Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and Volvo.

The wiring loom on Mercs 10 years ago was up to 3 inches in diameter or more. Does not remove cabling altogether but lowers weight and cost if you consider it takes a lot less to install one fibre optic than dozens of cables.

[Mike DiD]

. . . . Does not remove cabling altogether but lowers weight and cost if you consider it takes a lot less to install one fibre optic than dozens of cables.

. . . . but to compare apples with apples, you have to add the cost, weight and complexity of optical-fibre-to-dc converters at each load.

The Pajero only uses multiplexing (copper, not optical) between the dashboard and the engine compartment fuse/relay box.

Just have a look at the size of the wire bundle going through the firewall behind the battery !

[danc12]

You would only need fibre if you have lots of electrical noise, want to achieve high data rates, or needed to go a long distance.

In a petrol engined car compared to say a hybrid car the levels of electrical noise are not high, distances are short and about the only applications that need high data rates might be the antilock braking system. So there really is not much justification to go optical.

This is an interesting article on the networks in cars

http://www.motor.com/article.asp?article_ID=1251

[andy1]

Hi all

Geting back on track I think its there for two reasons 1. the vehicle uses a can bus between all major ECUS it also has a SWS as well thats another story and 2. Wire dia is smaller then the previous Paj Mitsubishi are not the only one to use this system of a Electronic module for towbar wiring.

[Hookey]

Hello all,

I've now asked three dealers (Sydney City, Alto, Hunter) about trailer wiring, BCU's / fusing etc - none knows anything about (anything ?) .

Anyone know the Mitsu part number for the tow cabling loom, or info on the BCU wiring / fusing etc? I've got a tow hitch installed, and would like to be able to tow something.

Cheers,
Hookey

NP DiD Auto Exceed, Black, ECB Bull Bar, Ultimate Suspension