84 Westy Melted AC Fuse Holder-Pics

[Westified]

Photo of the Melted Fuse Holder for a 25 amp fuse for the Air Conditioner.

Photo of the whole fuse panel. Mine has auxiliary fuse holders. I have a 1984 Westy Wolfsburg Edition with AC

Here is the fuse layout for the 1984 Westy:

fuse houses the radio, flashers/signals, clock, and instrument panel lights. That fuse is looped/wired into fuse #8 and, again, is connected to fuse #11 via the flasher switch.
Fuse Panel Identification (1983-1985)*
*For reference only, your vehicle may be different.

Fuse # Amperage Identification
1 8 Amp (White) Left Tail, Parking & Side Marker Lights
2 8 Amp (White) Right Tail Parking, Side Marker & License Lights
3 8 Amp (White) Left Low Beam
4 8 Amp (White) Right Low Beam
5 8 Amp (White) Left High Beam & Indicator Light
6 8 Amp (White) Right High Beam
7 16 Amp (Red) Radiator Fan
8 8 Amp (White) Interior Lights, Cigarette Lighter, Stoplights
9 16 Amp (Red) Emergency Flasher System, Radio
10 16 Amp (Red) Windshield Wiper/Washer, Blower
11 8 Amp (White) Turn Signals
12 8 Amp (White) Horn, Back-Up Lights
Additional Fuses At Right Of Fuse Panel
13 8 Amp (White) Rear Window Heating
14 8 Amp (White) Rear Window Wiper
15 16 Amp (Red) Auxiliary Heater (If Equipped)
16 8 Amp (White) Overheating Switch
Additional Fuses Next to Fuse Panel (Left of Steering Column)
17 20 Amp (Yellow) Air Conditioning
18 25 Amp (Beige) Air Conditioning
Additional Fuses - Camper Models (Driver's Door Post)
On camper models, there is a fuse box located on the door post behind the driver's seat just below the seat belt retractor reel housing.
19 16 Amp Refrigerator
20 8 Amp Water Pump for Sink



The fuse did not blow but, the the holder melted. The AC continued to function but I smelled something burning. I was running the AC on high. Any ideas on why this would happen? Does anyone know where to get another fuse holder like these and how to remove the old one? I tried prying it off with not luck but didn't want to break the adjacent holder. My Westy is kept in a garage and has low miles which I have owned since 1987. The fuse was the proper 25 amp fuse. Any ideas are greatly appreciated?

Also, on another note my flasher relay is making a buzzing noise. The flashers work fine. I notice this noise when I switch the key on before starting.
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1984 Westy Wolfsburg, owned since 1987. FAS 2.0 NA engine conversion in 2022.

[Mrs. rubbachicken]

we will be back in San Diego in a months time, if you cannot find one before then, I'm sure rubbachicken has some in his collection of parts.
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lucy our westy


lucy's BIG adventure

[MarkWard]

There are some intelocking pins you can't see that retain it to the adjacent slot. A small flat blade screw driver is your friend. You need to determine the current path is correct, but I would not have a problem installing an aftermarket inline fuse or even a circuit breaker. There must have been some high resistance on the fuse connectors to cause it to overheat without blowing the fuse. Please verify the wiring path before you do anything else. It is possible someone added or shifted loads on that circuit that were not original. An amp meter inline or inductive will tell you the actual draw. If fused too high the draw itself may have caused the socket to melt.
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[Westified]

Thank you for the responses.
I will try the screw driver to remove the bad fuse holder. I call the VW dealer parts guy I know in Miami yesterday and he called me after I posted. I sent him the pictures and he was able to find the fuse holders still available. He saw the part number in my photo which is 161 937 601. Its new part number is 1H0 937 530. It is slightly different as it has a tab to hold the fuse in place. I ordered two plus the flasher relay that is buzzing. I couldn't believe I could get the part from VW. He gave me a good price also since he used to own a Westy and still likes them. I will also clean my grounds and put a multimeter on it to check the draw once I install it. I may also try to lube the evaporator fans as I read that can increase draw. Van-Café suggested I also check my switch.
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1984 Westy Wolfsburg, owned since 1987. FAS 2.0 NA engine conversion in 2022.

[MarkWard]

What is odd is the combination of ceramic fuses and the later H type in the same vehicle. It was usually one or the other in production. No doubt those are VW auxilary fuse supports, just odd to see both types of fuses.
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