Notes on removing Fuse Box...

[argento]

Hey all,

I just removed my fusebox, relunctantly. I've always avoided doing this when routing wire thru the firewall b/c basically the bmw figure (F 36 51 128; http://www.geocities.com/odortiz/mis...t/imposibl.jpg) showing the 4 screws to remove have always eluded me. I finally found them all and thought I'd record my notes in this thread. I'm not finished, so i don't have pix yet, but I'll add them to this thread when I finish my project (head light aim kit, power rear vent windows).

I really didn't have a choice, I didn't know I had to remove the fusebox to lift up on the panel sandwiching the wire bundle and I wound up breaking the panel. At that point I knew I had to remove the fusebox.

BE CAREFUL WHEN DOING THIS, DON’T PULL HARD ON WIRES AND DO NOT YANK ON ANYTHING. BE PATIENT AND WORK SLOW AND CAREFUL. For reference, I'll use the following system to id each firewall fusebox screw: from inside the car, Top Left (TL), Top Right (TR), Bottom Left (BL) and Bottom Right (BR).

1. Begin by taking the lid off of the fusebox, then removing the four T10 torx screws holding the top of the fusebox. I bought extra screws since these easily strip. The top of the fusebox was still pretty hard to move out of the way.

2. To get more room, I next removed the relays and fuse cartridges from the fusebox top. They have tabs underneath that you press and simultaneously push down on the relay/cartridge. I didn't have luck with a flathead screwdriver. I reached underneath with my fingers. It's not easy and takes some work. Note that on the fuse cartridges you should probably remove the fuse nearest the latched side, otherwise it will interfere as you push it down and windup popping out anyway.

3. Next use a 13mm socket to remove the nut under the fuse box where I had two red wires attached with a ring connector. There is a red wire on the outside as well, but I left that on. One of the red wires prevented one of the closest relays from coming out until I removed the red wires. You should now be able to fold the fusebox top over the brake reservoir and have full access to the fusebox. What a mess of wires.

4. Inside the car, under driver’s dash, you’ll have to remove the lower dash panel, kick panel, knee bolster and kickpanel speaker (so as not to damage it). Fold back the carpet under where the dead pedal usually is.

5. Now you have to remove three of the four 7mm screws holding the fusebox. In the engine, looking at the fusebox/firewall, you can see three of the screws (TR, BR, BL), the fourth (TL) you will not see. Inside the car, the TR screw is seen thru a circular punch out in the gray insulation to the left and up of the clutch pedal. The BR screw is behind the carpet where the dead pedal is located. The BL screw is located behind the wire bundle that is behind the dead pedal.

6. Before removing the TL fusebox screw, you have to clear the way. Above the speaker, on that same wall, you’ll need to remove what bmw calls the fan connector. It is a black box, where a bunch of wire connectors plugged into it. Normally you wouldn’t have to remove the whole box if you needed to plug wires into one of these connectors b/c the connectors are attached to the box mechanically (they clip in, like the relays and cartridges in fusebox top). You can pry out the set of wires you need with a flathead. But to access the fusebox TL bolt, you’ll need to remove it. In the center of the box, next to the wall, there is a tab you need to pull toward the center of the car and then push the entire box up. It just comes off. Slide your whole hand under the box with your palm flush on the wall underneath and your thumb on the side of the box facing you.

7. There was another box above the fan connector box. Two plastic nuts and it dropped out easily.

8. Remove the TL screw. You can’t see the screw b/c it’s behind the gray insulation. I used a 14mm socket attached to a really long extension and used the TR and BL screw locations to approximate where I thought the screw would be. Then I pushed on the socket/exentsion and the socket easily cuts thru the insulation. I was about 1/3 of inch too high, but it was there. I felt like won the lottery. Once you remove all the screws you can pull back (toward front of car) on the fusebox, lift up the panel (bmw figure F 36 62 214) and fit your wires thru easily.

9. One last obstacle for me was to remove the panel b/c I broke mine. I pulled up on it and it was stuck. Turns out that panel consists of a tie wrap that is tied to the wire bundle. When you pull up on the panel, the entire bundle lifts up. Now I need to get a new part.

Sorry for such a long winded explanation. Good luck.

jjr

[Croak]

Another little note, that red wire under the 13mm nut is a direct line from the battery...don't short it against anything.

And you really don't have to disassemble that much of interior to get wiring through..just remove the kick panel, pull up the carpet, and a stiff coat hanger can "punch through" from the outside or inside, and if you tie/tape whatever it is you're trying to route through the firewall to the coat hanger it's pretty easy.

You can also come in just below the ECU compartment on the passenger side (several grommets through there), but you need to remove the glove box, kick panel, and pull the carpet back to get access on the inside.

[Im Over It]

This thread was started in 2005, have you done photos yet, its been a while now.

[CMG]

Even if he had pics from '05 they're probably low res and the size of a thumbnail

[Cobra1956]

Know this is an old thread but I used it yesterday to remove my box and thought I would provide some pictures. Before you begin read through the op post and look at my shots. Hopefully it will make sense. A few precautions: Make sure you have your radio code and disconnect your battery, negative lead and isolate it from the battery post.

If the box is coming out, disconnect your harnesses, they unscrew and the bottoms are held to the box by clips that can be found by looking down from over the round connectors. Clips get pushed towards the center of the car. Wiggle the connectors and slide them off. Same for the relays out side the box as these are part of the engine harness.
MVC-001S_zps5ff32807.jpg

These three relays come off in the same fashion. Disconnect the B+ with 13 mm socket.
MVC-005S_zpsfd997581.jpg

This picture is a little fuzzy but you have to unscrew 4 T10 torx screws. Here are the two towards the front of the car. Notice the inboard one is actually in the fuse box.
MVC-004S_zpsb9577e2c.jpg

The two rear ones take a little patience but you can get to them. Turn slowly as not to damage the heads as you do not have a straight shot at them. A flexible screwdriver with a torx bit would do the trick but I did not have a bit that small. You can also remove a bit of the hood seal by just pulling it up and off the firewall and the fender. Easy as this has not been moved in quite some time. this will allow you to get your driver closer to vertical.
MVC-003S_zpsf09d4709.jpg

The top of your box is now loose. You should be able to work it up but you will feel resistance from all the wiring that is connected. If you want there is another 13mm nut on the bottom side of the cover. If you take this off, you can zip tie the two red wires together so you can find them after you complete you work. You can take out the fuse panels by pushing the clip that is under one end of the panels. It is easier to have the fuses out so take a picture or write them down in order so it is easier when you put it back together. Here is a little better shot of the two front screws and you can see the clips on the 3 panels. Top two, the clip is on the left side. Panel on the left, clip is on the bottom. You can access the clip from underneath and push it away from the panel while pushing down from the top.
MVC-002S_zps4f9dc8d4.jpg

Here are the clips after everything is out.


Relay clip. They push out the bottom. Take your time and they all come out. You can see the spaghetti you are left with.



AT this point thecover should be off and the top of your box is now free. Now the fun really starts. You have to get at 4 screws from inside your foot well. 7mm socket or flexible driver is a big help. Here is what the back of the box looks like. This is up against the firewall under your hood.


AS stated by the op three are easy to get at. You can see the bottom two by getting in there. The top right was accessible through a round hole in the insulation. Look up you foot well from the lower inside screw position. Hole is about the size of a quarter. The top left requires a bit of work to get at. You need to remove the black bnox pictured here.


It is held in place by two nuts you can access by held and twist the nut. Here is what the nut looks like.


The connector on the side of the fender slides off. You can find the tab in the center of the panel up against the fender. You push it towards the center of the car. Wiggle the connector and it comes off the wall. I thought I had to push it up.You can see the clip in the center of the shot as well as the two slides that hold it on the fender.


You now can peal away the insulation on the firewall that will allow you to access the top left screw. Hard to see in the photo because you have tons of wires to look through. You can see a seal that fits on the end of your box. The screw is found by pushing back the top let of the insulation here. The box is already out in this shot and you can see the end plate and the tie that holds it.




Once you have the fourth screw out the box is free but you will still have a bunch of resistance from the plug on the end of the box. You have all of the wires and then some foam wrapped around the wires, jammed into this plate. It is held to the harness so be careful. I worked the front of my box up as I did I was able to "dump" the wires back into the same area and slide the box off the panel by moving the panel up while the end of the box is moving down.
Foam is off in this shot. The insulation in the right corner is the stuff you are pushing aside from inside the car to get at the top left screw. Find it with you had first, much easier to do the describe. Hope this helps.

[argento]

Well done!

[beeker2]

HELP!

I'm building a race car and want to run a roll cage bar right through where the fuse box sits.

From looking at the photos it almost likes like some of the wiring loom can be puhed back inside the car and remounted there ?
With the balance sitting in the engine bay, perhaps in a custom housing.

Thoughts?

ps. I'm RHD

[ivantxu]

wow, I think that's a German M3!!!

[bucs19]

wow, I think that's a German M3!!!

Do want. So much want

[CabrioM3]

Shit body for that motor.

[LockDots]

Shit body for that motor.

Excellent first post and 3 year old thread revival

[RRSperry]

Since were are going there...lol

First thing I'd do it disconnect the battery. Why on earth would work on an energized fuse box unless you had to? There is a LOT of magic electrical smoke in the fusebox, and once you let the smoke out, bad things happen.

[Timothy mazur]

How do you remove all the interior wiring harnesses? Do you pull the dash or what?

[Bimmer£]

is there anyway you can re upload the pictures they are unavailable

[Dww13]

Hey I have to remove this fuse box/engine bay harness out because previous owner cut the harness up where actual actual engine harness plugs into the body so I ripped the dash out and everything because I was told I had to but based on your post did you remove the fuse box and all the wiring in it from the car without the dash? I’m just so confused on what all comes out with the fuse box harness connectors etc? Any help would be much appreciated since I’m already at this point and I’m up for anything I have to do with this chassis since it’s so clean all around.

Know this is an old thread but I used it yesterday to remove my box and thought I would provide some pictures. Before you begin read through the op post and look at my shots. Hopefully it will make sense. A few precautions: Make sure you have your radio code and disconnect your battery, negative lead and isolate it from the battery post.

If the box is coming out, disconnect your harnesses, they unscrew and the bottoms are held to the box by clips that can be found by looking down from over the round connectors. Clips get pushed towards the center of the car. Wiggle the connectors and slide them off. Same for the relays out side the box as these are part of the engine harness.
MVC-001S_zps5ff32807.jpg

These three relays come off in the same fashion. Disconnect the B+ with 13 mm socket.
MVC-005S_zpsfd997581.jpg

This picture is a little fuzzy but you have to unscrew 4 T10 torx screws. Here are the two towards the front of the car. Notice the inboard one is actually in the fuse box.
MVC-004S_zpsb9577e2c.jpg

The two rear ones take a little patience but you can get to them. Turn slowly as not to damage the heads as you do not have a straight shot at them. A flexible screwdriver with a torx bit would do the trick but I did not have a bit that small. You can also remove a bit of the hood seal by just pulling it up and off the firewall and the fender. Easy as this has not been moved in quite some time. this will allow you to get your driver closer to vertical.
MVC-003S_zpsf09d4709.jpg

The top of your box is now loose. You should be able to work it up but you will feel resistance from all the wiring that is connected. If you want there is another 13mm nut on the bottom side of the cover. If you take this off, you can zip tie the two red wires together so you can find them after you complete you work. You can take out the fuse panels by pushing the clip that is under one end of the panels. It is easier to have the fuses out so take a picture or write them down in order so it is easier when you put it back together. Here is a little better shot of the two front screws and you can see the clips on the 3 panels. Top two, the clip is on the left side. Panel on the left, clip is on the bottom. You can access the clip from underneath and push it away from the panel while pushing down from the top.
MVC-002S_zps4f9dc8d4.jpg

Here are the clips after everything is out.


Relay clip. They push out the bottom. Take your time and they all come out. You can see the spaghetti you are left with.



AT this point thecover should be off and the top of your box is now free. Now the fun really starts. You have to get at 4 screws from inside your foot well. 7mm socket or flexible driver is a big help. Here is what the back of the box looks like. This is up against the firewall under your hood.


AS stated by the op three are easy to get at. You can see the bottom two by getting in there. The top right was accessible through a round hole in the insulation. Look up you foot well from the lower inside screw position. Hole is about the size of a quarter. The top left requires a bit of work to get at. You need to remove the black bnox pictured here.


It is held in place by two nuts you can access by held and twist the nut. Here is what the nut looks like.


The connector on the side of the fender slides off. You can find the tab in the center of the panel up against the fender. You push it towards the center of the car. Wiggle the connector and it comes off the wall. I thought I had to push it up.You can see the clip in the center of the shot as well as the two slides that hold it on the fender.


You now can peal away the insulation on the firewall that will allow you to access the top left screw. Hard to see in the photo because you have tons of wires to look through. You can see a seal that fits on the end of your box. The screw is found by pushing back the top let of the insulation here. The box is already out in this shot and you can see the end plate and the tie that holds it.




Once you have the fourth screw out the box is free but you will still have a bunch of resistance from the plug on the end of the box. You have all of the wires and then some foam wrapped around the wires, jammed into this plate. It is held to the harness so be careful. I worked the front of my box up as I did I was able to "dump" the wires back into the same area and slide the box off the panel by moving the panel up while the end of the box is moving down.
Foam is off in this shot. The insulation in the right corner is the stuff you are pushing aside from inside the car to get at the top left screw. Find it with you had first, much easier to do the describe. Hope this helps.