Under Dash Electronics/Wiring - Questions

[porsche0nut]

Something that's been bothering me since I got the car was the condition of the wiring underneath the dash... and I suspect that this may be contributing the fact that I keep blowing the fuse for the stereo (as little as I use it, it's blown 3 times in one season) - something shorting? A couple of questions before I get into it though:

1) What is this box?

2) What does the wiring under your dash look like? Yes, that is duct tape wrapped around my wires...

(sorry for the iPhone pics...)

[PCA7GGR]

Box is cruise control module. The red wires are probably for after-market stereo (speakers?).

[86911tlcab]

My CC box is wired up to the front area...it screws onto the x shaped flat bar under the front window.

snip the wraps and start tracing the lines...they all go to various components on the dash and mirrors etc etc...maybe there was a big stero base system or something int he car at some point...

[porsche0nut]

Oh interesting... big box for a function I've never used (cc)!

Good suggestion, I'll snip and trace! There is a newer receiver (pioneer deck) in the car, so perhaps the wiring was the result of that... I wonder if it is trying to draw more current than the fuse can handle.

[86911tlcab]

might be an incorrect fuse size also?

[HawgRyder]

If in doubt about the fuse size for a newer radio...remember the old equasion (Volts X Current = Watts).
If you know the supposed output of the new radio...you can figure out how big the fuse needs to be to give that output.
For exam. .... 12V in (normal batt volts) and the radio says 50W/Channel (for 2 channels...stereo)...you would need about an 8 Amp fuse...but I would stick in a 10 to give a little head room.
You get the idea.
Bob