Fuse box question

[alligatorfoot]

When I got my '65 IIa 88 I had a new fuse box and wiring harness installed. Yesterday I happen to take the cover off and I found that there was no fuse in place for the top line. There is a brown wire running into it that is hot (even when ignition switch is off) and a purple line running out on the other side (see pic below)


The guy that did the work was pretty knowledgeable and he seem to do things by the book so possibly the coloring of the wire might help to figure out where the purple line goes (I checked lights, blinkers, heating fan, back up lights, wipers and everything works?). Given that the line is live all the time I simply do not want to just put a fuse back in without knowing what will do (i.e., drain the battery, etc..).

As a side note I want to install a radio. Any ideas of where I can tap into a hot line when the ignition is on (i.e., lower line of the fuse box or tying into the line that goes to one of the wiper motors?), or should I just wire it to the battery and have a switch to give the unit juice.

Any insight on both either issue above would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

[SafeAirOne]

Generally brown=always hot, green=hot in start/run only (re: finding a power source for a radio).

TeriAnn has a pretty good list of Lucas wire color codes on her page: http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/Lucaswirecode.htm

Fortunately, it looks like it'll be easy to trace the mystery wire to its terminus by looking inside the split wire protector and following it wherever it takes you.

[alligatorfoot]

Generally brown=always hot, green=hot in start/run only (re: finding a power source for a radio).

TeriAnn has a pretty good list of Lucas wire color codes on her page: http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/Lucaswirecode.htm

Fortunately, it looks like it'll be easy to trace the mystery wire to its terminus by looking inside the split wire protector and following it wherever it takes you.

Thanks, I didn't want to break open the loom to follow the line but it might be my last resort. Other option would be to install a fuse and see what can still come on (right only thing that comes on without the key in is the lights and horn) and see if the battery gets drained.

As far as the radio I think that I will split the green (hot wire) going to the wiper motor (and hopefully it will not blow the one fuse).

Best ... Mark

[siii8873]

purple is the hot feed to the panel light switch terminal 8. It is the source for the switch which turns on the interior light if you have one. If you do not may be why fuse was left out.
Just to go one step further than Mark noted,
Brown - hot unfused direct from battery
White - hot when ignition is on unfused
Green - hot when ignite is on fused

If you do not have an interior light jumper a white from lower fuse feed to the upper fuse and feed the device from there through a fuse. This way it will only be hot I run position and fused

[o2batsea]

If it's a new harness, why the red wire nut? Sure sign of a bodge repair or bad power tap. A 65 2A has only one fuse, a 30A.

[TeriAnn]

If it's a new harness, why the red wire nut? Sure sign of a bodge repair or bad power tap. A 65 2A has only one fuse, a 30A.

We differ on that. One fuse for switched 12V and one fuse for unswitched (always) hot 12V.

Also that's 30 AMPS if it is a UK spec fuse, or 20 AMPS if it is a US spec fuse. The specs are very different.

[SafeAirOne]

Both schematics here show (a woefully inadequate) 2 fuses in the system.