dullard

Hi I just joined, so sorry if this has been discussed before.

My 2002 Civic is the the shop after it stalled. There they discovered the fuse box had melted. After discussion with national Honda service technicians they told me it was a design flaw and is relatively common in 2001 and 2002 Civics. Basically I was told the fuse box is too close to the hot engine.

Is this a common occurance? Will they just replace it with another fuse box that will melt on the next hot day? Or has Honda come up with a permanent solution?

lemoncivic

I have not seen any posts on thsi topic previously. Sounds like a very serious "Design Flaw". But from this generation's CIVIC, far from a surprise. I can't believe that the words "design flaw" and "HONDA' are so often said in the same sentence lately.

bhaz413

iTrader: (1)

i have never heard about that in my life. Did you see what the fuse box looked like when it was melted? Any pics? I would be curious to see how melted it actaully was.

APS

Design flaw in a honda? Blasphemy!!!!

jro

i've never heard of a problem like that...the box is pretty far away from hot parts from the engine.

plus wouldn't other plastic parts melt as well...i.e. the wire cover, resonator and intake plastic? i really don't know. i'm just speculating.

{i hope it's all right if i use a pic off your site, ph0ng}
-jro

bhaz413

iTrader: (1)

eww drity engine [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG] j/k

dullard

Just got it back - and it runs fine.

I was in quite a hurry when I dropped it off and picked it up - so I didn't ask to look at the box. However there isn't much sign of melted plasic on the other parts - thus I think it just deformed more than anything else - just enough to start interupting the fuse operation.

From what I've been told, Honda was very interested in the operation that day - air temperature, components that were turned on, etc. It was 97°F with AC running, headlights running, and CD player running. I think the combination of things produced just enough heat to cause problems. So Honda is keeping track of the conditions that cause the melting to occur. The technicians said they have seen it with several 2001s and now they are just beginning to see it with the 2002s.

I don't know enough about engines to know which type of plastic is used and where. However, there is an enormous difference in melting temperature between different plastics. Thus is it possible that the fuse box has a lower melting temp than the other engine plastics?

dragoon

iTrader: (2)

was your car sitting in the sun a long time before you drove it? seems like it would take a LOT of heat to melt something so far away from the engine!

Boost

it almost sounds like more of an electrical short. the same thing happened to me a few months ago, but that was due to an improper ground

bhaz413

iTrader: (1)

very unlikly. But you have to ask this question, if the fuse box melted, why didnt the plastic on the valve cover melt?

Niter1dah

I seriously doubt it had anything to do with heat from the engine. The fact that your fuse box melted is really interesting still. Guys at Honda didnt say anything about the real cause tho? Mabye something check out.