Well guys today I took my T/A for probably a 6hr. drive to look at a new challenger. The T/A ran beautifully without any problems, or so I thought. When I got home and lifted the hood I had a melted connecter on the main red wire going to the cab with the fusible link. The black connecter that hooks to the fusible link was melted and melted through the clear plastic strap the holds it to the inner fender. The car is 100% stock and all this wiring is new. I had the head lights on the whole trip(for safety) but other than that nothing out of the ordinary. Anyone have any ideas what is going on? I'm also going to need a new connecter. The car ran so perfectly I was really bummed to see this when I got home. Any help is great! Thanks

I have had this happen on several Mopars. The bulkhead connectors carry a lot of current from under the hood. The corrosion from water leaking into it creates an ohmic connection causing it to heat. The current increases until the fusible link melts.
To fix it, disconnect the ground terminal from the battery. Take apart the bulkhead connector and see if the contacts can be cleaned or if they have to be replaced. Replacing them can be tricky. I had a 72 Satellite where I had to rewire around the connector using spade lugs. The connector had melted and I passed the wires through the hole it made. Did not look pretty but worked. It was my driver so I was not too upset about it. Getting a new connector is just about impossible. I keep my Cudas clean inspecting it at every oil change. I spray it with contact cleaner made for TV tuners that you can get at Radio Shack.
You replace the fusible link with butt splice on one end, if you can get the Mopar link, it comes with the ring lug on the other end. Fusible links are usually a lighter gauged slightly resistive wire that is designed to be the weak point in the system. They were used because fuse technology had not brought about high amperage easily replaced fuses.
Any other questions, just ask.
Craig

Thanks craig,

I think what you are describing is similar to what I had happen. Mine melted right where it connects to the fusible link not the bulkhead connecter. I have heard that dirty connections can cause a heat build up. The only thing is that the wiring is all new. You would think if it the wiring was somehow over loaded that it would have melted the fusible link...hmmmmmm I will have to tear into it sometime here....maybe just trade it in on a new challenger....j/k shes a good car.

That is puzzling. As my fuzzy memory serves me, the link went straight to the connector unless it was changed out. Lots of them went out so I am sure the odds that it had never been repaired previously is pretty high. Add on accesories like stereos, CBs and dealer air conditioning added to the current load. Todays electronic equipment draws a lot less (with the exception of the heavy duty thump thump audio amps) off the wiring.
I was in amateur radio, so I stressed a lot of them out but the corrosion did me in more than what I sucked out of the system.
Craig

2003 Durango, 74 Cuda
Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan