Hi there,

I am in the process of replacing my fuse box by the drivers left kick panel (I broke the k42 horn relay, did not know it did not come out). Anyway, could have been worse as it seems I can get a used one for a reasonable price.

As I pulled the larger colored plug-ins out on the back side of the existing fuse box, I saw some oil (at least that is what I think it is) in and around 3 of the 10 ports(?) and also on the end of the plug ins. The ones affected were black, green (top and second right) and pink (top left).

Any idea what this is, why it is there, and if signifies a bigger issue? There is no oil anywhere else near the box or on any of the wires coming in.

Thanks for the insights.

 

Could it be dielectric grease or some kind of waterproofing?

 

That is what I was hoping, but found it strange not to be on all of them.
I emailed the shop that did the rebuild on it after a fire required replacement of the wiring harness....I'll post if I get anything concrete.
Thank you for your time and thoughts on this.

 

I have had this happen before. Your oil sender switch is probably bad. What happens is if the sender is leaking where the electrical connector is, the oil pressure will push oil up the inside of the sender wire. Pull your electrical connector off of the switch and see if there's any oil inside

Bryan

 

Bryan,
Thank you. I just replaced the oil switch today as part of an earlier issue with the low oil pressure light coming on. When I pulled the connector, it was full of oil.

I will just blow the old fuse plugs out a bit with compressed air prior to plugging them back into the new fuse panel (which is on order).
Its crazy what you find when you start digging into these cars! Better to know than not know.

Thank you!

 

Spray some brake clean or some contact cleaner where the oil is... otherwise if you just blow it with the air hose, you will just spread the oil out

Bryan

 

ok...I did that with the oil pressure switch...good call, I will do the same with these connectors.
Should get the parts tomorrow and be back on the windy road soon!

 

Chrysler is kinda infamous for that. It's called capillary action or wicking, it doesn't need pressure and can go up as it does not care for silly things like gravity.

 

Seen this oil wick on the n18 engines, have not seen many on the gen 1. Thanks for posting up the pics.

 

I'm chasing an electrical issue on a "project" R50. I'm going to pull the interior fuse panel this weekend to see if there is any oil like this...my question is: can this oil cause electrical shorts...is there enough conductivity in old oil to cause electrical interference and shorts?

 

Chris, I started the thread and the crew here helped me get it explained and fixed. I was not having any electrical issues when I discovered the oil in my fuse box. I can't answer your question with any degree of certainty, but I am sure someone on this thread or part of the community will help. Best of luck!