The other 100 amp fuse ?????????

[TVR keith]

Driving along on Friday when the electrics went dead. Nothing, not even interior light. RAC man found some burnt out wiring in loom near battery.
Cue rapid disconnection of battery, SH*T, it could have caused a fire!!!!
Car recovered to James Motor Sports near Ashford, me very cold!
After a sleepless night I went there on Saturday to see what the damage was.
I was worried because two days before I had fitted the Modwise Hot start relay kit and the wife was sure it was to do with that.
Very relieved when Chris Baldock said it was the 100 amp fuse, but NOT the one on the chassis rail.
??????????????????????
Apparently my Chim (a 200 450) has an additional 100 amp fuse fitted in the positive battery lead adjacent to the battery. I didn't know of its existence, Chris had seen it on a few cars before. Certainly not mentioned in the Bible.
The poor design means they gradually fracture, as the effective width reduces its gets hot resulting in the holder breaking and the circuit is broken. This explains the strange smell that my wife could smell when we went out in the car the other week. (She thought it was ME!)
Fortunately no other damage although Chris is going to check out the loom just in case.
He has found a different fuse holder on the Net of a better design which is being ordered, also I have asked him to replace the chassis mounted on with this type as I have always been concerned about it.
Much has been written about the advisability of checking/cleaning the 100 amp fuse, I would advise others to see if they have this fuse especially if its a late model, and check it carefully, it would be easy to replace on the roadside if a spare is carried.
With dead electrics and the windows closed I realised at once that if I shut the door from outside re entry would require the "secret" entry method, so it was fortunate that I had in the cockpit the necessary tool to do this. I will say no more about that!
It was lucky that on such a cold day I had adequate clothing to keep warm whilst awaiting recovery, although a decent torch is to be added to the contents of the boot, it was light when I went out but dark by the time the recovery wagon arrived, luckily I had been able to coast off the road into a car park (of a golf club, no jokes please from the Griff fraternity!).
Anyway, I hope that me writing all of this may save someone from a similar fate.

Edited by TVR keith on Monday 17th December 09:23

[TVR keith]

Chris Baldock did say that there are three different looms fitted and it depend on which one is fitted as to whether it has this fuse, never seen a thread about it, anyone got a link to one?