Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting where in the cabin is the fusebox?

I spent 10 minutes with my 95 SE owners manual, looking for the fusebox. The diagram in the manual shows the fusebox left of and below the steering column.

Why in the hell could I not find it? I was looking there and feeling around literally for a good ten minutes.

I'm sure this post makes me look like a total moron, but looking stupid on this site doesn't bother me any more.

Another question:

my owners manual indicates that fuse #8 in the engine compartment fusebox should be a 30 amp fuse. Says it's for the "air pump" or something. The #8 spot in my fusebox is empty. What is correct for #8 - fuse or no fuse?

Hey Bluedevils
You have to shove your head underneath the steering column to distinguish the fuse box.
If i remember it correctly, It is located directly underneath the steering column where bundles of wires tied in black electrical tape and it is black rectangular box that has small speaker shape box attached(i think it's the chime that makes ding-ding noise when you open the door without taking ignition key out)
To release the fuse box you have to either pull or push the button on the side of the box.
Once you press the button the fuse box itself drops to open position reavealing the gut.

if you owners manual says #8 is for an air pump and theres no plugs for a fuse to go into the #8 spot then I'd say that you don't have an air pump on your car.

If your car is like my 99 SVT then your cabin fuse panel is behind the panel under the steering column. You'll have to pop out a few plugs to expose the screws. You can use an awl or a real small flat tip screw driver to pop out the plugs.

Thanks folks. The manual made it look like the box was to the left and not nearly as far down underneath as you're describing. That, plus the garage was a little dark and no interior car lights (battery disconnected), and I just didn't see it.

As for the #8 fuse confusion, I don't like that. If the manual says a fuse should be in that slot, then a fuse should be in that slot. I wonder which Contiques, with the same fusebox info in the owners manual as mine, actually have a #8 fuse and an "air pump."

My '97 owners manual shows air pump for #8, but it's blank. Interesting that my '98 has a stick-on page revision that shows #8 not used. Can't see thru' it to see what original printing said.

I would guess they were planning auto load leveling as an option at one time and then decided against it.

Secondary air pumps are sometimes used to feed extra O2 to the catalyst brick for emissions. Early 3.8L GenII Tauruses used to have them. Since the Tour went from OBD-I in '95 to OBD-II in '96, they probably wired for it just in case they had to add one in a pinch (not sure where they'd stuff it with a V6). I don't know if my '99 has a space for it.