Last nite may have been the final straw..started smelling a burning elec. smell(same as a few days ago from the fuse box)died on hwy, coasted to safety, as usual, but this time after pulling out a very hot, stinky,#203 Relay and replacing it back in slot(which had been usually solving the prob)stills gives off a funny sound and wont start.What now...It`s too hard to remember all the electrical problems ,I`ve had from the beginning, but after researching forums online,they`re all coming back!!It started w/ the backup mirror going crazy, went to the being stuck in park but found out how to release & temp override this issue-my theft protection-HA) Anyways,I remeber somewhere along the way I lost my compass reading-no big deal-Don`t need all these things..then fuse#27 kept blowing, short somewhere we assumed ,after wouldn`t allow fuse to be put in ,acted like wanted to cause a fire-just left it out. Driving fine for maybe a yr. then one day wouldnt start-loud noise from fuse box area-found out was relay#203- I kept purchasing these to keep on hand at $10 a piece!Then one day found out I could just pull out same relay then pop back in and keep going down road!but aftr last nite..wont solve it... what now?Husb pulled me hm..Did learn the wd40 trick in the door latches online to solve other irrating prob w/ lights not shutting off. Hope that prob didnt cause relay to overheat and ruin whole fuse box! I know a `03 model doesn`t have a GEM, so where do ya`ll think the short could be? Need vehicle wking ASAP and no $

 

OK, I went ahead and replaced a couple fuses -trailer tow light and for the rear power outlet which has been needing done. I had thought that these may have been where my short is such as when it rains or maybe when the kids use the power supply to charge their games. Still could be...but didnt start ..I tried to turn key over to make noise and wiggle my #203 relay since it did get a little charred last nite in the middle prong hole and the sound quit!! Tried again while wiggling, it started but then died. Wish there was a way to make my relay fit tighter to get a good connection now. But cant think of anything fireproof to make that middle prong thicker...CAN YA`LL? Love to make it driveable until funds are better to purchase whole new fuse box!!! Ever heard of anyone having a trick to solve this issue?

 

Take a very thin and flat piece of metal, cut it the same width as the relay prong (or slightly less), but cut it a hair shorter. Then using just a slight dab of crazy glue (or you can solder it), attach it to the relay prong, leaving the relay prong slightly longer (this taper effect allows for easier plugging in). Let the glue set for a bit then plug it in and it should be a tighter fit.

 

have you done this before?

 

Not specifically on the fuse box in an expedition, but I've done it with other vehicles.