How To Fix Blown Fuse In Car – Fuse boxes (aka electrical panels or fuse panels) are safety features designed to protect electrically powered engine and dashboard components. They are usually located under the steering column in the cabin and next to the battery in the engine compartment.
A fully functional fuse box will be the same as your car when you start it. However, when something goes wrong with your vehicle, knowing how to replace a car fuse becomes important.
How To Fix Blown Fuse In Car
Sometimes a fuse will blow. Eventually, the fuse will blow if it detects an overload or faulty circuit. While it’s ideal to have a fuse repaired by an experienced mechanic, it won’t hurt to learn how to change the fuse in your car – if you haven’t already.
Imountek 6 Way Fuse Box Holder W/ Led Indicator 6 Circuit Blade Fuse Block Sticker Label For 12 32v Automotive Boat Car Suv Marine
A blown fuse can manifest itself in a number of ways – dash lights going out simultaneously, the radio suddenly turning off, or the windows stalling when rolling up/down (to name a few). It is characteristic that the warning lights indicating a faulty fuse appear suddenly. Gradually worsening symptoms may not be related to fuse fuse. However, it’s always a good idea to be careful and check.
Accidents can happen, especially when you are working on your vehicle’s electrical system. First, make sure your car is not running. Then use a Hazet 854T wrench (check it out on Amazon) or an adjustable wrench (put it aside where it won’t touch any metal) to connect the negative terminal connected to the battery. This ensures that power does not flow through the system while checking, testing and replacing blown fuses. This step is especially important for vehicles equipped with a push-button start system.
Beginners don’t need to worry about locating the fuse box or panel, as the service manual will usually tell you where it’s located. Most vehicles have a fuse panel under (or somewhere near) the steering wheel. However, the location of the fuse box varies from car to car. Additionally, not all vehicles have both an in-cabin fuse box and an under-hood fuse box.
Flipping over the cover of the fuse box should reveal a fuse diagram that shows which fuse works with which electrical component – a good reference when you’re trying to troubleshoot a fuse later. You’ll also see many color-coded fuses with numbers indicating their specific amperage. These color codes and amperage values are very important to note, especially if you have already identified the culprit fuse and are considering replacing it.
Car Fuses And Fuse Boxes: Types, Amps, Wiring And Circuits
This step is usually only applicable if you need to remove the entire fuse box. However, to ensure that the systems are not energized, it would be best to disconnect the power supply and set it aside by closing the fuse box lid. You may need to remove that case first to get to the wires, then loop back to the power supply before continuing. The power supply to the fuse box is probably one or a set of red wires with a bold terminal (looks just like a battery).
Depending on the problem, you may need to remove the fuse box entirely. It is important to remove the fuse box housing (wires and all). It connects the many wires connected to the fuse box to the various systems and sensors that operate the vehicle’s components.
Note the mounting bolts that hold the fuse panel in place – they may be of different lengths. So check the placement of each bolt as you remove them individually. Also, use a plastic bag/container or magnetic base to keep the removed bolts together until you need to use them to replace the fuse box housing.
Refer to the diagram inside the fuse box lid/cover to locate the faulty fuse. Once you’ve figured it out, visually inspect the security in question. Look at the metal thread and see if it is blackened, melted, broken or corroded. A fuse that looks like any of these descriptions requires replacing the fuse.
Universal 12 Way Circuit Standard Fuse Box Holder 12 32v For Car Bus Yacht Ship (black)
If the fault is not visually obvious, test it with a standard automotive test light or fuse testing tool, usually available at auto parts stores. And if your vehicle’s fuse panel doesn’t have a dedicated fuse puller, needle-nose pliers, tweezers, a very small standard screwdriver, or a bent paper clip will do the same.
As mentioned earlier, it is recommended to test a suspect fuse before removing it. Do this with a continuity test using a multimeter/ohmmeter. Using the two probes of a multimeter (see on Amazon), touch the small metal pads on top of the fuse. See if there is continuity or if the fuse gives a resistance reading between 0 and 0.001 milliohm. If there is no sign of fraying or damage to the fuse’s filament, the fuse is good – that means something else is wrong with the component.
Now for the good part. When removing a blown fuse, you have a variety of tools at your disposal (including your hands). However, it is ideal to use a puller as fuses break easily and are much more difficult to pull out when broken (as opposed to the fuse being fully intact). How you remove the fuse also depends on whether your car has a blade or glass tube type. For the latter, it’s best to try pulling one of the end caps first and then gently pry until the entire fuse is removed. Meanwhile, other types of fuses can handle a small pitching motion.
Always refer to the service manual and the diagram on the fuse panel for instructions when removing broken fuses. It is even more important to make sure that the replacement fuses are the correct size (color coded and of the correct amperage) as using the wrong amperage fuse can cause serious electrical problems. As a best practice, bring the faulty fuse to an auto shop for comparison when purchasing a replacement.
How To Tell If A Car Fuse Is Blown?
A tip. Be sure to check the fuse panel cover before purchasing a replacement fuse. This usually includes an extra fuse and sometimes a fuse puller. Also, never replace a faulty fuse with a higher amperage fuse to avoid further problems.
I highly recommend keeping an extra fuse in your glove box. You should make the most of your trip to the local auto shop by stocking up on spare fuses of various amperages. That way, you don’t have to unsecure an infrequently used feature when you’re in a tight spot. Additionally, vehicles typically have more than one component that requires the same amperage as another. If more than one of these functions fail in the same amp, you could be in trouble.
Once you’ve removed the fuse from your car without tools and installed the correct replacement, start connecting the various wires that connect all the components protected by the fuse. Work wisely – start with hard-to-reach areas, move on to easier areas.
After replacing the faulty fuses and reconnecting the wiring, turn on the car’s ignition and see if the problem circuit is now fixed and working properly. The first ten steps listed in this list should easily fix temporary spikes. But if the circuit problem persists, you need to do further diagnostics to fix the problem permanently. There is probably a reason why your fuse has blown and is waiting to be fixed.
Ways To Test A Car Fuse With And Without A Multimeter
You have already completed all the steps in this guide to remove and replace a DIY fuse. But the unexpected may happen. Sometimes just replacing bad fuses is not enough to fix minor vehicle problems. Used cars, in particular, may have problems or permanent physical damage unknown to you at the time of purchase. You may be better off having your electrical systems professionally diagnosed and repaired.
In total, there are at least seven different types of fuses still in use in most vehicles. These types of fuses differ in appearance and therefore must be an exact match to replace the correct fuse. Each of these fuses requires different movement when tested or pulled from the fuse panel. To make sure you buy the right replacement for your blown fuse every time, here are the most common fuse types.
Introduced in the 1970s, this style of fuse (otherwise known as a spade or plug fuse) is found predominantly in today’s sedans and other road vehicles. It is mainly designed for 12V electrical systems, is color coded and has their amperage written on it. It ranges from 32V to 80V and current from 0.5A to 500A.
There are four (4) fuse types in this category – Micro (Micro2, Micro3), Mini (APM, ATM), Standard (APR, ATC, ATO) and Maxi (APX). Standard blade fuses are commonly found in cars and trucks, while maximum blade fuses are for heavy duty applications.
Safety Precautions When Fixing A Blown Fuse With A Chewing Gum Wrapper
Ac fuse blown in car, how to fix a blown fuse in car, blown fuse in car symptoms, how to tell if fuse is blown in car, cost to fix blown fuse in house, blown fuse in car radio, how to replace a blown fuse in a car, fix blown fuse, blown fuse in car, how to fix blown fuse, main fuse blown in car, how to fix blown fuse in house
