How to Replace a Blown Automotive Fuse
If one is driving at night and suddenly finds that the moonlight is navigating, the last thing that one would want is getting stranded in the dark. If the person is luckily automotive empowered, that one will know how to make things right when they go wrong.
If the headlights are out, then there are chances that the bulb is not the reason since they were just replaced last week. One would think that what could be the possible chances of both bulbs getting fused at the same time. The fuse box can be checked to find out if anything blew.
Glass tube or blades are the two actual types of automotive fuses. If the car is a pre 1980 model then it will probably have the tube style fuses. They are available in the old glass tube or the fairly modern plastic mount. They are both available in a shape of a torpedo and can be easy to install. The blade style is the other type of fuse which is mostly present in cars. They plug into the car’s fuse box just like a wall plug. One can check to find what type of fuse is available so that few spares can be kept around. Finally when we have the fuses, the next step is to fix them.
Under the dashboard fuse box
Nowadays, most cars have two locations for fuses. Although there is no definite reason for this but they work. They do keep things a bit in a more proper way.
It doesn’t matter if the has one fuse box or two; it is present under the dashboard. Its location is just in front of the driver seat’s left knee. A plastic cover hides the fuses but normally it is clearly marked. When the cover is opened, a row if various colored fuses will be seen nicely arranged inside. There is also a diagram which illustrates the function of every fuse.
Some spare fuses and a little fuse puller for removing a faulty fuse is provided in many cars. If the headlight goes out, one has to refer to the diagram and find the slot in it that indicates the headlight fuse. A fuse puller can be used to grab it and pull it out, fingers can also be used if there is no puller. In case it’s blown, a melted bridge can be seen going between the two blades. One will easily know if it is blown. In case if it is not blown and one knows that the right fuse has been located, then the car would have to be taken to an auto shop for repairs.
A new fuse is needed that can be in the spares. If there are no spares, they can be bought from the newly bought spares. It has to be made sure that the fuse of the right ampere is used. Both of them are color coded and are printed according to amperes. If the same color fuse is installed, than it’s good.
One should not worry if there is no headlight fuse on the diagram. If there is no fuse seen which one is looking for, then there is a second fuse box present under the bonnet. It can be read.
Under the bonnet fuse box
A secondary fuse box is present in many cars under the bonnet. It is normally very easy to find and read it. A nicely illustrated diagram on the top tells about the fuses present inside. Apart from the regular blade type fuses, there are some really big fuses that protect the entire electrical system of the car. The method to replace a fuse under the bonnet is same like the dashboard. The blown up fuse can be found and pulled out, then a new one can be installed. After this, the cover can be put back on and things will hopefully start working.
