Rare99Z

iTrader: (35)

So my car has been in storage the past 2 weeks and today I started it up just to let it run a few minutes. I noticed that the instrument lights were not working. So I pulled my fuse panel and checked my tailight fuse and this is what i found. It didn't break the union in the middle, the palstic casing on the fuse just melted. I can't even get a new fuse in because there is melted plastic where you plug the fuses back in Has anyone ever seen this and what do you think the problem is? bad ground somewhere I'm guessing. Also, would it help putting a 25 or 30A fuse in there instead or keep it to the factory spec 20A? Thanks guys

haacer

iTrader: (1)

I've seen this many times. It usually indicates that the fuse in question was a non-OEM type fuse. Off-brand fuses are usually cheaper, but NOT reliable as to when they blow.

I usually use Littlefuse brand replacements (an OEM supplier). Alternately, go to the junkyard and clean out a few fuseboxes...

KILLER-LS1

iTrader: (18)

by the way, a bad ground will never blow a fuse. only shorts will blow a fuse. and only the crappy fuses melt like that lol

haacer

iTrader: (1)

NO! An electrical engineer designed that circuit with a safety margin based on that 20A fuse. I used to work at an electrical shop where we saw many sad people who had used a higher rated fuse than original. When they came to us it was with melted wires.

In particular, one car came in that had a fire under the dash. It turned out that it was caused by an off-brand fuse with the appropriate rating. It never blew, even as the wires melted and caught the interior on fire.

There are numerous stories where individuals have tested those cheap fuses to see when they blow and found that many don't blow until three or four time their rated amperage... I don't want those in my car.



Also, to troubleshoot your short, you can plug a headlight into the (blown) fuse terminals with some jumper wires. As long as a short exists, the light should stay on. Look on shbox.com for corresponding wire diagrams and unplug one thing at a time until the light goes off.