BMWs and Mercedes Benz vehicles position them in the trunk. Cadillacs usually hide the fuse box under the rear seat. Modern cars usually have one under the hood in the engine compartment and another in the passenger compartment under the dashboard.Įvery carmaker places the fuse box in a different location. The typical fuse box is designed to make inspecting and replacing fuses as easy as possible.Ĭars organize the location of fuses via fuse boxes. It prevented worse damage to the device or the vehicle’s wiring. But the good news is that fuse did its job. It’s a bummer when an electrical component stops working. After that fused wire breaks (or melts), the electricity can no longer flow through the circuit to cause damage. When excess amperage goes through the circuit, the wire breaks. A fuse is a device with a thin so-called sacrificial wire. The vehicle’s fuses prevent these bad things from happening. In a worst-case scenario, electric devices can be damaged or cause a fire. As a result, wires can overheat, melting the insulation. The wiring can’t handle that spike in power. When there is a break in the circuit, more amps start to flow. The system could also fail when insulation no longer protects the wiring. For example, an electrical device could break and thereby create a “short” in the circuit. But of course, wiring and the electrical components can break down. In a perfect world, your car’s electrical system would never fail. Without a ground, the circuit would not be complete and you would have no power. That’s how devices throughout the car complete the circuit and are grounded for safe operations. Instead, carmakers “ground” the device to the chassis, which also serves as the battery’s negative post. It takes a lot of wire to reroute the electricity from each device back to the battery. Then it returns to the battery to complete the circuit. The electricity leaves the battery and goes through the component (such as a light or radio). This equation is Ohm’s Law.Ī wired circuit is the way the electricity makes a round trip. Power is the product of voltage multiplied by current (measured in amps). Current = Almost the same as water flow rate (the volume of water).Voltage = Almost the same as water pressure.If this is old hat to you, move on to the next section. To properly (and safely) service any electrical system, it’s smart to know the basics. Shop automotive fuses now Vehicle Electricity 101įirst, let’s review the basics of vehicle electricity. As a bonus, we’ll provide guidance about how to add a circuit to provide more electrical power to your vehicle. ,With a little knowledge of car fuse types and a few simple tools, you can locate a bad fuse and replace it yourself. The first thing to check is if you blew a fuse. Automotive Fuse Types: MDL, Torpedo and Lucas FusesĮvery gearhead has experienced the frustration of an electrical car part that stops working.
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