fuse keeps burning no blowing

[Seven in SA]

I have one fuse in my fuse box which does not blow but burns. After about a month the plastic bit has burnt away and the metal cannot touch both points. It looks like it's the lights and the fuel pump that go into this, which means that it can be a bugger to start with no fuel in the sytem. Don't know if it's related (probably is) but when I have my lights on the indicators will not work below a 1500 revs.

Am I better routing the lights via a less important fuse like the window wipers or could it be some sort of earthing problem (as most things electrical seem to be)

 

Thank you

 

Nic

[John Whyman]

 

I am no electrician, but if you have all those high drawing electrical bits on one fuse, you could be overloading it. If the pump is a replacement for a mechancical one (Ford X/flow), my inclination would be to seperate the fuel pump from the box and wire it in direct with its own seperate in line fuse. Other areas to consider are certainly all earthing points and the alternator and its connectors, where the wires can get brittle due to heat from the engine and crack away from the connectors. This can cause a myriad of different problems.

 

Seek other advice from a good sparks !!

 

 

Happy Motoring. thumbsup.gif C7 WJW.

[Big Brother]

Nic,

Check the connectors in the fuse box itself.

I had this problem in a saloon car a while ago.

Seems that the connector in the fuse box didnt contact with the blade on the fuse properly, although it "felt" and looked OK. This caused a high resistance in the fuse box and generated heat (enough to melt the fuse casing).

A word of warning..as the problem gets worse so the heat increases and is a definite fire risk (this is how I found outsad.gif)

 

If your in any doubt replace the fuse box...or get a decent fire extinguisherwink.gif

 

Steve

Emission Internet

[tony isherwood]

I made myself a gadget using the old fuse as a connector which I connected trhough an ammeter to find out what current was actually being drawn. At least you can see the load. and what is pulling the current. Maybe a earthing problem somewhere and the current is pulling the "wrong way round"

 

I am not sure what the loadings are in relation to burning out, I.e. does a 5 amp take 5 amp blow @ 7 amps or take 3 amps and blow @ 5 ? I am sure some techie will tell us.