Locating, Understanding, and Replacing Fuses

If any electrical system in your vehicle stops working, there’s a good chance that the only thing you’ll need to do is replace a fuse. Finding your fuse box, identifying what is what, and knowing how to replace fuses may seem like something that you don’t want to do on your own, but it usually only takes minutes, and being able to replace fuses yourself can save you money.

What Are Fuses?

Fuses are put in place to protect a vehicle’s electrical systems. The fuse acts as a connector between the system it’s attached to and a power source. If a system somehow gets fed too much power, the fuse will blow, which severs the electrical system from the power source.

A fuse generally looks like a small plastic square with two small metal prongs sticking out one side of it. In the middle of the plastic part there will be a small piece of metal, called a filament. When a fuse goes bad, the filament breaks.   

Where Is My Fuse Box?

Most cars have a fuse box under the hood and under the dash. If you have trouble finding your fuse box, look in your vehicle’s manual to find its location.

How Do I Know Which Fuse to Replace?

Finding the right fuse to replace may seem like a daunting task due to the large number of fuses in the fuse box. There’s usually an electrical diagram inside the fuse box that will tell you what you need to know. If the diagram isn’t in the box, it should be in your driver’s manual. The diagram will tell you which fuse does what. Numbers printed on the fuses will help you identify them. While looking into your fuse box, you should be able to see all of the fuses’ numbers. If you have difficult reading the diagram, then just pull out fuses until you find the one that looks burned or one that has a broken filament.

How Do I Replace a Fuse?

Actually replacing a fuse is easy: you simply pull it straight out of the fuse box. Fuses can sometimes be tough to pull out of the fuse box, and you may want to buy a tool called a plug puller. While not generally recommended, you can grab ahold of the fuse with pliers if you don’t have a plug puller. Just make sure you’re not squeezing too hard on the pliers because the plastic part of the fuse may break, and that will make it much more difficult to remove. After pulling the fuse, replace it with a fuse of the same number.

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