Why Cars Have Fuses: What a Fuse Does & How They Work • Cars Simplified

Although fuses serve a very simple function, it is often a misunderstood part and that could lead to improper fuse replacement in more than one way. Steve explains fuses with a simple electrical diagram, showing different scenarios.
The type of fuse shown in most of this video is a maxi fuse, a rather large fuse that you are unlikely to find on a modern car, but the concepts are still the same! The size of fuses have decreased over the years so that they take up less space and more can be used.
• What is a fuse? A fuse is an electronic protection device designed to fail in the event of a problem, so the expensive and more difficult to replace parts are not damaged.
• How does a fuse work? A small piece of conductive metal is designed to handle just a certain amount of electrical current without issue. However, if that current level is exceeded, it will rapidly heat up and melt, breaking the circuit, and therefore protecting everything else in that circuit.
carssimplified.com/
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and more: carssimplified.com/social-med...
/ cars
(Sometimes previews and exclusive content are shared on these platforms!)
Main background track by Sawtooth: / sawtoothmusic • / iamsawtooth
Cars Simplified is a show dedicated to automotive education, including DIY repair, automotive news, auto industry changes, automotive technology, performance modifications, and more, all presented in a friendly and easy to digest manner!
#CarsSimplified #CarsSimplifiedS5 #CarsSimplifiedElectrical #Fuse #Fuses #Electrical #Automotive #AutomotiveElectrical #YouCanLearnAnything #AutomotiveBasics #Amperage #KZreadLearning #EducationalVideos
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Cars Simplified, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. Cars Simplified assumes no liability for any property or personal damage that may arise from doing a repair on your vehicle after watching any video. Due to factors beyond the control of Cars Simplified, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Again any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Cars Simplified.
Cars Simplified earns from qualifying purchases via the Amazon Associate program.

Пікірлер: 119

  • @ExtraSimplified
    @ExtraSimplified5 жыл бұрын

    Ohm's Law Explained: kzread.info/dash/bejne/eoWZrbOucbupnMY.html Why Cars Have Relays: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pml4t5exZ73gZ5c.html How to "Read" a Tire: kzread.info/dash/bejne/a4Rp1ZWSd5reg7Q.html

  • @davemcguigan218
    @davemcguigan2185 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for showing this illustration, it is less con(fuse)ing now!

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    5 жыл бұрын

    Clever! Thanks!

  • @802Garage

    @802Garage

    5 жыл бұрын

    Hah, good one.

  • @aaronmcdonald4944
    @aaronmcdonald49443 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. I know it's a simple concept but you still clarified a few questions that other videos didn't quite answer. thanks a lot!

  • @leirahsing6119
    @leirahsing61194 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for taking your time to making this topic. Made it much much easier to understand. Great advice and tips!

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad it helped!

  • @aldrinlapis4468
    @aldrinlapis44684 жыл бұрын

    Im just starting my apprenticeship as a mechanic and your video gave me a basic but complete understanding of fuse. Well done

  • @phishtahko5951
    @phishtahko59514 жыл бұрын

    Awesome job explaining everything and very simple to understand deserves more credit than its got.

  • @802Garage
    @802Garage5 жыл бұрын

    Nice overview! Lots of important lessons to learn in this quick vid.

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I tried to pack them in. It was a lot longer than I was expecting when I started, too!

  • @JoeyvaughanWorldBluesAttack
    @JoeyvaughanWorldBluesAttack4 жыл бұрын

    Nice video! It was just what I was looking for!

  • @Maazin5
    @Maazin5 Жыл бұрын

    This video answered so many questions I had about electricity. Thank you so much!

  • @arosseries1897
    @arosseries18973 жыл бұрын

    You are an excellent instructor.Keep up the excellent work.

  • @jpramirz376
    @jpramirz3764 жыл бұрын

    Great video, explained it really well and now I have better understanding of it. Thank you

  • @Snsndndnhshh
    @Snsndndnhshh9 ай бұрын

    Best teacher 👨‍🏫 . Very simple and easy to understand.

  • @marsoelflaco5722
    @marsoelflaco57223 жыл бұрын

    Well put. Thanks. 👍🏽✌🏽

  • @richarddrawsstuff2728
    @richarddrawsstuff27284 жыл бұрын

    Very good presentation. I might need look over the video a few times to understand but that just me. Thank you for the video!

  • @peternjenga679
    @peternjenga67911 ай бұрын

    This is so well explained. Thank you 🙏

  • @petetherealrelentless6542
    @petetherealrelentless65424 ай бұрын

    Great video. Nice and concise.

  • @aunderskaizen
    @aunderskaizen2 ай бұрын

    Thank you 🙏 It was simple to innerstand, concise, and the visuals went a long way. 👍

  • @GlasscelSimpson
    @GlasscelSimpson7 ай бұрын

    Excellent !!well explained making it so easy to understand good teaching.

  • @TeeTafoya87
    @TeeTafoya872 жыл бұрын

    Great vid!!

  • @ericozeta9997
    @ericozeta99973 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video

  • @jdmspirit99
    @jdmspirit992 жыл бұрын

    Very useful! Thank you

  • @crazyartistvinitfiji4168
    @crazyartistvinitfiji41682 жыл бұрын

    Amazingly explained, i definitely learnt something.....

  • @PorscheMonster
    @PorscheMonster Жыл бұрын

    Great explanation!

  • @yowzakaan7766
    @yowzakaan77662 жыл бұрын

    Answered all the questions in my head best video, people like you man makes Jobs so easy you definitely earn the subscribe my friend

  • @averagecrim2870
    @averagecrim28707 ай бұрын

    i absolutelly love your channel searching about these things by car is not working at all so then generally learning about it at this channel it is! aha

  • @user-mj2yi7cs8q
    @user-mj2yi7cs8q Жыл бұрын

    Wow that was explained very clear😳 good job bro, and thanks for the knowledge 🙏

  • @mayureshkulkarni5664
    @mayureshkulkarni56642 жыл бұрын

    very well explained ! keep uploading such videos. Now, I am subscribing your channel.

  • @quantangoc2580
    @quantangoc25804 жыл бұрын

    Keep up the good work dude, liked and subcribed. Hope to see for more. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I will try to keep sharing the knowledge on a regular basis!

  • @joshinikhil6263
    @joshinikhil62634 жыл бұрын

    Awesome explanation dude

  • @davviboost7296
    @davviboost729612 күн бұрын

    Very good, thanks!

  • @ericross5048
    @ericross50483 жыл бұрын

    Great Vid, thank you!

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @user-po4ts8xq8u
    @user-po4ts8xq8u4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for learn as and im ask what happens if a fuse is greater than required in the car manual?

  • @NickJThibault
    @NickJThibault Жыл бұрын

    thank you !

  • @michaell3711
    @michaell37113 жыл бұрын

    Great explanation to anyone without electrical knowledge.

  • @alanchanthavisouk8557
    @alanchanthavisouk85577 ай бұрын

    I like this video. Hope u do more.😊

  • @Mpanagiotopoulos
    @Mpanagiotopoulos4 жыл бұрын

    Very nice and clear explanation,hope your channel grows bigger

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @Opreza12
    @Opreza123 жыл бұрын

    Very nice

  • @leoshedden9199
    @leoshedden91993 жыл бұрын

    Thank you

  • @masondashgarcia1535
    @masondashgarcia15353 жыл бұрын

    I have a starting issue no crank, it's a 2014 Chevy Colorado. Can I use any fuse to replace for the ignition fuse /starter fuse ?

  • @rockman531
    @rockman5312 жыл бұрын

    Hi, I know there's silver in some of the glass tube fuses - but is there any silver or other precious metals in the colored flat plastic fuses? Thank You very much!!

  • @justanotherdashcam24
    @justanotherdashcam244 жыл бұрын

    My mother's 2005 hyundai accent gls has a few electrical problems (doors won't lock, side mirrors won't move, window on front passenger side only goes down, clock buttons do nothing) I've checked all the fuses but there's none blown and without a multimeter or the proper knowledge of how to use one I'm limited to what the issue might be. With a little research online I found that it might be the diodes, my question is, is it possible to swap the diode from the inside of the car fuse box with the one in the engine to see if it's one of them or will that cause further problems?

  • @janalleman1286
    @janalleman12864 жыл бұрын

    Hi, thanks for the video! i dont understand why the amperage is the same the entire path.. In my mind, after the resistor it is lower and then becomes the full amperage again once it has passed the battery. Can someone explain this?

  • @thew4rrior5code
    @thew4rrior5code3 жыл бұрын

    Great video! This would explain why my new led dome light blew the fuse because it was about 4mm out so me being a noob I must of increased amps because it didn't fit properly lol. Lesson learned

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! If that 4mm was enough to touch a grounded piece of metal nearby, it could have caused a short for sure!

  • @thew4rrior5code

    @thew4rrior5code

    3 жыл бұрын

    Cars Simplified I guess that's why they say get the correct sizes oh well at least they fitted in the number plate lights lol

  • @andufuse640
    @andufuse6403 жыл бұрын

    Nice

  • @simonia3178
    @simonia3178 Жыл бұрын

    Sir, thank you

  • @mathspill7527
    @mathspill75274 ай бұрын

    Great❤

  • @andufuse640
    @andufuse6403 жыл бұрын

    good

  • @DMACAVILLION
    @DMACAVILLION7 ай бұрын

    My positive wire leads into the bottom side of my fuse box on my SUV, i found a couple of plastic pieces I can pinch it barely open the wall sleeve, but I can't get to the under side of the connection,starting to break plastic...how does this fuse box come undone so O can change out the cable and fuse?

  • @NMFree300
    @NMFree3004 жыл бұрын

    Your the man!, is there any way I can learn more about the electrical side of the vehicle?

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I have a few more videos about electrical parts as well as basic concepts, and I intend to make more, too! Here's my video on Ohm's Law, a good starting point for basic electrical understanding: kzread.info/dash/bejne/eoWZrbOucbupnMY.html

  • @NMFree300

    @NMFree300

    4 жыл бұрын

    I look forward to watching your Videos, thanks! 🙏🏽

  • @killawattgarage
    @killawattgarage5 жыл бұрын

    A bit off topic but I would like to know how the battery charge indicator window works. What is it that creates the green/black/red colour? Video idea??

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    5 жыл бұрын

    That sounds like a great video idea! I would have to research it and get some footage of one. They are so uncommon around me that I have only seen a few in my life, and I've changed hundreds of batteries.

  • @sirfairplay9153
    @sirfairplay91534 жыл бұрын

    11/10

  • @Chitown388
    @Chitown3883 жыл бұрын

    If I tap a 5A fuse in the fuse box for a new circuit with a 20A fuse (using one of those fuse taps), will the new 20A circuit melt the (+) wire for the 5A fuse?

  • @andrewmosesyanez9486
    @andrewmosesyanez9486 Жыл бұрын

    so the im understanding that the purpose of a fuse is to break instead of another or other more expensive things essentially in case of a surge

  • @Ballu12345
    @Ballu123453 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for Confusing me more

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    What part is the most confusing?

  • @frikkiesmit327
    @frikkiesmit327 Жыл бұрын

    Wise advice. I know a guy who made a mistake which blown a fuse and instead of checking why fuse blow. He went and put a bigger fuse in. And so the clients vehicle got a smoke machine in few seconds. Thats sarcastic. The whole harnass of wires burned from the fusebox to radio.

  • @badrijan9704
    @badrijan97042 жыл бұрын

    Hey there need some help, can I use 5amps fuse instead of 3 that was originally? I have mounted a dashcam there and it burned the 3amp fuse

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    2 жыл бұрын

    I replied to your comment on the other video, but in case someone sees this comment and is curious about an answer, here it is copied from the other video: Assuming that 3 amp fuse is what the manufacturer calls for, that is a bad idea; the circuit (dash cam, wires, etc.) is designed to handle a given amount of amperage, and when it gets too high, that 3 amp fuse protects it. A 5 amp fuse will not offer the protection it needs. If it burns another 3 amp fuse, there is a problem elsewhere.

  • @badrijan9704

    @badrijan9704

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@CarsSimplified thanks for your fast reply!

  • @user-ex2rk6gj1h
    @user-ex2rk6gj1h6 ай бұрын

    Skool never end

  • @JesusLopez-ht1bg
    @JesusLopez-ht1bg2 жыл бұрын

    So if I take off a fuse for whatever reason it won't turn on is it a specific one

  • @MrUnderEstimated
    @MrUnderEstimatedАй бұрын

    this may be a dumb question but.... what will happen if the bulb and the switch switched places and there was a ground in between the bulb and the fuse?

  • @lilbutts5107
    @lilbutts51074 жыл бұрын

    Good video but there’s one thing I’m stuck on. Say if your light bulb takes 5 amps would u want your fuse higher amps than the light build but less than the wire so the fuse doesn’t keep blowing out. So for example 5 amp light bulb with a 7 amp fuse and 10 amp wire?

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    That's a good set-up you described, yes. The wire being able to handle 10 amps means the 7 amp fuse will be what burns out if a fault causes high amperage.

  • @lilbutts5107

    @lilbutts5107

    4 жыл бұрын

    Cars Simplified but what if a fault was at 6 amps and went pass the 7 amp fuse and destroyed the 5 amp light bulb? Sorry I’m quite new to this, appreciate your time

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ah, no worries! The bulb being a 5 amp is basically the most amps it will use at a given voltage. A high amp fault would be like a shorted circuit to ground, or power going to the wrong component. I may do a video on this now, it's getting difficult to describe without a visual aid. But, specifically 6 amps would be an odd way to fail, and it would have to be due to bypassing the bulb in some way, or installing the wrong bulb. In that situation, though, with a 10 amp wire and 7 amp fuse, the fault would be able to just continue, but is low enough that it shouldn't cause any damage. There may be other issues happening, but that would have to be discovered.

  • @tenncoin
    @tenncoin3 жыл бұрын

    What happens when they use 5 30A fuses on the same jumper? If it a 150A fuse or just a heavy duty 30A?

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    I had to look up the jumper and see what that was, since I don't deal with them, and I saw the part that taps into a fuse as well as some other options, but I'm not sure how you could add more fuses to it. But, I can say that putting multiple fuses in series means that that circuit will be protected by the weakest fuse (even if they are all 30 amp fuses, they might actually be 29.98 amp, 30.05 amp, 30.22 amp, etc. thanks to imperfect manufacturing) in that series, and putting the fuses in parallel will mean you add the amperages together, and any imperfections get multiplied (if they all say 30 amp but they are actually 29 amp, five of them in parallel would be 145 instead of the 150 it implies, and that works in reverse, too; 31 actual amps would become 155 amps) and you would also blow all five fuses as soon as the first one goes. Neither option is ideal because they introduce more imperfection variables, more complexity, and more cost. If you get one of those taps to add a circuit, if it has one fuse, that is likely going to run into issues I can explain if you're curious. The two fuse version should be splitting the circuit off before reaching each fuse; if it is designed that way, then each branch has one fuse on it, and that is how most fuses work before dealing with jumpers in the first place. I think I'll make a video on this; it's definitely something I can explain better with visuals.

  • @tenncoin

    @tenncoin

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@CarsSimplified I was asking because I'm working on a PEAK 1200 watt Mobile Power Outlet PKCOM12 and it has 5 30A fuses soldered to the board and was thinking solder a 8 gauge wire to each side and use a 150 breaker on the outside.

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    That might work... Are the fuses on the 12V DC side or the ~110V AC side?

  • @tenncoin

    @tenncoin

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@CarsSimplified 12V side at the input

  • @mikej3844
    @mikej38444 жыл бұрын

    Does fuse color mean anything?

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    It was supposed to be a quick way to identify the amperage rating, but sometimes the colors aren't 100% standardized.

  • @scrapinpennies4365
    @scrapinpennies43653 жыл бұрын

    So to put it very simply, a fuse is a failsafe to protect other components in a curcuit from damage.

  • @Earth-Angel-639
    @Earth-Angel-6394 жыл бұрын

    how is that possible considering that the battery amp is well above 150 amps

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    If you are referring to how a 10 or 20 amp fuse doesn't just blow when a battery with a higher amp rating is powering the car's electronics: A battery's amp rating is a maximum it can do (but it's more complicated than that) and each fuse is a parallel brach, so if one circuit draws 5 amps and another draws 20 amps, the battery cable will have 25 amps going through it until it splits into those two circuits. The amp rating on the battery is more important for starting, since that uses a lot of amps.

  • @andufuse640
    @andufuse6402 жыл бұрын

    we make fuse and fuseholder for car .

  • @ahtoh1
    @ahtoh14 жыл бұрын

    Check cheap CHINA fuses as some don’t blow and damage circuit.

  • @sergioin3D
    @sergioin3D3 жыл бұрын

    Can I upgrade my car fuse ?? Because it always blows with my car charger for my iPhone

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    A majority of those chargers draw about 5 amps, while the lowest fuses for those plugs tend to be 10 amps. Something is going wrong, and if you use a bigger number fuse, you will probably fry some wiring instead of a fuse.

  • @etiennerojas2987
    @etiennerojas29875 жыл бұрын

    I had a total of 5 fuses burned out. But. I ended gettting a new altanatore and a battery. It still was giving me eletrical problems the headlights would. Dim low and i had loss of power turns out it was number 10 20 and 40. Fuse. Only a total of 15 bucks wooow!!!

  • @babybackculturenews8818
    @babybackculturenews88183 жыл бұрын

    The power comes through the negative first

  • @biblebloopers946
    @biblebloopers9463 жыл бұрын

    I thought the voltage comes out of the negative and goes to the positive

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    3 жыл бұрын

    That's what happens with the electrons/in electron theory. Conventional theory is easier to teach because the + and - symbols are counter-intuitive for a lot of beginners ("+" implies a surplus of something that needs to go where the "-" is). But you're right, electrons with their negative charge move from the negative post to the positive.

  • @blackghost7226
    @blackghost72264 жыл бұрын

    are those fusees water proof ?? please tell me some one ??

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    I don't know of any automotive fuses that are waterproof in and of themselves, but there are waterproof fuse holders available for these.

  • @blackghost7226

    @blackghost7226

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@CarsSimplified thanks

  • @TheMoneysMaster2
    @TheMoneysMaster24 жыл бұрын

    It doesn’t show what types of fuses there are

  • @johnchristopherrobert1839
    @johnchristopherrobert18393 жыл бұрын

    The negative flows to the positive. Your flow of electrons is reversed.

  • @clinicalgamer6558
    @clinicalgamer6558Ай бұрын

    I change my bulbs, and didn’t change any other thing, and everything’s been ok, it’s been like over 1 year

  • @channeldiali
    @channeldiali4 жыл бұрын

    Does the brand matter,???

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    Not too much, but quality can be an issue because the actual amperage a fuse blows at is based on the fuse element inside, which may be off by some percent if not manufactured well. Sometimes that percent isn't enough to matter, but sometimes it is, and there is no telling which circuit is which. Also, on the bladed fuses, I've seen some manufacturers not put the test points in, so they aren't as easy to check with a multimeter.

  • @channeldiali

    @channeldiali

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@CarsSimplified I got some from Amazon but they don't fit my RAV 4 2015, they have longer pins, why is that? How can I know the correct ones??

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    Usually that's a mini fuse versus a low profile mini fuse. If you look up an automotive fuse chart, usually it is pretty easy to compare them, especially if the chart has measurements for scale. The low profile fuses are a pretty new design.

  • @channeldiali

    @channeldiali

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@CarsSimplified also I have a brand new car but I see some fuses and rely missing, why is that ? Is that normal?

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    Cars often have blank spots for features not on that particular car but on versions of it with additional features, or so they can add features later on. Sometimes they never add those features, so every single car has the same blank spot.

  • @TranslucentOrigin
    @TranslucentOrigin4 жыл бұрын

    Wh...What!!!!???

  • @Raven-cf5qd
    @Raven-cf5qd4 жыл бұрын

    One thing I don't think you went over is why exactly you don't want to replace a 20amp with a 30 amp fuse

  • @SavageWhiteBread
    @SavageWhiteBread3 жыл бұрын

    Mhmmmm

  • @citylockapolytechnikeyllcc7936
    @citylockapolytechnikeyllcc79362 жыл бұрын

    YIKES, lot of missing info, and some assumptions I must question. Most importantly, I cite was that "a 20 amp circuit should handle a 21 or 22 amp load". If this were the case, the inrush of turning on a high demand item would always blow fuses. Circuit is likely designed to carry 50-75% of the assigned fuse. There was no mention of fuses on the "internet" market being defective in design, and not blowing as implied by their amperage markings. This is more critical than anything on the topic. You test a fuse as a diagram..... had you hooked up actual wiring and a power source, you might have been surprised, if generic fuses were in place. Anyhow, the intent was honorable, but the research and prep seemed lacking. I know, I should not criticize if I have not done a better video.... but misinformation can be very costly to those relying upon it.

  • @skid3339
    @skid33394 жыл бұрын

    does it matter if you flip the fuse 180 degrees ? will it still work? or does it let current flow only in one direction?

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    4 жыл бұрын

    A diode (which some vehicles have in the fuse box and looks like a fuse, but not clear and with a diode symbol on top) will only work in one direction, but a normal fuse should work whichever way you plug it in.

  • @annalivings6660
    @annalivings66602 жыл бұрын

    All I want to know is do the new fuses stored for a long time expire or can one still use them new in a package that is 20+ years old?

  • @CarsSimplified

    @CarsSimplified

    2 жыл бұрын

    Unless something really bad happened to them like water corroded them or they are otherwise visibly damaged, they should be as good as the day they were made.