Fuses
There are a number of fuse blocks on these vehicles. The multi-purpose fuse block is located inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, under the instrument panel, towards the left of the steering column. The dedicated fuses are located in the engine compartment at the left rear corner (if equipped with A/C) and also in front of the right strut tower. Blade type fuses are used.
A blade type fuse has test taps provided to allow checking of the fuse itself, without removing it from the fuse block. A test light can be used. The fuse is okay if the test light comes ON when its one test lead is connected to the test taps (one at a time) and the other lead is grounded. Change the position of the ignition switch so the fuse circuit being tested has voltage applied to it.
Fig. 1: A test light can be used to test the fuse
When a fuse is blown, there are two probable causes as follows: One is that the fuse was blown due to a flow of current exceeding its rating. The other is that it is blown due to a repeated ON/OFF current flowing through it. Which of the two causes is responsible can be easily determined by a visual check as described below:
- Fuse blown due to current exceeding rating:
As seen in the illustration, a fuse that is blown due to an exceeding current has a section missing. If the blown fuse looks like this, do not replace the fuse with a new one hastily since a current heavy enough to blow the fuse had flowed through it. First, check the circuit for shorting and check for abnormal electrical parts. Only after the correction of such a shorting condition, the fuse is to be replaced with one of the same capacity. Never use a fuse of a larger capacity than the one blown. If such a fuse is used, electrical components or wiring can be damaged before the fuse blows in the event that an overcurrent occurs again.
Fig. 2: View of a fuse blown due to overcurrent
Fig. 3: State of a fuse blown due to thermal fatigue
- Fuse blown due to repeated current ON/OFF flow:
The figure shows a fuse blown due to repeated current ON/OFF. Normally, this type of problem occurs after fairly long period of use and hence is less frequent than the above type. In this case, you may simply replace the fuse with a new fuse of the same capacity.
Fig. 4: The lid on the fuse block in the engine compartment has the identification information
Fig. 5: Remove the fuse panel lid by unfastening the clips and pulling it up and off the panel
Fig. 6: Pull the suspect fuse up and out of its receptacle and check the element
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