Hot fuse for lights

joekapp · 07-26-2018, 02:45 PM

I recently had a connection come loose for my lights and upon investigating, i fixed the loose connection that shut my lights off but noticed the 15 amp fuse for my lights was really hot. Do i just have a fuse going bad or is there something else to check into?

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WalterM6 · 07-26-2018, 06:59 PM

Might have been caused by the loose connection. Keep an eye on it and occasionally check it again in a few days/weeks.

NoleFan4Ever · 07-26-2018, 09:11 PM

And a fuse does not "really" go bad. They work or they don't which means it is blown (or melted its element) and heat is generally an indicator of resistance or high loads with increased amperage.

As Walt mentioned, continue to check it, but also factor the loading into it....

pattyandrick · 07-26-2018, 10:10 PM

The fuse holder is probably the problem

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Fairtax4me · 07-26-2018, 10:28 PM

If a fuse gets hot it's either
1: A crap fuse or
2: the terminals in the fuse holder are loose or corroded and are causing high resistance between the terminal and the fuse.

Normal mini fuses are not designed to get hot. They should burn out immediately if current exceeds the rating of the fuse by about 15%.
CHEAP mini fuses are often made of incorrect alloys that do Not burn when the current exceeds the fuse rating, or the filament in the fuse will be the wrong size, and allow too much current to be supplied to the circuit.
There are cases where vehicles have caught fire and burned due to use of cheap fuses, and those fuses causing the wiring of the circuit to burn by allowing too much current to pass through them, rather than the fuse burning as it is supposed to.

HaulnA$$ · 07-26-2018, 11:40 PM

Fuses are, by design, the weak link in any circuit. If there is any doubt replace it. The fuse could be getting hot if it is operating close to it’s rating, if so, there may be another issue. There is confusion about how fuses work. It is not current that causes a fuse to open or “blow” but rather heat, more accurately, a sustained heat level. A 15A fuse can actually handle much more than 15A for very short periods of time, think fractions of a second but if it sustains excessive amperage it will get hot and melt the element.

07-26-2018, 02:45 PM	#1
joekapp Not Yet Wild Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: St. Louis Posts: 70	Hot fuse for lights I recently had a connection come loose for my lights and upon investigating, i fixed the loose connection that shut my lights off but noticed the 15 amp fuse for my lights was really hot. Do i just have a fuse going bad or is there something else to check into? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07-26-2018, 06:59 PM	#2
WalterM6 Gone Wild Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: SE TN Posts: 2,227	Re: Hot fuse for lights Might have been caused by the loose connection. Keep an eye on it and occasionally check it again in a few days/weeks.

07-26-2018, 09:11 PM	#3
NoleFan4Ever MOD of all BS! Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Florida Posts: 17,477	Re: Hot fuse for lights And a fuse does not "really" go bad. They work or they don't which means it is blown (or melted its element) and heat is generally an indicator of resistance or high loads with increased amperage. As Walt mentioned, continue to check it, but also factor the loading into it....

07-26-2018, 10:10 PM	#4
pattyandrick Getting Wild Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 76	Re: Hot fuse for lights The fuse holder is probably the problem Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk
pattyandrick Getting Wild Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 76

07-26-2018, 10:28 PM	#5
Fairtax4me Bonafide Nincompoop Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Charlottesburg Va Posts: 8,987	Re: Hot fuse for lights If a fuse gets hot it's either 1: A crap fuse or 2: the terminals in the fuse holder are loose or corroded and are causing high resistance between the terminal and the fuse. Normal mini fuses are not designed to get hot. They should burn out immediately if current exceeds the rating of the fuse by about 15%. CHEAP mini fuses are often made of incorrect alloys that do Not burn when the current exceeds the fuse rating, or the filament in the fuse will be the wrong size, and allow too much current to be supplied to the circuit. There are cases where vehicles have caught fire and burned due to use of cheap fuses, and those fuses causing the wiring of the circuit to burn by allowing too much current to pass through them, rather than the fuse burning as it is supposed to.

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07-26-2018, 11:40 PM	#6
HaulnA$$ Getting Wild Join Date: May 2018 Location: Lavon, TX Posts: 105	Re: Hot fuse for lights Fuses are, by design, the weak link in any circuit. If there is any doubt replace it. The fuse could be getting hot if it is operating close to it’s rating, if so, there may be another issue. There is confusion about how fuses work. It is not current that causes a fuse to open or “blow” but rather heat, more accurately, a sustained heat level. A 15A fuse can actually handle much more than 15A for very short periods of time, think fractions of a second but if it sustains excessive amperage it will get hot and melt the element.

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