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Ford Fusion Fuse puzzle

We have a Ford Fusion, 1.6 l diesel, a little under 10 years old (Dec.

2005). I recently bought a tyre compressor to replace an earlier pump that was clapped out. On plugging the new one into the 'cigar lighter' socket and switching it on, it hiccupped and died.

'Oh bugger, it's blown a fuse', I thought.

Fuse board behind the glove compartment; diagram on back panel of said compartment. Cigar lighter fuse shown as third in from right on bottom row. OK, so far so good. But WTF, there's no fuse there, just a space! All the other fuses are in place, with ratings matching the diagram, suggesting I'm not reading it wrongly.

Yet I've been happily using the cigar lighter socket with my old compressor for years. But the socket is now dead; won't drive the old compressor, and no volts detected with a voltmeter.

So is there another fuse somewhere else in the cigar lighter circuit, or a reset button that needs pushing; does the fuse in the above panel self-eject when it blows, or what? The manual is dumb on the matter (as it is on several matters relating to our model of the Fusion. I suspect it refers to a different, possibly earlier model, and the manuals relating to ours weren't ready in time to include them when ours was bought).

Reply to
Chris Hogg
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Chris Hogg put finger to keyboard:

Well the obvious question is: What happens when you put a fuse in the space and plug something (not the new compressor) into it?

Reply to
Scion

Unfortunately the fuses I have are for an older Ford and aren't the right shape/size. But if there never was a fuse, as is almost certain, then it probably wouldn't make any difference as that cigar lighter always used to have power, even without a fuse there. But I'll put a voltmeter across the terminals in the fuse holder, or terminals to chassis, and see if it registers anything.

I've been doing a bit more digging on the Internet, and I gather there's a secondary fuse box under the bonnet, adjacent to the battery. The manual doesn't mention it in the main index, but it is shown on the diagram of the engine compartment. The manual says 'replacement of these fuses/relays requires specialised knowledge. Please ask an expert to check them'. So what's this specialised knowledge or is it just Ford covering themselves in case someone shorts out the battery and injures themselves?

I've found the fuse box, but it's a bit of a fiddle to get the lid off, and I haven't got a round tuit yet.

Reply to
Chris Hogg
[...]

Autodata shows it as F29 (15A). It's nearer to the centre of the fuse panel than you are describing.

[...]

It's very unlikely that your problem will be a blown fuse in the under- bonnet panel.

I would look again at the glove compartment panel, and check every 15A fuse there.

Note that on some Fords (although not necessarily the Fusion) there is a supplementary fuse panel *behind* the one you have looked at. You need to look for some screws to remove, then see if the panel hinges down.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Indeed. Took me fecking ages to work out how to access the one in my Transit. *Very* well concealed.

Tim

Reply to
Tim+

Thank YOU! Went straight to it. 15A fuse, blown. I was misled before because my fuse diagram has two cigar lighter fuses shown, and I saw the first and looked no further so didn't see the second, the relevant one. Now all I need is some appropriate mini-fuses (got plenty of the bigger ones). I'll get a selection...

Reply to
Chris Hogg

Chris Hogg put finger to keyboard:

Two fuses = two sockets maybe? One in the boot? My centre-console lighter socket doesn't work, the one in the boot does. Must go and check the fuses!

Reply to
Scion

replying to Chris Hogg, ChrisM wrote: Chris Hogg's problem was exactly the same as mine and started with a compressor refusing to work nor the Sat Nav. I too was fixed by the fact that F51 (cigar lighter) didn't have a fuse in it when I looked at the fuse box. So how did it work before? Then I read this post and when I looked again the layout diagram had been taped to the glove box and the tape was obscuring F29! Replaced the 15 A and hey presto. So a big thanks to Mr Whelan.

Reply to
ChrisM

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