The fusible link nearest the passenger side of the vehicle, in the black plastic fuse box that's by the battery under the hood, keeps burning up. What does that fusible ling go to exactly, and what should I check to find that short? My Chilton's doesn't have a schematic, so any help or advice will be deeply apreciated.
Thank you, Tom Troughton
Nampa, Idaho
That is the main fuse for the entire car. If this fuse is blowing, you have a short between it and the fuse block where all of the other fuses are located.
The Fusable Link is going to be something on the order of 40 amps, but the other fuses are typically much less. If you had a short in any given system, then the appropriate fuse would blow. If the fusable link is failing then either it is two small for the job (replaced with the wrong one at some point and you keep putting more of the wrong one), or there is a worn section of cable between the link and the fuse block, or one of the fuses in the fuse block has been replaced with a penny or a bullet, and the resulting draw exceeds the rating of the link.
If the link is too small, get a larger one. If the wire between the link and the fuse block is worn through, fix it. If a fuse has been replaced with a penny, use the correct fuse. In this case, a smart guy would be looking for a reason why the penny is being used instead of the correct fuse. My guess is another opportunity for a worn wire.
No matter what you do, you are running a risk of setting your car on fire with hot wires if you don't figure out what the problem is. Frankly if the link is too small, AND a fuse has been replaced with a penney, it's my humble opinion that the link is what has kept the car from catching fire.
BUT NEVER GO OVER THE FACTORY RECOMMENDED AMPERAGE! Putting in a fuse, circuit breaker, or fusible link with a higher amperage rating than the factory recommendation can result in a melted harness or a fire.
Any idea which fuse box it goes to first? There are two of them inside the car, one on the driver's side, and one on the passenger's side.
Jeff Strickland wrote:
Sorry, no I do not know which box it goes to first. I suspect there is really a split, not a daisy chain, but I don't really know.
You'll need to do some investigation work.
Ray has a good point here. I'd like to add that I'd be be looking for a massive short that is taking the fusible link out before I installed another one.
What is the typical rating of this link, Ray? I'm guessing it will be in the range of about 40A, but the link and the casing around it should have the spec printed clearly on it.
There is usually more than one fusible link. Ratings vary from 20 to 100 amps.
Look at the fuse box under the hood first.
That thought occurred to me right after I hit the Send button. If there are
20A and 30A fuses in the fuse box, then they have to be separated by fuseble links that are even larger. It makes sense that the engineers would divide the car into multiple circuits, each protected by a fuseble link that if blown would lead the service activity to a certain set of systems to the exclusion of the other systems.It sounds like the OP needs a wiring diagram for his Celica.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.