How to Change a Fuse in a Car

Video Transcript

"You might sometimes find that something in your car doesn't work, and one of the first things to do is to check and see if the fuse is good or not, and you might have to replace that fuse. Before us here, we have a typical fuse box, and this uses the ATO type of fuse, which looks like, fuses like this, and they might also be equipped with min fuses, or maxi fuses in some place, some cases is another possibility. These fuses are very simple to replace because all you really have to do is to pull them out. Sometimes they have specialty tools to do this, but this can simply be done with a pair of needle nose pliers. So, all we have to do is grab a hold of the fuse, and pull it straight out, which point you can inspect it and see whether it appears to be good or not. This one appears to be OK, I can see that the u-shaped fuse element itself is OK. The most important thing in replacing a fuse is to make sure that you replace it with one of the same type. This is a fifteen ampere fuse. The, also for example here I have, say for instance a twenty ampere fuse, which is pretty much the same shape and size. They do make it a different color for identification purposes, but they have different ratings. Basically, what it comes down to is that this fuse will actually melt the fuse element at a lower amount of current blow than the twenty amp fuse. The important thing to remember when we replace these fuses is not to replace it with a rating higher than the one that came out of the car. So, if it calls for a fifteen amp fuse, do not replace it with a twenty amp or greater fuse. So consult your owner's manual or service manual for proper size fuses. To reinstall the fuse, it is very simple, just line it up with the slot, and push it back in."