[pawank]

This is why one should never leave their vehicle at the mercy of the mechanic. Their silly mistakes could be fatal to you and your family. Cost of this fuse is only ten rupees, but since the mechanic doesn't have proper knowledge he applied this desi juggad.

[VijayAnand1]

It's not a wrong practice, per se IMHO. These by-passes are quite handy when it comes to tackling emergency situations. But what matters is how proactive one is after the mod and how diligent one is into looking what caused it. If it's an occasional blown fuse, and you're short of fuse, these tricks work well. Care must be taken to make sure the jugaad-ed fuse be replaced with a proper fuse and check for frequent blown fuses of the same fuse, which indicates a problem.

We had our Omni fuse box melted completely -- the headlight fuse, which rendered the fuse box completely useless. Courtesy, jugaad fuses, that melted their plastic holder which in turn fused with the fuse box plastic, a horrible sight to behold.

Bottomline, not a bad practice -- but mind you -- use it in bottleneck situations and proactively make sure to replace it with a new one, and check for any signs of repetition of blown fuses in the coming days. Lesson learnt the hard way.

Cheers!
VJ

[Sanidhya mukund]

Thank you all for the replies!
After a few of you pointed out that FNGs replace blown fuses with fuses of higher rating, I decided to check mine. I checked the diagram given in the owners manual and then looked at my fuse box.
I noticed the following Discrepancies:

1. Fuse number 4- Fuel pump fuse, should have been a red fuse of 10 Amperes, but is a 15 Amp blue one.

2. Fuses 6 and 7, which should have been 5 Amps each, are for the side blinkers. Shockingly, they have replaced those with 15 and 30 Amp fuses!

3. Fuse number 8 is a 15 Amp one for diesel models (For the diesel heater) and a 3 Amp one for petrol models (For the EEC module. What is an EEC module?). On my car, they have put a 15 Amp one, but mine is a petrol.

4. Fuse number 9 should have been 5 Amps, but is a 10 Amp one. It’s for the “ignition light switch”. Not sure what that is?

5. Fuses 10 and 11 for the left and right dipped beam should have been 10 Amp red fuses, but have been replaced with different fuses, one of which does not mention the rating, and the other one is 15 Amps.

6. Fuse number 12, for the wiper motor, should have been 20 Amps, but has been replaced with a 25 Amp one.

7. Fuse number 14 should have been 15 Amp, but has been replaced with a 10 Amp one. It is for the “A/C clutch and engine management.”

8. Fuse number 15 for “light switch battery” should have been 5 Amps, but is a 20 Amp one!

9. Fuse number 16 is the one that had burnt. It should have been a 30 Amp fuse, but has now been replaced with a 20 Amp one. The one that had got burnt was 15 Amps. This one is for the heater blower motor.

10. Fuse number 17, should have been 15Amps, but is 20. This one is for the indicators.

11. Fuse number 20, should have been 15 Amps, but is a 20 Amp one. This is for “engine management”.

Now the question is what should I do? Should I replace all the fuses with correct rated ones? Does a difference of 5 Amp or so matter? It would also be of great help if someone could explain what exactly do some of these terms enlisted in the owners manual mean.

The fuse box:


Diagram showing the number of each fuse:


The table explaining what each fuse corresponds to:


The labelling on the lid of the fuse box:

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Should I replace all the fuses with correct rated ones? Does a difference of 5 Amp or so matter? It would also be of great help if someone could explain what exactly do some of these terms enlisted in the owners manual mean.

The fuse box outline shown in the diagram does not match with that on the fuse box. Please make sure that you are referring to a correct manual and a correct diagram.

I have two fuse boxes in my SX4. One in the engine compartment and the other in the dashboard. Is it so in your car too? By mistake, one may refer to one diagram and look at the other fuse box.

If you are referring to correct manual and diagram, stick to the rated fuses. Manual of my car specifically advises to replace the blown fuses with the fuses of same rating.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

The fuse box outline shown in the diagram does not match with that on the fuse box. Please make sure that you are referring to a correct manual and a correct diagram.

I have two fuse boxes in my SX4. One in the engine compartment and the other in the dashboard. Is it so in your car too? By mistake, one may refer to one diagram and look at the other fuse box.

If you are referring to correct manual and diagram, stick to the rated fuses. Manual of my car specifically advises to replace the blown fuses with the fuses of same rating.

Hello Rahul,
My car has only one fuse box. The diagram represents the one that is pictured. This diagram only shows the chronological order of the fuses. The table explains what each fuse corresponds to and also shows the recommended ratings.
If you notice, the diagram has 22 fuses and so does the fuse box.

Regards
Sanidhya

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

I decided to check mine. I checked the diagram given in the owners manual and then looked at my fuse box.
Now the question is what should I do? Should I replace all the fuses with correct rated ones?

Two things:

a) I am very curious about how so many fuses have been replaced with fuses of incorrect (higher) ratings? Did you have many electrical issues in the car?

b) Strongly recommend replacing them with the rated fuses based on those mentioned in your OM. Fuses are a cheap insurance against electrical fire hazards. Please do not compromise buy only genuine fuses from the MASS.

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Now the question is what should I do? Should I replace all the fuses with correct rated ones? Does a difference of 5 Amp or so matter? It would also be of great help if someone could explain what exactly do some of these terms enlisted in the owners manual mean.

As a general rule, always match the fuses with what the manual suggests. However, in this case what concerns me is that, there are too many discrepancies.

Can you help understand how old the car is and whether it has changed multiple hands which may explain the alterations? Also, whether there are any aftermarket additions like higher wattage headlamps, horns etc. All these may have necessitated changes to the fuses and if you put fuses as per the manual, they may start to blow.

So, given this background I suggest to replace the fuses one by one (not all together) but after verifying that there is no alterations in that particular area. For example, before changing the fuse for the headlamp, make sure that the bulbs are same as what the original car came with.

Everytime you make a change, keep it that way for a few days to ensure the reliability of the change done. If something is not right, it should show up in a few tens of kilometres of drive but may not show up immediately. Hence my request to change only one part and make sure it is all fine before changing anything else.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Hello Rahul,
My car has only one fuse box. The diagram represents the one that is pictured. This diagram only shows the chronological order of the fuses. The table explains what each fuse corresponds to and also shows the recommended ratings.
If you notice, the diagram has 22 fuses and so does the fuse box.

Regards
Sanidhya

The fuse box diagrams deliberately show the fuse box outline so as to avoid any confusion on our part. Look at the fuse box outline shown in my car manual and the actual outline (shape) of the fuse box.


In your case, the actual outline of the fuse box seems to be different compared to the one shown in the manual.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Two things:

a) I am very curious about how so many fuses have been replaced with fuses of incorrect (higher) ratings? Did you have many electrical issues in the car?

b) Strongly recommend replacing them with the rated fuses based on those mentioned in your OM. Fuses are a cheap insurance against electrical fire hazards. Please do not compromise buy only genuine fuses from the MASS.

So 2 decades ago, we had installed a 6 CD changer in this car. It wasn't done coupler to coupler, they had spliced quite a few wires. Ever since then, the car has been plagued with electrical issues. what made it worse was the fact that a rogue chauffeur had tried to steal the stereo once, ripping its cables in the process.

Originally Posted by deep_bang

As a general rule, always match the fuses with what the manual suggests. However, in this case what concerns me is that, there are too many discrepancies.

Can you help understand how old the car is and whether it has changed multiple hands which may explain the alterations? Also, whether there are any aftermarket additions like higher wattage headlamps, horns etc. All these may have necessitated changes to the fuses and if you put fuses as per the manual, they may start to blow.

So, given this background I suggest to replace the fuses one by one (not all together) but after verifying that there is no alterations in that particular area. For example, before changing the fuse for the headlamp, make sure that the bulbs are same as what the original car came with.

Everytime you make a change, keep it that way for a few days to ensure the reliability of the change done. If something is not right, it should show up in a few tens of kilometres of drive but may not show up immediately. Hence my request to change only one part and make sure it is all fine before changing anything else.

I have owned this car since new. it is a 20 year old Ford Ikon. The only aftermarket fitment was the 6 CD changer 2 decades back, and a replacement of the head unit a decade ago. However, the CD changer install was done very poorly. The car has been having electrical issues ever since we got this done.

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

The fuse box diagrams deliberately show the fuse box outline so as to avoid any confusion on our part. Look at the fuse box outline shown in my car manual and the actual outline (shape) of the fuse box.


In your case, the actual outline of the fuse box seems to be different compared to the one shown in the manual.

Actually the image hasn't captured the entire area around the fuse box. The outline is same as the diagram.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

So 2 decades ago, we had installed a 6 CD changer in this car. It wasn't done coupler to coupler, they had spliced quite a few wires. Ever since then, the car has been plagued with electrical issues. what made it worse was the fact that a rogue chauffeur had tried to steal the stereo once, ripping its cables in the process.

Though the cables have been spliced at the time of installing the CD changer, they would have still used the cable which was earlier connected to the stock "Radio". This has been supplied through fuse no. 19, and the fuse fitted here is not over-rated.

You have given the list of over-rated fuses. Did you encounter problems with those equipments (fuel pumps, side blinkers, EEC etc.) in past? In other words, were the bigger fuses put because of any symptoms or without any symptoms? If the bigger fuses were put without symptoms, put the correct size fuses and check if these heat up or blow.

A fuse will overheat / blow when it's output wire (going from the fuse to the equipment like blinker, fuel pump etc.) touches the negative wire, resulting in a short circuit. Multiple fuses will blow if the output wires (or output terminals in the fuse box) of different fuses are touching each other (which can happen at the backside of the fuse box) and one of the output wires touches the negative. So I would suggest you to check the back side of the fuse box thoroughly. The sockets (where we insert the fuses) have sheet metal clips with wires connected from the back. Inspect this area. If the fuse box is available and not costly, you can replace it too.

If the fuse box is ruled out, then check all the wiring harness for any damage / rat bite on a bunch of wires at a single place.

Fuse of an equipment will also overheat or blow if there is a short circuit within the equipment. This is less likely to take place in multiple equipments. However, we can't rule this out totally in a 20 year old car. So if a fuse still blows or overheats after ruling out the fusebox and wiring harness, then replace the relay of that equipment or the equipment itself. Replace one equipment first. If the fuses stops overheating after replacement, then replace all the equipment one at a time.

[abhi9044]

This is a very common practice. So few days back, I took my Dad's Splendor to get the ignition lock changed to a FNG. I told them to remove the visor,the headlight and then reach out for the two allen screws holding the ignition lock, to which he said, "No need for it sir, i have other ways". So he opened up the speedometer without opening the visor, unscrewed the allen screws and tried to take the lock out. But then something was preventing the lock from coming out. Guess what it was? The wiring connection.

So in a perfect world you would, take the connectors apart to remove the wiring, but no, to my surprise this guy bought in a plier and started cutting the wires connected to the connectors . I was really mad at that time. Then this mechanic after removing the old lock, installed the new one, and guess what, now he was opening up the visor and headlight to install the wiring. And after everything was done, he started the bike to test everything. Everything was working fine except for the electricals. No horn, no indicators, no neutral light, as if the battery gave up. So, they told me, "Sir it's complete" and i asked them, "Why are the electronics not working? They were working fine when I came here". And he told me that it's a bad battery. It took me good two minutes of debate to tell them that this was a new battery and could not fail.

Then he opens up the battery cover, pulls hard on the wiring that goes to the fuse box, and checks the fuse. It was blown. So he removes the fuse and joins the two wires without any fuse. I was so mad at this point, that i paid him, drove to buy a new fuse and installed it on my own. Also decided that no one will perform repair on our rides except for me.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

You have given the list of over-rated fuses. Did you encounter problems with those equipments (fuel pumps, side blinkers, EEC etc.) in past? In other words, were the bigger fuses put because of any symptoms or without any symptoms? If the bigger fuses were put without symptoms, put the correct size fuses and check if these heat up or blow.
.......one at a time.

Thank you for the insights!

If I remember correctly, the only electrical problems with respect to the enlisted parts have been that sometimes, operating the equipment would lead to the fuse popping out, but would be fixed by simply pushing it in lightly. I have experienced this with the wipers, Indicators, Hazard Lights and taillights. I do not remember how the mechanic fixed this, I think he must have replaced the fuses with slightly higher rated ones.
The fuel pump never stopped working completely, but the FASS asked me to replace it in 2015, because they said that it wasn't working properly. My car also suffered an ECM failure in 2018. We replaced the ECM with one from the scrap yard, and the car has been running fine since then.
After the fuse burning incident happened, I sent it to another garage, where they replaced all the fuses. They may have used fuses with wrong ratings, either because they didn't have the correct knowledge, so used the existing fuses as a reference or maybe they did it deliberately after noticing that fuses of correct rating getting blown off. They returned the car after test driving it for 3-4 days, so I believe quite a lot of trial and error must have been involved. It has almost been a week since they returned the car, and it hasn't blown a single fuse since then.
Thank you so much for pointing out the possible causes of the fuses blowing. I will tell them to inspect the back side of the fuse box first, and if ruled out, then I will get them to check for short circuits.

Regards
Sanidhya

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Thank you for the insights!

If I remember correctly, the only electrical problems with respect to the enlisted parts have been that sometimes, operating the equipment would lead to the fuse popping out, but would be fixed by simply pushing it in lightly.

The fuses blow out in place. They don't pop out, like in some other equipment. If the equipment starts functioning by pressing it's fuse, it again points out to the sheet metal sockets in the fuse box and their connections with the respective wires.