How to Replace a Car Battery Fuse

A white car.
  • 1 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 25-40
What You'll Need
Screwdriver
Pliers
New battery fuses
Owner's manual
Voltmeter
Rubber gloves
What You'll Need
Screwdriver
Pliers
New battery fuses
Owner's manual
Voltmeter
Rubber gloves

Among commonly-occurring car repair demands, changing the battery fuse is among the easier tasks. Battery fuses are retailed in a standard format. Further, you don’t need special tools or skills to remove or install a battery fuse.

Step 1 - Get Started

Do not work on a car that has just been driven. Accessing the fuse box might lead to some degree of bodily contact with other components of the car and heated components pose a risk. Allow the car to cool down. Apply the parking brakes. Prepare yourself with rubber gloves.

Step 2 - Locate Fuse Box

Finding the car battery fuse can be a bit challenging for some people. Usually, there is one main battery fuse in the car which needs periodic replacement. One of the easiest ways of understanding the electrical system of your car and locating the car battery fuse is reading the owner's manual. If this doesn’t prove to be helpful, open the hood of the car and secure it with the prop rod.

The location of the fuse box varies across most car models but is usually labeled. Many manufacturers make the fuse box easily identifiable by using clear labels. However, this can be a bit tricky when the fuse panel is accessible from the dashboard of the car. Such fuse boxes are located within the side panels, on one side of the steering column. The dashboard panel is easy-to-remove wherein you need to slightly pry it with a flat screwdriver.

Step 3 - Identify Main Battery Fuse

Use a screwdriver to open the fuse box. Verify the layout of the fuse box by comparing it with the images of the fuse box displayed in the manual. Each of the fuses has a certain number printed on them. The diagram in the manual lists a particular number for the main battery fuse. Locate that number on the fuses to decode your battery fuse.

Step 4 - Ensure Fused Status of Battery Fuse

Check if the battery fuse has actually blown. Connect one of the testing ends of the voltmeter to the body of the car. Touch the other testing end to the conductor lining of the fuse. There should be a definite movement in the voltmeter reading. This reading should be present for both ends of the fuse. If any of the readings is missing, the fuse has blown and needs replacement. If the readings are fine, the fuse might be displaced due the vibrations of the car. Here, you merely need to re-insert it with some force.

Step 5 - Remove Old Fuse & Procuring Replacement Fuse

Use a small plier to grasp and pull-out the burnt fuse. Take this fuse to a car supplies store to buy an exact replacement. Ensure that the replacement battery fuse has the same voltage or ampere readings. Branded battery fuses are sold with the standard color coding used by car manufacturers to define various traits of their fuses. Ideally, you should buy a couple of fuses to ensure that you have a ready replacement for the future.

Step 6 - Install New Car Battery Fuse

Push the new fuse in its dedicated, empty socket. If this fuse seems stuck, press upon it. Close the car’s hood or the dashboard panel. Start the engine to ensure that the replaced battery fuse is working.