calling on all FUSE experts
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: gold coast queensland
calling on all FUSE experts
its a 30 amp fuse. its for my thermo fan. a spal 16 extreme . lasts about 3 months then does this. it doesnt ever split in the middle just goes brown at one end. its a 110 amp constant alt and fan is controlled by manual switch to 40 amp relay to fan
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Austin Texas
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The brown is flux from assemble, it is reflowing because it is getting Hot.
probable a poor connection from the clip to the fuse.
either lost spring tension, or surface corrision on the clip creates resistance = Heat.
best fix is replace the fuse clip.
probable a poor connection from the clip to the fuse.
either lost spring tension, or surface corrision on the clip creates resistance = Heat.
best fix is replace the fuse clip.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
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From: gold coast queensland
thanks 69vett. i have positioned the fuse clip right behind radiator. do you think that would be enough heat to kill it. i am going to change its position up in a cooler area and see how it goes and change it to a blade fuse while im at it.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
How many amps are the fans drawing under maximum load? If it's anywhere near [or over] 30 amps, that fuse is always going to be "toast". If they aren't supposed to draw more than about 20 amps, there is some other problem with your wiring.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 110
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From: Portland Oregon
I agree with with 69Vette, that fuse looks like it over heated from a poor connection.
Since you have it mounted in the engine compartment, is it covered in a waterproof container? It would only take but a few drops of water on the connection to start deteriorating it.
Replacing the clip is the likely fix, and make sure the new one is sealed from any water getting to it.
Since you have it mounted in the engine compartment, is it covered in a waterproof container? It would only take but a few drops of water on the connection to start deteriorating it.
Replacing the clip is the likely fix, and make sure the new one is sealed from any water getting to it.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Cedar,BC
Replace it with a circuit breaker,that should handle a hi-amp load more reliably.
http://www.bussauto.com/pdf/d698bc45...f1cda0ad62.pdf
http://www.bussauto.com/pdf/d698bc45...f1cda0ad62.pdf
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
...the point is, if the current draw is in the neighborhood of 30 amps, changing to a larger circuit breaker will just transfer the failure point from the fuse to the wiring...and that's not a good thing. If you are now drawing more current than that part of the wiring harness was meant to 'see', you need to run a larger wire (or an additional 'parallel' wire) so that the wiring matches the load.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,832
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From: Cedar,BC
No,that is not the point, you are correct stating the circuit breaker must be sized to not exceed the ampacity of the wire.I am not suggesting a larger protection device ampacity,just a device with more reliable connections than a glass fuse holder.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: gold coast queensland
thanks everyone. im going to take on board what you all said. i am going to 1st find out what a 16 extreme spal draws in the way of amps. i am going to re-wire all my connections . it is waterproof but i am still going to change locations for the fuse and also change fuse types to a blade.i will also upgrade to some heavier wiring then i am going to look into that circuit braeker TFI.
my camaro has the exact same set up with 30 amp fuse, same wiring,relay,alt ....but a slightly smaller fan. its still a 16 spal but not the extreme. i think the extreme is 3000cfm and the next less powerfull is a 2300 cfm and it has never blown a fuse yet so thats something to think about. maybe this extreme fan is just too much of a beast for the wiring i have.
keep you posted soon with what happens when i do all this tueday. but then again it will be at least 3 months before i know if it has gone the distance or not. by then this thread will be long forgotten .
my camaro has the exact same set up with 30 amp fuse, same wiring,relay,alt ....but a slightly smaller fan. its still a 16 spal but not the extreme. i think the extreme is 3000cfm and the next less powerfull is a 2300 cfm and it has never blown a fuse yet so thats something to think about. maybe this extreme fan is just too much of a beast for the wiring i have.
keep you posted soon with what happens when i do all this tueday. but then again it will be at least 3 months before i know if it has gone the distance or not. by then this thread will be long forgotten .
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From: Lenoir City Tennessee
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I just checked out Spals webpage and came up with this for the 16" extreme fan. Their PDF says the fan draws 26 amps.
http://www.spalusa.com/pdf/30102113_SPEC.PDF#view=FitH
http://www.spalusa.com/pdf/30102113_SPEC.PDF#view=FitH
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
A 26 amp "running" load will be significantly higher on 'surge' amps when the fans kick on. That's why the fuse consistently blows and why a circuit breaker (of the same size) would do exactly the same. If you are using existing C3 wiring, surely that wire already has some electrical load on it...and you have now added at least 30 amps more to it. The total is probably much more than was planned for that wiring, and, unless you have replaced it, that wiring is 30+ years old 'to boot'. Either run additional parallel wiring or replace that run with heavier wire; then install an appropriately sized slo-blo AGC fuse or circuit breaker [probably 40-50 amps required]. Otherwise, it will continue to be a problem--or the wiring will fry, start a fire and/or cause a lot of damage. And, yes, that was the point. 
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: gold coast queensland
here is the outcome everyone. i pulled out all the wiring associated with the fan. found the base of the fuse all burnt out. cant say why but im going to work an the theory its a cheap and nasty fuse not a wiring problem as i replaced it with a new blade style fuse and it has about 20 hours of driving up with no problems. the old fuse would not have lasted half that before doing what happened in the 1st picture.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Orange Park Florida
here is the outcome everyone. i pulled out all the wiring associated with the fan. found the base of the fuse all burnt out. cant say why but im going to work an the theory its a cheap and nasty fuse not a wiring problem as i replaced it with a new blade style fuse and it has about 20 hours of driving up with no problems. the old fuse would not have lasted half that before doing what happened in the 1st picture.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 2
From: gold coast queensland
thanks for the tip mr vette. i checked it out and all good. clean as a whistle. i took my power source for the fan direct from the alternator to a relay with a manual switch in the cabin. im glad i did put the fuse in as it was tripping before any damage could occur anywhere else further along the wiring.
i think this fuse retainer was just junk. it is one of those spring loaded style ones so maybe a bad contact and like many said in this thread, moisture got in there.
i think this fuse retainer was just junk. it is one of those spring loaded style ones so maybe a bad contact and like many said in this thread, moisture got in there.
