Fuses
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,030
Likes: 10
From: Edmonton, Alberta
Fuses
Reading a few threads about electrical I have one question
Can fuses go bad overtime even though they are not blown? I'm just wondering as all mine are 18 years old now.
Can fuses go bad overtime even though they are not blown? I'm just wondering as all mine are 18 years old now.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,356
Likes: 2
From: No HOA, New Hampshire
Cruise-In X Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Old fuses definitely will go bad because of age. Corrosion, heating and cooling, and etc will cause any metal to stress. As an industrial electrician I have seen this failure many times. I never install used fuses on new equipment. I may even replace replace all the fuses in my 88 because they are cheap and one less thing to worry about. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. 
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Every time you turn on a circuit with a fuse, there is a pulse of current that is momentary (like the start up current of a blower motor) and this heats the fuse, and this is just like bending a piece of metal back and forth and with enough of these cycles, the fuse can go open circuit but look ok. The break can be at the end of the fuse element and not visible. For this reason you should always check a fuse with an ohmeter.
