Using higher amp fuse

[velocity]

My #15 fuse on my car keeps blowing. It controls the low oil/coolant sensors, seat belt chime, and the gauges (operation). It has been like that for about a week know and I can't find anything wrong. I tried unplugging all of the sensors and gauges to see if one of those had a short and it still blew. So I tried using a 20A fuse inplace of the 10A fuse and everything worked fine ... should I not continue to do that or should it be OK?? I am assuming I should not do that, but I am not sure. I would think if something was shorted out the 20A fuse would have blown too. Am I wrong in thinking this or not?? Since the 20A fuse works does that mean something is just wearing out, like a relay or something??

Thanks for any comments!!

 

[Chronos[AsG]]

I wouldn't use the 20A fuse. The fact that its not blowing just means whatever the problem is, the current draw is greater than 10 and less than 20 amps. Flowing that much more power things can start to get hot very quickly. Also, if the connected equipment isnt rated for the amperage thats flowing through it, it could start a fire very easily. Are you sure you have completely unplugged EVERYTHING on that circuit. Probably the easiest way to find the culprit is to remove literally everything and plug things back in one at a time until the fuse blows. If it blows with nothing at all plugged in then it sounds like a slightly bigger problem.

 

[velocity]

What is your suggestion if everything is unplugged and it still blows?? I only have one other thing to try to unplug... the low oil relay. I already unplugged everything else and it still blew, I didn't know where the relay was.

Thanks... Jeff

 

[cmozez]

Keep the 20 amp fuse in there and whatever catches on fire is your problem

 

[donjohn]

i guess it depends on where the wires are- but start a fire? I think the faulty wire would first melt than cause a fire... but then again i wouldn't take the chance.

Couldn't you do like an ohm reading and see which one is putting out the shorting power?

 

[velocity]

I was thinking that myself, but I don't really know which wires are which for some of the things. And even if I find the wire, I have to track it all over creation to find the short.

 

[velocity]

Thanks for all of the help guys.... I found the problem. It was the low oil module. I unplugged everything, including that and then plugged everything back in one at a time and nothing blew the fuse. So, I don't know if the module had some sort of stored up charge or something, but everything is working fine now.

 

[brentwoodboy]

LOL, I put in a higher amp fuse once and burned through 4 wires. I had to replace them all, talk about a PITA. THE BIGGEST hassle ever.