What does this 20A fuse do and why would it pop?
Discussion
Sorry for the rushed post this morning! Yes, I did mean the inline fuse in the wiring. I think it is to do with the hot start kit the previous own fitted.
For some reason my car wouldn't start this morning. It just clicked when I turned the key to start. Battery was fine. There was a hell of a storm here last night and it was left outside, so maybe the damp caused the starter motor to stick. After a couple of attempts it wouldn't even click, I think this was when the fuse popped.
Anyway, I bump started it down the hill and changed the fuse and it was fine for the rest of the the day, started every time. Hopefully it was a one off, but maybe I'll look at changing the starter or solenoid in the future if it happens again.
For some reason my car wouldn't start this morning. It just clicked when I turned the key to start. Battery was fine. There was a hell of a storm here last night and it was left outside, so maybe the damp caused the starter motor to stick. After a couple of attempts it wouldn't even click, I think this was when the fuse popped.
Anyway, I bump started it down the hill and changed the fuse and it was fine for the rest of the the day, started every time. Hopefully it was a one off, but maybe I'll look at changing the starter or solenoid in the future if it happens again.
Ok, so an update.
After replacing the fuse yesterday and getting it started, it was perfect for the rest of the day. Started whether it was hot or cold and I did a few mile yesterday, stopping and starting quite a lot.
Overnight we had very heavy rain again, just been out to check it will start up ok and it's clicking but not turning over, again. I only tried it a couple of times. Fuse didn't pop.
I had a fiddle around, checked the fuse and the connections and it all looked ok. Tried it again and it turned over and started fine. All very strange. So it's working ok now, at the moment. Switched it off and fired it up a few times, each time was perfect, turned over really fast and started straight away each time. So it was just the first couple of times it wouldn't start.
I think I'll have a better look at all the connections when I'm home from Cornwall. Could the damp be causing the starter motor to stick? The solenoid is obviously clicking in (except for the time the fuse popped), it's just not turning over.
Or do you think there's a problem with the main battery cables to the starter? The battery terminals are tight and good.
After replacing the fuse yesterday and getting it started, it was perfect for the rest of the day. Started whether it was hot or cold and I did a few mile yesterday, stopping and starting quite a lot.
Overnight we had very heavy rain again, just been out to check it will start up ok and it's clicking but not turning over, again. I only tried it a couple of times. Fuse didn't pop.
I had a fiddle around, checked the fuse and the connections and it all looked ok. Tried it again and it turned over and started fine. All very strange. So it's working ok now, at the moment. Switched it off and fired it up a few times, each time was perfect, turned over really fast and started straight away each time. So it was just the first couple of times it wouldn't start.
I think I'll have a better look at all the connections when I'm home from Cornwall. Could the damp be causing the starter motor to stick? The solenoid is obviously clicking in (except for the time the fuse popped), it's just not turning over.
Or do you think there's a problem with the main battery cables to the starter? The battery terminals are tight and good.
zed4 said:
Ok, so an update.
After replacing the fuse yesterday and getting it started, it was perfect for the rest of the day. Started whether it was hot or cold and I did a few mile yesterday, stopping and starting quite a lot.
Overnight we had very heavy rain again, just been out to check it will start up ok and it's clicking but not turning over, again. I only tried it a couple of times. Fuse didn't pop.
I had a fiddle around, checked the fuse and the connections and it all looked ok. Tried it again and it turned over and started fine. All very strange. So it's working ok now, at the moment. Switched it off and fired it up a few times, each time was perfect, turned over really fast and started straight away each time. So it was just the first couple of times it wouldn't start.
I think I'll have a better look at all the connections when I'm home from Cornwall. Could the damp be causing the starter motor to stick? The solenoid is obviously clicking in (except for the time the fuse popped), it's just not turning over.
Or do you think there's a problem with the main battery cables to the starter? The battery terminals are tight and good.
Check that the small terminal going to the starter/solenoid is secure and corrosion free, you will however have to get under the car for this After replacing the fuse yesterday and getting it started, it was perfect for the rest of the day. Started whether it was hot or cold and I did a few mile yesterday, stopping and starting quite a lot.
Overnight we had very heavy rain again, just been out to check it will start up ok and it's clicking but not turning over, again. I only tried it a couple of times. Fuse didn't pop.
I had a fiddle around, checked the fuse and the connections and it all looked ok. Tried it again and it turned over and started fine. All very strange. So it's working ok now, at the moment. Switched it off and fired it up a few times, each time was perfect, turned over really fast and started straight away each time. So it was just the first couple of times it wouldn't start.
I think I'll have a better look at all the connections when I'm home from Cornwall. Could the damp be causing the starter motor to stick? The solenoid is obviously clicking in (except for the time the fuse popped), it's just not turning over.
Or do you think there's a problem with the main battery cables to the starter? The battery terminals are tight and good.
I think this protects the feed to the solenoid on the starter motor?
Not the same problem, however the 20A fuse on my hot-start mod also popped when the main feed from battery to starter motor broke through metal fatigue. Mr RAC who came out concluded that in this state, the starter motor was trying to draw full cranking current through this fuse/solenoid feed which is why it was popping.
He remade the battery connection and all has been fine for the last couple of years.
Not the same problem, however the 20A fuse on my hot-start mod also popped when the main feed from battery to starter motor broke through metal fatigue. Mr RAC who came out concluded that in this state, the starter motor was trying to draw full cranking current through this fuse/solenoid feed which is why it was popping.
He remade the battery connection and all has been fine for the last couple of years.
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