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Glowing fuse


RoanokeRider

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RoanokeRider

I am not much on electrical, so any help appreciated. I have an aux fuse block, cheap one from auto parts store. One of the10amp fuses is brightly lit. Not a faint glow but bright like an led. This fuse block is more then several years old and has not done this before. The wires from this fuse are constant power to the sidecar. Why is it glowing and how do I test? I don't have another 10amp but if I put a 20amp in, it does not glow. The fuse is not hot to the touch. These are the plastic2 prong type comanly used in cars.

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The fact that you say it hasn't done it before is odd, but perhaps you haven't seen it in darkness ?

The only answer I have, is there are blade type fuses with built in LED's to show the fuse is ok. When the fuse blows, the LED goes out telling you that particular fuse is burned out.

That's all I have.

Here's a YouTube video giving a demo.

 

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.................... there are blade type fuses with built in LED's to show the fuse is ok. When the fuse blows, the LED goes out .......s

 

The opposite actaully: LED lit up indicates the fuse is blown.

 

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I am not much on electrical, so any help appreciated. I have an aux fuse block, cheap one from auto parts store. One of the10amp fuses is brightly lit. Not a faint glow but bright like an led. This fuse block is more then several years old and has not done this before. The wires from this fuse are constant power to the sidecar. Why is it glowing and how do I test? I don't have another 10amp but if I put a 20amp in, it does not glow. The fuse is not hot to the touch. These are the plastic2 prong type comanly used in cars.

 

Morning RoanokeRider

 

Those were called Indicator Fuses, big thing back in the 70's & 80's, but never really caught on. The ones that I am familiar with were sold by Littelfuse.

 

As mentioned above, the light was "off" when fuse was OK & the light would come on when fuse was blown as the light was in parallel with the fusible link inside the fuse.

 

The ones from years ago were not LED & I would be very surprised if any of the newer ones are LED as LED lights are usually directional so that would require the fuse be installed, directionally correct, in the fuse block to work properly.

 

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RoanokeRider

Thanks to everyone for the responses and useful information. I had never heard of these type fuses and am not sure where I got it. I didn't think that it was led but used that more as a descriptor. I will replace it with a proper 10amp fuse.

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Yes, they are LED.

and Redman is correct, the LED lights when the fuse is blown.

That's what I get for watching the long, dry video with the sound off to not wake the wife.

Here's a much shorter video demo'ing the LED.

 

 

 

Edited by Tri750
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Aside from the glowing fuse question... (I'm sure the boys have your answer).

 

Is the power ok on your sidecar? A blown fuse tells you that there's a problem with that line. A short is the usual culprit. You might expect a new 10A fuse to blow right away. It's conceivable that a 20A won't blow, but don't just put a bigger fuse in. Find the problem.

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RoanokeRider

I believe that I know why it popped the fuse. There is a cigarette lighter plug in the sidecar that came apart on the ride to the RA rally. I think that it shorted when it was dangling and the negative wire had pulled loose. Must have toughed the positive wire. Even after I reassembled the plug, the sidecar GPS still did not work. Didn't spend anymore time on it until I saw the glowing fuse. Hopefully, that is all that it was. Go9od thing that it had the fuse.

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