BBR's 545 83GT..... it is alive

[BBR]

Looking at the picture more....I wonder if the tab on the fuse was not inserted into the clip one side? but was next to it instead. That might cause it to melt like that at the terminal inside the fuse holder.

I'm going to look closer at this when I get home.

[squirrel]

I would want to cut it open and see why it got so hot. Could also be a defective crimp where the terminal connects to the wire inside the fuse holder.

[CDMBill]

4 guage wiring to the fan? Wow. That's some serious wire.

Congrats James on a super cool car that just keeps getting cooler!

The Lincoln Mark VIII fan draws 50 continuos, 100 at start up, hence #4

[Deaf Bob]

Run Taurus fans.. 40 amp fuse in one car, 50 amp breaker in the other..
We want them to run.. But not short as to draw from the battery which also runs the dizzy..
30 amp will blow in line up.. 40 will not..
Mainly have them so when the fan motor gets shorted.. We can still continue..Even with 2-950 or 1000 CCA batteries and being shorted, we have NEVER seen a fuse melt like that!

[BBR]

I would want to cut it open and see why it got so hot. Could also be a defective crimp where the terminal connects to the wire inside the fuse holder.

That's exactly what I did. Fuse was seated in both sides. It seems to have only gotten really hot on one side. The internal connector, crimp and wire on one side were very discolored, while the other side was much less so. The copper wire looked perfect. This fuse holder was pretty old, I'll just replace and keep an eye on it.

The fuses were just some I bought at the parts store or walmart in the little yellow slide-top box.

[Russell]

Does the HHR use a 20 amp fuse? If its needs a 30 would the smaller fuse increase resistance and make it hot?

[BBR]

If it pulls more than 20 amps it *should* blow the fuse. I am learning that localized heating indicates high resistance, so I think it was just a bad connection. This fuse holder was kinda old and was not one of the ones with the cover that keeps moisture out. The car stays outside all the time so it probably had some corrosion in it. In the past, I have run it for way longer than I did the other night w/o any problems.

I'm just gonna replace it and go on my merry way.

[Deaf Bob]

Like I said...We use 40 amps.. They do not melt like that.. When they are compromised, they blow ..
Condensation is bad where we store the boxes over winter..you have humidity..
Maybe there are a few strands that got pulled out of the holder?

[SuperBuickGuy]

If it pulls more than 20 amps it *should* blow the fuse. I am learning that localized heating indicates high resistance, so I think it was just a bad connection. This fuse holder was kinda old and was not one of the ones with the cover that keeps moisture out. The car stays outside all the time so it probably had some corrosion in it. In the past, I have run it for way longer than I did the other night w/o any problems.

I'm just gonna replace it and go on my merry way.

that's not necessarily true. if the ground hits more then 20 amps instantly it will blow, but like the frog in boiling water, if the fuse gets progressively greater loads; it won't blow but will catch fire.

[JeffMcKC]

I would get one of those stereo large size double fuses and run a lower fuse size.