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Technical Why do I keep blowing 30 amp fuses??

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by seadog, May 19, 2019.

  1. Recently I’ve blown 4 30 amp fuses in quick succession. Need your thoughts on what to check next.

    Here’s the background. Deuce Roadster with an American Autowire 15 circuit wiring kit. Wired by me and everything worked as it should till about a month ago when one of the “accessory” circuits started blowing 30 amp fuses. This circuit supplies power to a cigarette plug charger receptacle between the seats. I use it to power a phone and that’s all.

    About a month ago I noticed the phone wasn’t charging, checked and found the fuse was blown. Replaced fuse...drove the car for a while...phone stopped charging...fuse blown...you get the picture.

    Yesterday, driving back from Steel In Motion, I hit the mother of all railroad crossings. The car bottomed out and stalled. I restarted, cussed a bit, and noticed the phone wasn’t charging. When I got home I checked and the fuse was blown.

    Anybody have any suggestions/thoughts on what’s going on. I always thought that a power surge was the cause of a blown fuse, but I don’t think the phone charger would have that much of a draw. I’ve heard bad things about China accessory chargers. Maybe I should just start by replacing the charger?
     
  2. Doublepumper
    Joined: Jun 26, 2016
    Posts: 1,535

    Doublepumper
    Member
    from WA-OR, USA

    I'd start by tracing the wiring from the power port back to the fuse panel. Sounds like you have a power wire shorting out to ground somewhere.
     
  3. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    Because you are getting 31 amps or more!!! No just kidding, when you hit the tracks something shorted out. That is something touched something it shouldn’t.



    Bones
     
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  4. Dick Stevens
    Joined: Aug 7, 2012
    Posts: 3,710

    Dick Stevens
    Member

    That circuit has a short in it somewhere, as has been stated you need to trace the wiring the full distance it runs or the cigarette lighter socket itself could be shoring out!
     
    loudbang, INVISIBLEKID and Hamtown Al like this.

  5. spanners
    Joined: Feb 24, 2009
    Posts: 2,074

    spanners
    Member

    30 amp fuse in a cicarette lighter socket sounds excessive to start with to me. If your 'phone charger had a hiccup it would melt before the fuse blew.
    It sounds like a dead short, possibly caught under the seat riser and when you saddle up for a drive it's pinching it.
     
    clem, loudbang, XXL__ and 3 others like this.
  6. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,459

    noboD
    Member

    Contact 37Kid on here, he's a master at electricity.
     
    Sandgroper, loudbang, RICH B and 3 others like this.
  7. TrailerTrashToo
    Joined: Jun 20, 2018
    Posts: 1,289

    TrailerTrashToo
    Member

    Also, I have had the cigarette lighter receptacle short out internally. The cigarette lighter receptacle would only short out when something was plugged into it. Going to to take some troubleshooting using a multi-meter to check resistance to ground.

    In order of probability:

    1. Wire from fuse panel grounded to metal (insulation rubbed off) - disconnect the hot wire (+12 Volts) from cigarette lighter receptacle - if you keep blowing 30 Amp fuses - the wire is shorted to metal (ground) somewhere
    2. Internal failure of the cigarette lighter receptacle
    3. Internal failure of the phone charger
     
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  8. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'd have to believe that you answered your own question when you said it blew the fuse when you went over the bump. Loose connection or a wire with a bare spot that shorts out at times. If you don't use it for a lighter you don't need or want that heavy of fuse. Phones draw way under 5 amps to charge them at least on mine.

    Sent from my VS988 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  9. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Cigar lighter receptacle (charging port or whatever it's called these days) shorting to hot would be the first thing to look at. Bypass it, remove it, see if it goes away.
     
    loudbang likes this.
  10. Tom, I have the same wiring kit and we also use a 30 amp fuse for the Garman and phone, I haven't experienced any problems.

    I'm just spitballing but you may just have a bad lighter port or a loose connection. HRP
     
  11. Dangerous Dan
    Joined: Jul 10, 2011
    Posts: 479

    Dangerous Dan
    Member

    You don't have a short, you have a long LOL
     
  12. zzford
    Joined: May 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,823

    zzford
    Member

    I would disconnect the charging port at the port itself, first. If it still kills the fuse, start chasing it from there.
     
    seb fontana likes this.
  13. Mike Colemire
    Joined: May 18, 2013
    Posts: 1,428

    Mike Colemire
    Member

    I used to replace several lighter assy in fords, something about the phone chargers they use or the way they jerked them out would screw them up and they'd blow a fuse.
     
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  14. 29moonshine
    Joined: Dec 30, 2006
    Posts: 1,341

    29moonshine
    Member

    disconnect the wire from the port if it still blows it in the wire if not in is the port
     
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  15. Brand Apart
    Joined: Jan 22, 2011
    Posts: 808

    Brand Apart
    Member
    from Roswell GA

    Yeah disconnect the wire and let the terminal flop around behind your dash I'm sure that won't hit anything metal and short out. Sarcasm here.

    sorry not much help I can offer that hasn't been said already
     
  16. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,713

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    If you’re just using it for charging a phone or the like and not using an actual cig lighter, replace it with a charge port. They are made different with solid walls where the lighter sockets are split and springy to hold the lighter elements in until they get hot enough to jump out. The smooth wall in the charge port doesn’t grab the side connectors on the plugs like a lighter socket does, and is not as likely to get bent and short out.
     
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  17. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    take the lighter socket out and look at it, both ends, you'll probably see where it arc'd when it blew the fuse.
     
    Lil32 likes this.
  18. 31 Chopped Coupe
    Joined: Aug 24, 2014
    Posts: 111

    31 Chopped Coupe
    Member

    I had the same issue, it turned out to be the lighter socket.
     
    dan31 likes this.
  19. H380
    Joined: Sep 20, 2015
    Posts: 483

    H380
    Member
    from Louisiana

    Found a penny flat in the bottom of a cigarette lighter hole once
     
  20. Hotrodmyk
    Joined: Jan 7, 2011
    Posts: 2,302

    Hotrodmyk
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. Northwest HAMBers

    It has been said above but check the socket carefully. I had the exact situation on an OT car. I found corrosion inside the socket. I unplugged it, replaced the fuse and all OK. The fix was to replace the plug assembly.
     
    olscrounger likes this.
  21. thecj3man
    Joined: Aug 16, 2010
    Posts: 78

    thecj3man
    Member
    from TN

    I put a new lighter plug in my 55 last winter that has the fuse about 4” from the termination on the plug. For some reason my Garmin blows the fuse, almost always upon unplugging it. I am starting to think it is something with the 12V power supply instead of the car wiring.
     
  22. Phone chargers are usually 2.1 A. Disconnect power port, then wiggle wire or test drive. It's most likely the lighter socket, but it can be the wire leading to it. I also use a usb power port (better then the lighter port and less chance for something to fall in).

    [​IMG]
     
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  23. Ziggster
    Joined: Aug 27, 2018
    Posts: 1,697

    Ziggster
    Member

    As others have said, 30A fuse for a circuit dedicated for a cigarette lighter is too much. Fuses are meant to prevent wires from melting, and therefore the wires in the circuit should be rated accordingly. I have a 1/2 Hp electrically powered air compressor on my truck rated at 30A and it has a dedicated breaker. It likely is the adapter itself or check for wires where they pass through the firewall. Lots of electrical issues can be traced to wires that wear as they pass through metal and also melt due to heat from the engine.
     
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  24. XXL__
    Joined: Dec 28, 2009
    Posts: 2,117

    XXL__
    Member

    That is WAY too much fuse.

    Garmin specs either a 1A or 2A fuse, depending on model. A 36 watt phone charger (read as-- an unusually large one, capable of fast-charging 2 devices at once) uses a 5A fuse (36W/12V=3A actual draw... with another 2A overhead). If you run both the Garmin and a very large charger at the same time, you're at 7A with full overhead.

    As an example, typical 60's through 80's GM vehicle, which had cigarette lighter, clock, dome lamp, and cargo lamp all on the same circuit... was only a 20A fuse... and they engineered for the possibility that you'd have all of those on at the same time.

    /2 cents
     
  25. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    ^^^^^ A dead short don't care.
     
  26. XXL__
    Joined: Dec 28, 2009
    Posts: 2,117

    XXL__
    Member

    Of course, but the more common failure mode is less drastic, which is why manufacturers use different size fuses for different circuits... instead of just slapping 30's in everything . The OP likely has a dead short. My previous post was to @HOTRODPRIMER and his setup.
     
  27. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    Aftermarket and OEM are not the same thing.
     
  28. XXL__
    Joined: Dec 28, 2009
    Posts: 2,117

    XXL__
    Member

    What does this even mean? P=IV is universal.
     
  29. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 12,603

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

  30. reefer
    Joined: Oct 17, 2001
    Posts: 787

    reefer
    Member

    Have a look at the blown fuse... if it’s just got a little blob/ break in the wire it is usually overload where the wire has got to melting point and parted, if it is blown to smithereens it’s a dead short usually, the sudden surge just blows it to bits.
    Might help narrow it down.
     
    Johnny Gee likes this.

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