Can anyone give an explanation in layman's (aka dumb blonde's) terms about car fuses and why they blow?

Question

I have a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am SE, and a Toshiba Satellite notebook pc. I use my laptop frequently in my car and I bought an adapter to use for my cigarette lighter, to power it. I've blown 2 fuses so far. I was wondering if it's an electricity problem or if I don't have the appropriate voltage to power a computer. Forgive my ignorance, but all I know is the little mini's come in different colors and have different numbers on them. Colors/numbers mean what exactly? I know they mean voltage, but would using a different color/number or a higher voltage fuse blow out my circuit? Is there anything I can do? Sorry, I don't know much about cars. Thanks for any help anyone can give me in advance!

Answer 1

Fuses burn out or blow because of a lot of things, but the most common is overloading the wire you are using. If you attempt to pull too much power through a power line that isn't designed to carry that much power, you run the risk of starting a fire. To prevent the fire, fuses are inserted between the power source (the car's battery) and the equipment using the source (in this case the laptop using an accessory or cigarette lighter plug.

The numbers that you see on the fuse is the amount of power in amps that the fuse can handle. If you exceed that amount of power you run the risk of causing a fire on the line that carries that power. This means that you cannot put a higher numbered fuse in the slot if you wish to prevent a fire. Putting a 20A fuse in a 15A slot is dangerous and can cause expensive damage to your vehicle's onboard systems. Do not overload a power line!

You can have a new line ran to a new accessory plug rather inexpensively, but you need to make sure that the wire that is run to the accessory is rated for the amount of power that your laptop uses. You can find that information on the back of the laptop on the UL listing panel (it should be on the bottom of the laptop at or near the battery compartment. Then you need to purchase an accessory plug in that can handle that amount of power (it will state its rating in AMPS on the box) and enough wire to run from your battery to the accessory plug. Remember: the thicker the wire you get, the more electricity that can be safely run through that wire. BUT don't overkill, get wire that is capable of handling the laptops power needs without creating a new installation issue of placing the wire through the engine wall.

The parts are probably less than $20 (12' wire and an accessory plug rated for the proper amps as indicated on the Laptop's UL panel) and probably less than an hour's time at a shop ($75). So for less than $100 you can fix your problem, then you will only have to worry about draining the power from the battery ;)

Answer 2

The little numbers mean amperage, not voltage. EVerything in your car runs at 12 volts, but different components use different current, for example the interior light would use much less current than the starter motor. Therefore, the starter motor will be wired using much thicker wires and use a higher amperage than the interior light.

The fuse is there to protect the wiring, and performs a very important function, i.e. preventing your car from bursting into flames ! The fuse is designed to blow when more amperage travels through the wiring than it is designed to handle.

So if your fuse keeps blowing, it means that either the notebook draws more power than the lighter circuit can handle, or else there is a wiring fault somewhere. I'd recommend you get a qualified electrician to check it out. Alternatively, make sure your insurance policy covers fire damage ...

Answer 3

All cars run on 12 volts. Voltage isn't your problem, it is current. Current is measured in watts or amps. Fuses are also rated the same way. Installing the properly rated fuse as designed for your car will protect it. You need to have the properly rated fuse in that circuit. Most laptops draw about 75 watts. What is the rating of the fuse that is supposed to go in that circuit? What is the current draw of your laptop? I don't think your laptop shouldn't be blowing out the lighter fuse. Something is wrong there.

Answer 4

The Fuse is in Amps, and each Amp fuse has its own color for easy I. D. - The fuse link, is weaker than the Wire it protects, if things heat up the fuse blows and not the wire.
In your case a Cig lighter gets hot for a moment and then cools down, your computer is getting warm and gets warmer- Check your Auto Book and see if the Right Fuse is in the slot- and check that adapter , see how many Amps it needs- At your own risk, I think you could move up one size with the Fuse and not hurt anything-

Answer 5

Fuses are rated by amperage. A 10 amp fuse can only carry 10 amps. If more amps are sent through it, the fuse blows. Try putting a higher amp fuse in your car to carry the extra amperage that your laptop uses. If a short developes, it will simply blow the fuse........Master Tech 40 yrs.

Answer 6

All fuses have a little conductor in them that can only handle a set amount of electricity. When too much electricity passes through it, the fuse blows to prevent any damage to other electrical components.

The colors correspond with the fuse's wattage. Getting a higher wattage fuse would prevent the fuse itself from blowing, but because it's not the correct fuse, would pose danger to the rest of your car's electrical components by allowing too much electricity to pass through it.

Answer 7

I had a 2000 grand am, and my cigarette lighter fuse blew all the time. Anytime I had my phone charger in it, or neon lights. I started getting a higher number fuse.

Answer 8

most cigarette lighter plugs are weak to begin with. I'm sure for a small price, or if ur real cute, U can get an extra plug with a higher rating for almost nothing or free..