What Does a Blown Car Fuse Look Like?

Reviewed by

Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician

Technical Reviewer at CarParts.com

Written by CarParts.com Research Team - Updated on May 28th, 2025

Reading Time: 2 minutes
Summary
  • A blown car fuse will have a gap in the metal strip you can see through the transparent fuse housing.
  • A blown fuse can also sometimes melt, indicating that it’s been overloaded.
  • The fuse box is usually located underneath the dashboard on the driver’s side. In some vehicles, there might be another fuse box under the hood.

Q: What Does a Blown Car Fuse Look Like?

A: A blown car fuse will have a gap in the metal strip you can see through the transparent fuse housing.

You will know there’s metal strip separation when the metal strip that conducts electricity has a visible gap. Also, a blown fuse can sometimes melt, indicating that it’s been overloaded.

There might be instances where it’s hard to tell whether your car has a blown fuse because not much has changed in terms of appearance. In this case, you can use a multimeter to check for an open circuit, which generally indicates a blown fuse.

On some high current circuits (such as a fan), a higher capacity fuse may overheat without actually blowing and interrupt the current flow (see photo). | Image Source: Richard McCuistian
This photo captures the moment when a fuse blows. There is an arc inside the fuse as the element is burned apart, which interrupts the circuit and prevents damage to the rest of the wiring on that circuit. A fuse is easily replaced, the wires are not. | Image Source: Richard McCuistian

Tips on How to Locate a Blown Fuse

Before anything else, make sure that the engine is shut off. The next step is to locate the fuse box, which is usually located underneath the dashboard on the driver’s side. In some vehicles, there might be another fuse box under the hood.

Having a diagram will help you in identifying the name of each fuse. Once you’ve identified the fuse you want to inspect, you can use fuse pullers or pliers to pull it out and visually inspect its condition.

Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.

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Published by
CarParts.com Research Team and Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
Tags: fuse