So, this is something that I have been wondering about for a while. Why do cars still have fuses that one has to replace when they get burned out? We know about breakers and breaker switches at this point. Obviously, I am not a mechanic but I have been bothered by this for a while. Thoughts?
Fuses are cheaper than breakers. That’s it, basically. Every other reason in favor of fuses is “gravy” as the automakers will multiply a 50-cent savings per car by all the cars they make and see a sizable amount saved.
Fuses are also tiny, compared to breakers.
Beyond that, cheap fuses tend to blow faster than cheap circuit breakers. There’s a lot of 18-gage (or so) wire in a car, and the primary power source is capable of dumping a few hundred amps into a short. You want fast-blowing fuses to protect slow-melting wire.
…and if the wire is big enough, it can have an arch powerful enough to weld the metal in your car, or set it ablaze all together. Fuse good.
Question: How do you make a million dollars in the car business?
Answer: Save a buck a car and build a milion of them.
Any other questions?