Auto fuses are the gatekeepers and bodyguards of automotive electronics. When a sudden short or surge threatens the electronics of a modern car or truck, a fuse is ready to throw itself into the fire.
Your Car Fuse Box Explained: Everything You Need to Know About the Stuff in Fuse Boxes!
In this case, the fuse takes a figurative bullet for a valuable, complex or indispensable component or device, such as a car radio or amplifier. This often results in a temporary loss of functionality. However, fuses are inexpensive and usually easy to replace. Repeated failures of a fuse on the same circuit often reveal an underlying problem.
Automotive fuses vary in design type and amperage, but they are all based on the standard ATO and ATC blade fuses that Littelfuse patented in the 1970s. They are similar to the original ATO fuses, and many applications still use standard ATO and ATC fuses. Types differ primarily in size and number of terminals. Physically larger fuses are typically used in high-current applications.
In the past, glass tube and Bosch fuses were commonly used in vehicles. Today, they are found in older vehicles that are still on the road.
