Car won't start after jump: Fusible link vs. Fuse

[Beans]

Oh what a wonderful day I've had today...

I'll spare you all the boring details and just get to the nitty gritty of my problem. I left my lights on, battery was dead. Asked for a jump from a friend but we looked at the colour of the battery cables, not the actual polarity signs on the battery and accidentally reversed the polarity, promptly frying the main fusible link of my car. I called a local auto supply store who said they didn't happen to have a fusible link in stock, but that I could get a wire with a spot for a fuse in the middle of it and a 30 amp fuse. I had never heard of a fusible link before and so I didn't know the difference really. I bought it, put it in and jumped the car again. It ran for a while, but on my way home the fuse fried (on a hill, in rush hour, of course =D) I had another fuse and a woman stopped to give me another jump, I checked the fuse after the jump to ensure it was intact, as I assumed we blew the fuse with the previous jump. Well, I got on the highway (gotta charge the battery, ya know!) and promptly blew the other fuse. Called a tow truck, towed it home and here I am.

So, after that novels worth of explanation, my questions:

1. I looked up what a fusible link is vs a fuse and they seem almost the same only a fusible link can handle amperage spikes without breaking, whereas a fuse cannot. I also read here that the FL amperages should be 30/40/30, so my 30 amp main fuse would be insufficient for the application regardless. Would I do okay to pick up a 40 amp fuse and put that in or should I scrap the whole idea and try to track down some 30/40/30am fusible links?

2. I hooked the freaking jumper cables up backwards! What sort of horrible irreversible damage could I have done to my poor car!?!?!

Thanks in advance for the help!

[JoDan]

You can put cartridge fuses in place of the fusible links

[Beans]

After a quick Google image search... That's the glass tube kind? I'm currently using the "blade" type I believe...

[Occhty]

I run 30/30/30 aspire fuses, they fit the festy fuseable link block, any mcparts should have them. Not sure as to your blown fuse issue though

[JohnGunn]

After a quick Google image search... That's the glass tube kind? I'm currently using the "blade" type I believe...

The following link is to a thread which includes a picture of the Aspire cartridge-style fuses that will replace the Festiva fusible links.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27396

Should you go to a junk yard for them you will find two similar, but incompatible versions. The legs of the ones that fit the Festiva are longer than the other.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[Eaglefreek]

Unfortunately, you learned the hard way on how important it is to triple check you are hooking up the proper terminals. Reversing polarity on jumper cables will do different damage to different to both vehicles involved. I can just blow a fuse or fuses, fry diodes in the alternator, damage the battery, damage ECM or other electrical components even blow up one of the batteries. There is a multitude of things that can get damaged. Hopefully your friend doesn't have any trouble with their vehicle. When I jump start someone I insist on hooking up the cables or I won't jump them.

[Beans]

Okay, I'll try to track down some cartridge style fusible links then and hopefully that'll solve my problem. Thanks for the input guys, I'll report back in a few days about my situation! Fingers crossed!

[nitrofarm]

Okay, I'll try to track down some cartridge style fusible links then and hopefully that'll solve my problem. Thanks for the input guys, I'll report back in a few days about my situation! Fingers crossed!

Also charge the battery with a charger before you start the engine.And make sure its holding the charge. The dead battery might be putting to much load on the Alt and its blowing the fuse. Jus a thought

[Beans]

So, I called around trying to find cartridge style fusible links and cannot find them anywhere. I can get the regular kind, but they go by guage, no amps... Any clue what guage I'd need for Main???

Also, I will try to find a way to charge the battery and see if that's the problem... it's possible we fried it.

[JohnGunn]

So, I called around trying to find cartridge style fusible links and cannot find them anywhere. I can get the regular kind, but they go by guage, no amps... Any clue what guage I'd need for Main???

Also, I will try to find a way to charge the battery and see if that's the problem... it's possible we fried it.

I think your problem is in what you are asking for. I could be wrong, but I think fusible links are pieces of wire with special fire-resistant insulation. The things used in their stead on the Aspire I think would be called fuses.

Here are the values for the Festiva fusible links:

Brown (both left and right end of block) 15 amps.
Red (center of block) 25 amps.

In order to establish a conversion this information may be helpful.

"Head" fusible link in Festiva is 15 amps.
"Head" fusible link in Aspire is 30 amps.

"EGI" fusible link in Festiva is 15 amps.
"EGI" fuse in Aspire is 30 amps.

"Main" fusible link in Festiva is 25 amps.
"Main" fuse in Aspire is 80 amps.


Assuming the current through both headlight systems to be equal that would indicate you could double the value to go from fusible link to fuse.

I have read on this site people saying they converted to 20-30-20 and had no problems. Others have recommended 20-40-20, shown in the picture I referred to in my earlier post, and experienced no problem.

In this case I think I would choose to go with something others have found to be safe from experience, rather than trust something so important to informed speculation. I think I used 20-40-20 on my Festiva without problems and would do that again. My current ride is an Aspire, so that is a decision I don't have to make.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[Beans]

Thanks for the info, John! I'm still looking in to the problem, but it appears to have fixed itself, at least temporarily... I just took a portable jump starter I was charging at home out to my car, jump started it and drove the car around the back of my house with no problems. Previously, after jump starting the car the charge light would come on and the car would act strangely. This time the charge light didn't come on and it appears to be acting normally. I'm leaving it idling for a bit so I can build a bit of a charge in the battery, we'll see how that goes tomorrow, when I try to drive it to work! On my lunch break I'm going to grab a few 40amp fuses and give those a shot perhaps. I'm also going to bring the portable jump starter with me just in case!!!

[Beans]

Nitrofarm, you appear to be the winning contestant on "What's wrong with my car!" I jumped the car, made sure the fuse was intact and just let it idle for about an hour to get a decent amount of charge in the battery. It seems to be working correctly now. We used a multimeter to check voltages of the battery and whatnot and it read normally. I'm thinking the batter just didn't have enough charge.

[nitrofarm]

Nitrofarm, you appear to be the winning contestant on "What's wrong with my car!" I jumped the car, made sure the fuse was intact and just let it idle for about an hour to get a decent amount of charge in the battery. It seems to be working correctly now. We used a multimeter to check voltages of the battery and whatnot and it read normally. I'm thinking the batter just didn't have enough charge.

Cool Beans, Beans

[nitrofarm]

Nitrofarm, you appear to be the winning contestant on "What's wrong with my car!" I jumped the car, made sure the fuse was intact and just let it idle for about an hour to get a decent amount of charge in the battery. It seems to be working correctly now. We used a multimeter to check voltages of the battery and whatnot and it read normally. I'm thinking the batter just didn't have enough charge.

Cool Beans Beans

[Eaglefreek]

In the future, it's best to charge a low battery with a charger and not the alternator. It's hard on the alternator.