One of the most important parts of the entire brake system of an entire vehicle is the brake lights because of how they inform the driver behind you that you are about to come to a full stop.
That said, if your brake light is not working, then the reason is that the fuse might have been blown out and is in need of replacement.
However, why do some brake light fuses always keep on blowing out?
Here’s why my brake light fuse keeps blowing out
A brake light fuse may keep on blowing out due to a short circuit. Short circuits are almost always the reasons why fuses get blown. In the case of your brake light fuse, a short circuit might have happened due to a bulb that may have already corroded to a point where they can easily create a short circuit.
If you always experience a blown-out fuse in your brake light, then the fuse is not the problem in your electrical system.
In most cases, it should be due to how one of the different parts that belong to the circuit has corroded to a point where it can easily affect the entire circuit. This can easily cause a shortage in the circuitry and will cause the fuse to blow out.
What happens when a fuse blows in a car?
All cars are a combination of different types of systems that are mechanical, digital (for the newer cars), and electrical.
At the same time, we know that the mechanical part is what allows the car to move and function, the electrical aspect of the car is what allows all of the other electrical components that are important to the vehicle to work.
And most of these electrical components run on a circuit that relies on a fuse that is basically there to control the current.
The basic function of a fuse in a current or any other electrical device is to make sure that all of the other electrical components, such as the wires, are protected.
In the usual course of the functions of the different electrical components in your car, the fuse is somewhat useless but is still part of the entire current because of how it allows electricity to flow through it.
So, the reason why the fuse is what protects the electrical components of the current where the fuse belongs is that it is basically a sacrificial part.
What happens is that the fuse will blow out whenever there is too much current flowing through the circuitry. The current should be enough to melt the metal strip found in the fuse so that the entire flow of electricity will be cut short.
This essentially protects all of the other components belonging to the same circuit from experiencing a surge of electricity that was enough to blow out the fuse.
Going back to your car, if there is a blown fuse in any of the different circuits found in your vehicle, what happens is that those electrical components will stop working.
A blown fuse is usually just a minor issue for cars because most of the electrical components where fuses belong to are not necessary for the car to function.
In most cases, a blown fuse will only affect certain electrical components such as the different lights that your car use as well as the entertainment system. That is why you should not be too worried about a blown fuse on its own.
However, there are some instances where a blown fuse is a sign of electrical issues that can be quite serious.
Why does my brake light fuse keep blowing out?
Now that you know what happens if a fuse is blown in your car, you might want to know more about how some fuses tend to blow out a lot.
In fact, there are some instances where the fuse located in the current of the brake light always blows out no matter how new the fuse may be.
So, let’s find out why is this problem prevalent?
As mentioned, a blown fuse is a product of the fuse receiving more electrical current than it should.
This is usually the case when a wire or an electrical component belonging to the same circuit as the fuse draws out more current than it was designed to handle.
This ultimately reaches the fuse, which will blow out when it cannot handle the current so that it can protect the other components from the effects of the current.
So, if your brake light fuse always blows out, this means that one of the electrical components on the same circuit has issues or problems that cause it to draw out more current than it should.
When that happens, one of the components is probably causing the entire circuit to short out, which would then force the fuse to blow.
In the case of the brake light’s circuit, the culprit could be a light bulb that has become so corroded that it cannot properly draw out the right current.
So, if the bulb ends up drawing more current than it should, this could short out the entire circuit. Of course, when a short circuit happens, the brake light fuse will end up blowing.
How do you fix a fuse that keeps blowing?
If you somehow experience that your brake light fuse or any of the other fuses in your car blows out, the best way to fix the issue is to have the electrical systems that the fuses belong to inspected.
That is because one of the components that belong to such systems could already be too worn out to the point that they are causing a short circuit.
So, if one of the electrical components is the problem, then the only way to fix the issue is to have that component replaced with a new one.
In the case of the brake lights’ current, you can maybe have the bulbs inspected for corrosion so that you can have them replaced if they have become too corroded already.
Can you drive with a blown fuse?
As mentioned, blown fuses only affect some of the electrical components of your car, such as the lights, instrument clusters fuel gauge, etc.
But while the lights do not affect the way your car functions, they do affect the overall safety of everyone on the road.
Remember that the brake lights and all of the other lights on your car are there to signal other drivers so that they can react promptly. For example, brake lights signal the driver behind you that you are about to come to a full stop.
So, if you have a blown fuse in your brake lights’ current, the brake lights will not work.
Legally speaking, you are not allowed to drive if your brake lights or some of the other lights in your car are not working.
The car will still work perfectly but, for the sake of safety, the law will penalize you if you attempt to drive with busted brake lights.
That is why you should have your car inspected right away if the fuse always blows out.
How much does it cost to fix a blown fuse in a car?
The cost of replacing a blown fuse in the car is actually pretty cheap. You can even do it on your own as long as you know where the fuse box is and which fuse is connected to which current.
Most fuses will range from $10 to $30, depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
However, if the reason why the fuse always blows out is one of the electrical components in the car, then we cannot say for certain how much that will cost you. A bulb replacement for your brake lights should be quite cheap and probably won’t cost you more than $10.
But some of the other electrical components may cost a lot more and may end up becoming too expensive when you factor in labor costs.
Sources:
Classiczcars.com: Park tail light fuse keeps blowing
yourmechanic.com: Why does my brake light fuse keep blowing
Diagnosing Vehicle Brake Lamp Fuse Blowing; What to test next?
