I’m a little lost on whether I need 32V or 80V blade fuses for my 2002 Bimmer. My mechanics (plural) didn’t know, Littelfuse won’t respond to my questions, and the tech at fuses unlimited didn’t know either. ! Which do I want? Looks like the ATOF series as per here might be the best option and are 32V. As you can see here there are indeed multiple voltage ratings for blade fuses. Thanks!
Kinda hard helping someone over the web with a car question when they don’t give any information about the car they’re talkin’ about.
Tester
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@Tester Sorry didn’t think it was relevant but 2002 BMW 330Ci.
Have you asked the dealer ? Does your manual not have a fuse diagram ? Have you tried a BMW forum ?
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Your car only has a 12V system, so the volt rating doesn’t matter, as far as I can tell. My thought is that the volt rating describes the maximum voltage the fuse can handle. Why they include that in what is almost always a 12v application I don’t know.
Note- I’m not a car engineer or electrical engineer, so take my advice with that in mind.
Can anyone else provide a reason the volt rating makes any difference for 12v applications?
edit - the product listing for one of those fuses has “Maximum Voltage” as “32V”. Which is consistent with what I say above. It can be ignored for 12V applications.
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In a car 32V will be fine, the important part is amps.
When a fuse blows it creates an arc, the more voltage, the bigger the arc,
The voltage rating is how big of an arc the fuse housing can handle without causing damage to the fuse holder.
If you want to use 80V go ahead, they just cost more.
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Make, year & model are always relevant when asking a car repair related question.
Which cars in 2002 had electrical circuits greater than 32 volts?
BTW, most people know that Bimmer is slang for BMW.
@texases K thx see It_s-Me’s post for more info.
@It_s-Me Excellent that’s the answer I was looking for. Thanks.
I’ll be getting ATOF Littelfuse fuses as per here they look like a great option. Fuses Unlimited has everything you can think of for cheap. Although the tech rep didn’t know what role the voltage played…
For my education and edification, what is unique about your fuses that they can not be purchased at an auto parts store?
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Not familiar with BMW but the fuses must be special since River also had a topic back in May asking what brand of fuse to buy.
Remember, not everyone was born with years of knowledge as some of y’all were evidently, and the only way they learn these things is by asking, a lot of guy/gals grow up in single parent households and or with no fathers to pass on the very basic knowledge that was passed down to some of us by our fathers/grandfathers/neighbors or whoever… So how about trying to pass on your all knowing knowledge by just answering questions instead of belittling (new) members that doesn’t happen to have your knowledge… just a thought…
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Cars typically do not use 80-volt fuses; most automotive fuses are rated for circuits no higher than 32 volts direct current. However, some specialized vehicles or systems may use higher voltage fuses for specific applications, but this is uncommon
Tester
It’s really more about the ability to extinguish the arc and interrupt the current flow. In a battery application, with lots of excess capacity, there is the potential for serious consequences if the fuse does not perform as expected. The voltage rating ensures the fuse has sufficient clearance between the posts so the plasma will naturally dissipate and will not leave enough residue to sustain the arc. If the arc is not extinguished, then the full amperage of the battery is available to the circuit and could result in a fire. A 32V fuse is almost 3x the circuit potential and is more than adequate to meet the needs of a 12VDC automotive environment with lots of margin. You can always go up in voltage rating but never below.
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Funny thing is, I have never paid attention to the voltage on fuses before, always just ordered them by size and amps, even when ordering in bulk for my shop way back when… lol
Some good info here…
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@Purebred The sets you buy at amazon or Oreilly’s or whatever don’t have the full spectrum of fuses my car has. There are missing amperage ratings in those sets, thus the need to order from a third party fuse company.
@davesmopar lol I’m used to it on this forum. Oh well doesn’t bother me that much.
@TwinTurbo Another great explanation thx, the Googlers will be happy!
River why do you need fuses ( plural ) that you can’t just buy what you need from the dealer ? And if you have fuses failing then you have a problem because it is rare for vehicle fuses to just fail.
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I recall a previous thread where you commented something like “why don’t you just go to a dealer.” To which another member replied “why do you think everybody has easy access to a dealer?” I’m not even gonna answer your question.
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Maybe someone else besides me is wondering why you have a fuse problem . A web search will show many places that have complete fuse sets for your BMW .
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Agreed, the closest BMW dealer to me is, one way, 45 minutes/31 miles away… No freaking way I would make that drive for a ■■■■ fuse…
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