Figure 13.2. Location of the fuse box under the instrument panel on the driver's side
Fuses and fusible links are used to protect electrical circuits. The fuse box is located under the instrument panel on the driver's side (figure 13.2).
Each fuse protects its own circuit, and its assignment to a particular circuit is indicated on the fuse box cover.
Figure 13.3. Using tweezers when replacing a fuse
The fuse box contains blade-type fuses, the color of which corresponds to the current strength of the fuse protection. If any element of electrical equipment fails, first of all you should check the condition of the fuse. The serviceability of a fuse is determined by the presence of a wire conductor connecting the fuse contacts. To replace a faulty fuse, first turn off the corresponding electrical circuit and remove the fuse from the socket with tweezers (figure 13.3).
Caution! Do not replace a fuse with a strip of metal or foil, as this may cause serious damage to the vehicle's electrical system.
If a newly installed fuse blows immediately when voltage is applied, check the electrical circuit it is protecting. If a fuse protects several circuits, they must be connected one by one in order to determine the faulty circuit by the blown fuse.
The heater and air conditioner draw a lot of current, so the fuse box has a switch to protect their circuits. If the circuit is opened by the switch, turn off the heater and air conditioner before pressing the switch reset button.
Fusible links
In addition to fuses, electrical equipment circuits are protected by fusible links. They are used in circuits that are not normally protected by fuses, such as the ignition switch circuit. The fusible links used on these models consist of special wires that are installed in a fusible link block located on the battery side of the vehicle's fender. Fusible links cannot be restored and must be replaced with a wire of the same diameter (it can be purchased from Mazda dealers). Replacement of fusible links is carried out as follows:
- fix the problem caused by the melting of the jumper;
- disconnect the cable from the negative terminal of the battery;
- remove the fusible link from its socket;
- install a new fusible link into the socket.