[GodFather aka Perky]

Went to a brewery last night and after having a nice dinner and a few brews I get into my '95 Chevy G20 Van winter beater, turn it on, flip the heater control switch on and "nothing". So, I figure it either has to be the blower motor or a fuse. So, I drove home with no heat/defrost on a cold Michigan night.

Got up this morning to check things out and I pull out a 15-amp fuse from the place where it said "heater" (duh) in the fuse box and the little bar in the middle (that is supposed to snap when blown) was intact, but the two thick metal tabs on the outsides had what looked like carbonated bubbles all around it and the plastic that encased the metal tabs had blown out somewhat (separated from the metal).

So, I take a 15-amp fuse from another area and put it into the heater section, turn on the van and flip the heater switch and walla, I have heat! That is a good thing, but my question is, what happened to the old fuse? Overheat? Too small of a fuse? Too big of a fuse? or what? This van has an auxillary heater for the back that had a 25-amp fuse in it so it makes me question whether that is what is called for for the main heater? Since I don't have the owner's manual and just picked this van up a few months ago and don't know if the person who owned the van before me was a gomer I am clueless as to if I am using the right size fuse and if so, why does the 15-amp fuse look so weird and what happened with it?

Any help will be appreciated. Thanx! (Sorry for the long post).

[HMUSN]

fuse crystallization probably.

[GodFather aka Perky]

Ha Ha, and what is fuse crystallization? (I'm not laughing at you), I am just laughing thinking that "fuse crystallization" sounds like a real scientific problem that might need an experiment done on it to fix (LOL). Please expound as I have never seen this happen on a fuse before.

[HMUSN]

same way a light bulb burns out.

basically put.. the contact points on the fuse get crystallized from heat or other means and no longer can make an electrical connection to each other.

[GodFather aka Perky]

"crystallized from heat", so is this an indication that I am using the wrong sized fuse? or a problem somewhere else?

[HMUSN]

no it just happens sometimes.

just like light bulbs fill go out time to time.

it could be the filimint in the fuse itself.. but If that one fuse from 1988 lasted that long I would venture to say that another of the same type won't be a problem

[GodFather aka Perky]

Sounds good, thanks for the reply! I don't need this to happen to me again anytime soon as winter has just started and I need my heat!!!

[HMUSN]

I hear ya.

Good luck man.. glad it was a simple fix for you.

[GodFather aka Perky]

Okay, this thing does not seem to be over yet. I went to take my son ice skating and got in the van, started her up, turned on the lights, drove off, and attempted to turn on the heater and got nothing.

At a stoplight I got the idea to turn off my headlights for a second and try the heater and presto they came back on, so I turned my lights back on and the heater stayed on (thankfully).

What could this be?

What is really weird is a few days before this the light that lights up the heater control panel went out and I didn't think anything about that and around the same time I had the passenger headlight go out and I haven't replaced it yet.

Do you think there is a connection between the headlights and the heater control panel???? Possible short issue?

[HMUSN]

yea it could be a short.. only one way to track it too..
voltmeter

[GodFather aka Perky]

Okay, I will see what I can do with that info.........thanks again!