fuse box - breaker box?

[Paxx]

Could you replace your fuse box with a breaker box similar to what you find in your house? It would be nice rather than replacing your fuses every time you screw up you could just flip a switch and try again /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Also on a side note, I want to redo my wiring come spring, how hard would it be using a kit like painless offers to relocate the fuse box (or breaker box /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) to a place like the glove box or some other easier to access location?

 

[or2play]

I don't see any reason you couldn't use breakers instead of fuses. Are you planning on using a whole new harness from painless or just a kit that relocates the fuse panel with the factory wiring? I've never seen a kit that does that, but if they have it and you put a new harness in at the same time it should be fairly easy. Painless has some good products and good custumer service. The harness are kind of pricey IIRC. But when you think of the time and money it would take to make one from nothing its probably worth it. Either way good luck with it. Wiring is my biggest pet peev (other than leaks). I can't stand it when people do crappy wiring.

 

[diesel4me]

You can buy circuit breakers to replace glass style fuses,and the newer blade style fuses too--but they re-set themselves when they cool down,you cant re-set them manually like the house style ones.I'm not sure if house style ones would work on 12 volts,and still"break" at 15 amps--time to play mad scientist!.Having breakers instead of fuses might be a problem if they dont "pop" quick enough,and let the wires overheat though.Fuses act much faster,and are probably safer--thats why they still use them probably--.
As for relocating the fuse box.I agree--I hate the stock location,but I've seen much worse.I always liked the older dodge trucks that had the fusebox in the glove box,right on the dash--easy to change fuses without standing on your head--. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Emmettology 101]

Our old GMC General(semi) had something similar to breakers in it for the electrical system. They were buttons.. When the breaker was tripped, the buttin popped out. You pushed it back in to reset it. Maybe try a semi part place or a semi salvage yard?

 

[justinf]

You can get automotive circuit breakers that will automatically reset. The breakers in your house will not work correctly in an automotive application. Plus the size of the breakers and panel for them would be more difficult to find a place for it.

 

[Paxx]

The semi breakers sound interesting. And yes I am planning on redoing the entire trucks wiring. It is a fire trap waiting to happen.

 

[1979jimmy350]

i have breakers on my boat that are 12v and they are just a little button that needs to be pushed to reset the breaker and they are even water proof

 

[dyeager535]

GM used breakers on the stock fuse panels when they went with plastic blade fuses. 2 circuit breakers from what I've seen.

I don't know why you'd want circuit breakers...if there is a problem you fix it right, and it won't be a problem again. At least when a fuse pops, you know which circuit it is easily. Unless you've got a wiring manual or mind like a steel trap, memorizing which components are on which breaker/fuse for the whole panel is quite difficult.

 

[Paxx]

I would label them all. And why would it be any different than a regular fuse box other than the fact that you wouldn't ever have to replace a fuse? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[dyeager535]

Because when your, say, electric choke quits working, which circuit breaker is it? And since it would reset itself in X amount of time, you'd HAVE to know which components are on every breaker. That's why fuses are easy to diagnose. Your electric choke doesn't work, fuse X is popped, voila, you can check that circuit for shorts to ground, for instance.