Ibiza 2010 Fuse Panel Melted/Burned

Dec 3, 2019
4
1
Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could help me identify which fuse has melted in the pics attached.

I could smell a burning smell when I had the heaters on to defrost my car, and assumed it was something in the engine, oh how wrong I was!

I took it to my local garage, he left it running for 40 mins and there was smoke coming from the fuse panel, he popped the cover off and this is what we found.

It is now at Seat, however, I'm interested to know what fuse has completely melted.

Seat Melted Fuse 1.jpg
Close Up Fuse 1.jpg
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
From my details for a late 2009 build Ibiza 1.4 16V SC, that fuse is 38, a 30Amp fuse and it is for the cabin fan motor.

Personally, I'd not expect that heating up and melting/burning to be due to a higher than normal fan motor current - but it might be, so the fan motor running current needs checking in case the fan bearings are causing the motor to drag and so draw more current, or the motor itself is electrically faulty. I'd think that the true reason for that heating up would be a poor/bad contact at that fuse area, though maybe exaggerated by a higher than normal fan motor running current.

Bottom line, that fan motor wiring should be able to handle currents up to 30 amps if it is fused at 30Amps, though maybe this is just the car industry's way to allow that supply line to initially handle a highish current at start up and the current should drop off as the motor fan reaches its normal running speed - so if the cable is rated at up to that current, then the fuse contacts should also be rated to handle that. It is the highest of any fuse fitted to that style of fuse board, by the heated rear window also uses that value of fuse in position 45.

For your info:- Top row of small fuses are, left to right 1 > 8, middle row of small fuses are, left to right 9 > 16, bottom row of small fuses are, left to right 17 > 24.
Top row of larger fuses are, left to right 25 > 41, bottom row of larger fuses are, left to right 42 > 58.

Edit:- if you look closely at your first picture, you can clearly see that the metal element of the 30Amp fuse is still intact which is what you would expect if the fuse<>contacts were not making good contact and so volts were being dropped across the fuse leg<>fuse board contact - and that is where the extra heat was being generated leading to the surrounding plastic melting as well as the fuse body housing vanishing.

Another Edit:- a tip for everyone, check all fuses annually to make sure that this should not happen, ie push/press them all to make sure that they are still fully engaged in their contacts/holder.
 
Last edited:
Dec 3, 2019
4
1
From my details for a late 2009 build Ibiza 1.4 16V SC, that fuse is 38, a 30Amp fuse and it is for the cabin fan motor.

Personally, I'd not expect that heating up and melting/burning to be due to a higher than normal fan motor current - but it might be, so the fan motor running current needs checking in case the fan bearings are causing the motor to drag and so draw more current, or the motor itself is electrically faulty. I'd think that the true reason for that heating up would be a poor/bad contact at that fuse area, though maybe exaggerated by a higher than normal fan motor running current.

Bottom line, that fan motor wiring should be able to handle currents up to 30 amps if it is fused at 30Amps, though maybe this is just the car industry's way to allow that supply line to initially handle a highish current at start up and the current should drop off as the motor fan reaches its normal running speed - so if the cable is rated at up to that current, then the fuse contacts should also be rated to handle that. It is the highest of any fuse fitted to that style of fuse board, by the heated rear window also uses that value of fuse in position 45.

For your info:- Top row of small fuses are, left to right 1 > 8, middle row of small fuses are, left to right 9 > 16, bottom row of small fuses are, left to right 17 > 24.
Top row of larger fuses are, left to right 25 > 41, bottom row of larger fuses are, left to right 42 > 58.

Edit:- if you look closely at your first picture, you can clearly see that the metal element of the 30Amp fuse is still intact which is what you would expect if the fuse<>contacts were not making good contact and so volts were being dropped across the fuse leg<>fuse board contact - and that is where the extra heat was being generated leading to the surrounding plastic melting as well as the fuse body housing vanishing.

Another Edit:- a tip for everyone, check all fuses annually to make sure that this should not happen, ie push/press them all to make sure that they are still fully engaged in their contacts/holder.


Hi thanks for your reply, from my limited investigating I had worked out that I thought it was the Electric Fan Motor.
I had my car fans not working a year and half ago, Seat fixed it, and now this, would it all be to do with the same thing?
 
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RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I think that VW Group dealerships only warranty their repairs for 12 months, though I might be wrong there and maybe the parts carry a longer warranty, you would need to check up on the official SEAT UK website probably under the customers or owners or drivers tabs, I've forgotten how SEAT layout their UK website.

Do you still have the records of what work they carried out at that time, that could be handy to have?
 
Dec 3, 2019
4
1
I think that VW Group dealerships only warranty their repairs for 12 months, though I might be wrong there and maybe the parts carry a longer warranty, you would need to check up on the official SEAT UK website probably under the customers or owners or drivers tabs, I've forgotten how SEAT layout their UK website.

Do you still have the records of what work they carried out at that time, that could be handy to have?


I have the invoice they gave me, it says:

"Work Carried Out

Fan barely working - Checked see below.
Heater fan not working - replaced faulty heater resistor."

It does say on the invoice work has 12 months guarantee.

I'm just annoyed because if they fixed it, as the fans worked after, but now the electric fan motor has burnt through the fuse like that, surely that's them at fault, regardless of the 12 months?

I mean this could have been burning for months ....
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
When do you expect to get your car back from the SEAT dealership, I'm sure that you will remind them that it was in for a cabin fan issue 18 months ago, "nothing ventured nothing gained"?
 
Dec 3, 2019
4
1
When do you expect to get your car back from the SEAT dealership, I'm sure that you will remind them that it was in for a cabin fan issue 18 months ago, "nothing ventured nothing gained"?

They’ve rang me this afternoon to tell me it’s going to cost £720, and it will be a good few days as one of the parts isn’t in the country. Joy! Oh and no courtesy car as they’re all booked out. I mentioned the fact it was in for the fans before and surely all related, he said it was different, I told him to go ahead with the work, but I will he arguing the fact when I come in.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I'd think that it is the fuse box that will take time to arrive and most of the cost will be removing and refitting that and possibly repairing damaged wires. Not good.