WE ALL blow a fuse' sometimes. It's a way of letting off steam to prevent greater damage. And so it is with the fuses in your house and your car.

The thin wire of the fuse overheats and breaks (or blows') before any damage is done to the main electrical wiring.

Often, a fuse breaking is the first sign of a fault with a component on your car that has overloaded the electrical circuit.

However, they do sometimes just blow for no apparent reason, so it's always worth replacing the fuse first to see if it blows again straight away.

But hang on, this all sounds very technical and is surely a job for a professional in overalls with a full set of spanners and grease under their fingernails? No! Replacing a fuse is about as difficult as opening the car door.

You'll need some spare fuses of the correct type and rating determined by the number stamped on the side such as 10, 15, 25 and so on. Check the vehicle manual for details. This will also tell you which fuse protects which circuit, and where the fuse boxes are.

Usually a manual will contain a clear diagram showing which fuse goes where. Sometimes it is also printed on the inside of the fusebox cover, so have a look.

1 The fuse box is usually under a cover near the glovebox or instrument panel. Sometimes there's one under the bonnet as well. Switch off the ignition before starting work.

2 To remove a fuse, simply pull it from the panel. On some cars, there's a plastic tool for doing this. Otherwise, use your fingers or tweezers.

3 A blown fuse is easily recognised by the melted wire in the middle. The replacement fuse must be of the correct rating - this is shown by its colour or by the number stamped on it.

4 Push the new fuse firmly into its slot in the fuse box. Switch on the circuit concerned. If the new fuse blows immediately, there's a problem that needs investigation.

TOP TIP...

If you don't have any spare fuses, in an emergency you can borrow' one from a non-essential circuit such as the heated rear window or the cigarette lighter. Obviously a better solution is to carry a few spare fuses or different ratings. Some cars even have dummy spaces next to the live' fuses where you can store three or four spares.