I just did the installed the new head unit on my gf cobalt. On her way to work it blew the wiper fuse. Her radio stopped working and so did her wipers..... One of two things happen, it blew the fuse or the fuse came loose. I had some problems getting the fuse back in with that metal tab. I used the install guide but I really needed a front pic of the fuse with the metal tab attached. If anyone has some pics of the fuse with metal tab attached that would be great but I need more than just the side pic. I don't know if mine is the same as the one in the guide.

Ours was a little odd. It had a thin point on one side and a thick tab on the other. The only way it worked was the thin end went over the top of one of the fuse legs and over the top of the fuse. It made it a tight fit, it barely wanted to go in.

The fuse may not be blown, it could just be out a little bit. Hopefully I won't have to drive all the way across town to replace a fuse cause it is raining and she can't use her wipers.

Could running the wipers and the radio blow the fuse?

 

I suppose it is possible if the new radio has a bigger amp draw than the stocker. I dont actually know of anybody that has blown a fuse though.

Insofar as the rain goes. Whenever it clears up I would highly recommend rainX windshield treatment, I almost never have to use my wipers since I put a coat of it on my car, it actually works better with more water.

What are these fuses you are talking about? The ones I have in my Cobalt are just the mini fuses.

 

Yeah that is the one. Basically in the install kit for cobalt you have to tie the red power on wire into that fuse. You have to use this weird looking metal piece so that you can attach the wire to the fuse. If you look at the diy install guide it shows a pic of it installed but it is only from the side and not from the front so I can tell how it is installed onto the fuse.

 

your talking about a mini fuse tap, replace the fuse with a higher amp one so that it dosent blow

 

NO!!!!! DON'T DO THIS!!!!!!!

Xav, your posts are normally good, but this is just plain wrong. You should NEVER replace a fuse with one of a higher amperage rating. Fix the problem, don't band-aid it. The factory put a specific amperage rating fuse in for a reason, to protect the wiring of the car. Put a bigger fuse in and you run the risk of overheating the wiring and causing a fire.

To the OP, its unlikely that having the radio and wipers on at the same time blew the fuse. Check to make sure it didn't simply fall out like you're thinking, and re-check your power wires to make sure nothing is grounded out.

 

Yeah I know, I ment to add it in there if its blown and keeps blowing. I figured he just had one hell of a deck that likes to pulls alot of amps. But my bad, thanks for catching my mistake

 

Ok it is not blowing the fuse. My kits metal tap was manufactured wrong. The slot cut in the metal tab was cut the wrong way. The only way it would work was to place it over the fuse and fuse leg. There were no pics to show how exactly it went over the fuse. There was just a vague pic of the side.

It came loose and managed to stretch out the fuse holder so the fuse barely stays in now. Great..... besides I have to have the car on in order to listen to the radio being tied into the wipers.

So I need to tie into an accessory wire and there is no sunroof fuse cause we have the base model.

Anyone have a wiring diagram or know the color of the wire in the fuse box that I can tie into for accessory power?

 

The fuse above where the sunroof fuse is is an extra one (its says it on the diagram on the back of the panel) thats a ACC Hot fuse that I used.