Change a Blown Fuse

If one electrical item on your Toyota Yaris XP130 stops — a window, the cigarette socket, a light, the radio — a blown fuse is the first thing to check. Swapping one is a two-minute job once you know where the boxes are.

Where the fuse boxes are

The Yaris XP130 has fuses in two places:

• Engine compartment — the main boxes. Push the tab in and lift the lid off the “type A” and “type B” boxes. A separate “type C” box sits under a cover near the battery (lift the rubber strip, release the tabs, then remove the battery-terminal cover).
• Instrument panel — a smaller box behind a lid low on the dash, by the driver’s side. On left-hand-drive cars remove the lid; on right-hand-drive cars remove the cover first (it is attached to the footwell light, so don’t yank it).

Every lid carries a diagram and the amperage of each fuse printed on the inside — that legend is the authority for your exact car, because the layout changes with engine, transmission and options.

What you’ll need

• The fuse pull-out tool (clipped inside the engine-bay fuse box).
• A spare fuse of the same amperage as the one that blew.

Check and replace a fuse

1. Switch the ignition fully off (LOCK, or off on keyless cars).
2. Open the fuse box lid and read the diagram to find the fuse for the dead circuit.
3. Pull the fuse straight out with the pull-out tool.
4. Hold it to the light: a blown fuse has a broken metal strip inside; a good one is intact.
5. Push in a new fuse of the exact same amperage rating, printed on top of the fuse and matched to the lid legend.
6. Refit the lid and test the circuit.

Important safety points

• Never fit a higher-rated fuse or bridge it with wire or foil — the fuse protects the wiring from catching fire.
• If the new fuse blows again straight away, there is a fault in that circuit — have it diagnosed rather than keep replacing fuses.
• The large “type G” fusible links must be left to a Toyota dealer or qualified auto electrician.
• If a light still doesn’t work after a good fuse, the bulb itself has probably failed.

Frequently asked questions

Which fuse is the cigarette lighter / 12 V socket?
Read your car’s own lid legend — it is usually a 15 A fuse labelled for the accessory or power outlet, but the position varies by model year and trim, so the printed diagram on your Yaris is the only reliable guide.

Do I need to disconnect the battery to change a fuse?
No. Just switch the ignition off. Disconnecting the battery would reset your clock, radio and window one-touch settings for no benefit.

Where do I get the pull-out tool if mine is missing?
Any small plastic fuse puller or a pair of fine needle-nose pliers works. The tool clips inside the engine-bay fuse box when fitted from the factory.

The fuse is fine but the item still doesn’t work — what next?
Check the bulb (for lights) or look for a second fuse feeding the same circuit in the other box. A relay or the component itself may have failed, which needs further diagnosis.

If an electrical fault has also logged a warning light, read the code at autodtcs.com.