PTC heater fuse

[Shari]

Hello everyone
Last year summer I bought my 2016 leaf azeo have foot brake . No sign on dash in two months it’s PTC heater has got bad . Looked up on net I found it’s PTC but can’t find its fuse ! Can anyone help me with its location the dealership told me $2500/- . Which is quite a lot for me .

 

[GerryAZ]

The fuse for the PTC heater is a high-voltage fuse located in the high-voltage junction box (which I think is inside the traction battery case). It is likely that the PTC heater failed which caused the fuse to blow. Therefore, repair would involve replacing the PTC heater (which is inside the ventilation system and requires removal of the dash for access) and then replacing the fuse in the high-voltage junction box.

Note: PTC stands for positive temperature coefficient. The resistance of the heater element is low when it is cold and increases as the heater increases. This means that the PTC heater draws less power when the element gets hot to avoid overheating when everything is working correctly. A blown fuse usually means that the heating element failed, causing excessive current flow in the circuit.

 

[Shari]

Does that mean I have to remove the Traction battery to have access to PTC fuse ??

 

[GerryAZ]

Yes, unfortunately I am almost certain the high-voltage junction box containing the PTC fuse (among other things) is inside the battery case. You first need to fix whatever caused the fuse to blow. Be aware, the battery case is sealed to keep water out so you must break that seal to open the battery case. You must then properly seal the battery case when you put it back together. Exposure to 400 volts direct current, the need for cutting the seal, sealing the case as it is reassembled, and then pressure testing the case to verify integrity of the seal make this a job for someone with experience working on this type of equipment.