Stereo fuse blown

[miachkanin]

Hello!

I have a stereo that has stopped working b/c the fuse directly beside the power input is blown. Originally a clear glass fuse, it's now black. The original has "T2AL250V" written on the cap.

I dropped by an electronics store where the associate gave me a replacement with "2A 250V" across the top. I popped it in, but the wire broke/snapped as soon as I plugged it in.

Is there any way to figure out what kind of fuse I really need? It should be 5mm x 20mm. I'm guessing the T and L mean something, but I can't figure out what.

[HayZee518]

to find out how much current is being drawn, connect an ammeter in series in the line, unless you have a clamp around meter that reads 0-5 amps. the numbers on a glass cartridge fuse indicate the type of fuse, type of insulation used and the amps. the other numbers could indicate time delay etc. SAE fuses are almost always automotive and are rated 12 volts. other glass fuses have the voltage stamped on them. 125V, 250V etc. rarely will you see anything higher than 250V. a fuse listed as 2a @ 250v will safely pass 2 amps operating at 250 volts or lower. now if you reduce the voltage to 120 volts that 2amp fuse will now safely pass 4 amps. an decrease by two of the voltage will increase the amp draw by 2 amps.
this site will give you several glass fuse choices:
http://www.bb-elec.com/product_multi...ltiFamilyId=30

[miachkanin]

Thank you for your reply, HayZee.

I hooked up my multimeter to check the current, but things didn't go exactly as I hoped. I attached it to the two ends of my (empty) fuseholder, but when plugged the power in, it zapped the circuit for less than a second. Now, there is no smell of burning and none of the other parts look damaged, but another fuse (T4AL250V) further down blew.

Does this mean one of my components between the power input and the fuse is damaged, like a resistor?

Edit: Someone has outlined on another forum: T (Time delay or slow blow) 4 (Amp) AL (Axial Lead). The replacement I used wasn't a time delay, so I'll probably pick up a slow-blow replacement.

[HayZee518]

its highly unlikely that something further down the line has gone bad. look to your power supply. a full wave bridge circuit, a shorted filter capacitor, a shorted zener diode something like that.

[Larry at Approved]

the "t" is a time delay fuse. however, if it has blown and is black inside, and you have already replaced it, don't bother again, there is something shorted in the stereo. it may be in the power supply section, but more likely is the power amp section.