2004 Pontiac Sunfire Owner's Manual - Page 313

Electrical System Add-On Electrical Equipment Notice: Don't add anything electrical to your vehicle unless you check with your dealer first. Some electrical equipment can damage your vehicle and the damage wouldn't be covered by your warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment can keep other components from working as they should. Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to add anything electrical to your vehicle, see Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-58. Power Windows and Other Power Options Circuit breakers in the fuse panel protect the power windows and other power accessories. When the current load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and closes, protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed. Fuses and Circuit Breakers The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from short circuits by a combination of fuses, circuit breakers and fusible thermal links. This greatly reduces the chance of damage caused by electrical problems. Look at the silver-colored band inside the fuse. If the band is broken or melted, replace the fuse. Be sure you replace a bad fuse with a new one of the identical size and rating. If you ever have a problem on the road and do not have a spare fuse, you can "borrow" one that has the same amperage. Just pick some feature of your vehicle that you can get along without - like the radio or cigarette lighter - and use its fuse if it is the correct amperage. Replace it as soon as you can. There are two fuse blocks in your vehicle: the instrument panel fuse block and the engine compartment fuse block. Headlamp Wiring The headlamp wiring is protected by fuses. Should your headlamps fail to function, have your headlamp system checked right away. Windshield Wiper Fuses The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit breaker and a fuse. If the motor overheats due to heavy snow or ice, the wiper will stop until the motor cools. If the overload is caused by some electrical problem, have it fixed. 5-85