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HowStuffWorks
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First, it's good to understand the difference between a fuse and a circuit breaker. Both serve the same purpose - - causing a break in an overheating electric circuit. The essential part of a fuse, which can be used only once, is a short length of conductive metal that has a low melting point and will burn itself out before the rest of the circuit is affected. As it melts, it breaks the circuit. A circuit breaker cuts an overloaded circuit by switching itself off. It can be reset and used again. Fuses are quite cheap, and circuit breakers are more expensive. Nearly all homes today use circuit breakers instead of fuses.
You can use any small strip of aluminum foil as a temporary fuse; a chewing gum stick wrapper just may be the handiest piece around, especially in a place like your car. When laid between the two wires on either side of the burnt-out fuse, the aluminum restores the flow of electricity so your car's radio or headlight will function again. You'll find that this method - - which only should be used temporarily - - works pretty well. But you should fit a new fuse as soon as possible, because it's there for important safety reasons. You should also fix the malfunction that caused the fuse to burn out in the first place.
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