fuses

[jguti92 10+ year member]

ok another question a bit out of the subject but the kit i am buying has a 150 amp fuse for 0 gauge since i am not draining that much power should go buy another fuse thats like 60 or 70 amps?? because this guy at a local car audio shop said i could fry my battery if there a short and becuse the fuse is not low amparage it will mess up my battery and alternator.. is that true?????-

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[Chris Z 10+ year member]

Yes, he's right. I think the general consensus is you wanna get a fuse that is 150% of the highest amperage that your electrical component will draw under normal operating conditions.

CA Gods - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[PR1M3R 10+ year member]

I have heard both, A) fuse to the wires amperage rating, and b) fuse about 50% above your alternators rating.

After talking to an electronic engineer in my family I opted for option B

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

I have heard both, A) fuse to the wires amperage rating, and b) fuse about 50% above your alternators rating.
After talking to an electronic engineer in my family I opted for option B

I wouldn't use the alt to rate your fuse. It really depends on your amplifiers and how much power they will demand from your electrical system.

Easiest way to find the right fuse size is to add up all the fuses on whatever amps you are installing. Example: If you have one amp that has a total of 60a of fusing and a second amp that has a total of 30a, then you would pick a 90 or 100a fuse at your batt. Going with a 150a isn't that bad, your alt/batt/electrical will always be at risk if you get a short, but having the smallest fuse that works with your system will help protect it a little better.