is it absolutely necessary to fuse

[TypeRBass 10+ year member]

ummm.. smart guy. Open your fuse box under the hood... theres a fuse for the alt in there.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif :laugh: you beat me to it

What size of a fuse would you guys suggest?

Use a fuse for whatever size your alternator is. if you have a 200amp alternator use a 200amp fuse.

 

[Lakota 5,000+ posts]

Use a fuse for whatever size your alternator is. if you have a 200amp alternator use a 200amp fuse.

I thought you fused it according to wire size...

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

u should fuse to wire size, but the only reason why your putting a fuse there is to keep your car from burning down if it grounds out.... 200 amp should be fine... i run a 300 amper on myne.....

 

[johnecon2001 5,000+ posts]

Fuse to the maximum safe amperage of whatever wire you use. If it's 1/0awg.. use a 200A-350A fuse.

 

[qtipextra 5,000+ posts]

Im unfused, have been for a year. With 1/0 AWG. It grounded out once, on my way home, yea, sure if fucked my electrical system until the short was fixed, then everything was fine, no flames, just a few sparks. no problems without a fuse except the no electrical system until the short was fixed. Dont worry about fusing it.

 

[OldOneEye 10+ year member]

On a wire that short, where and against what would it short out on? The fuse in the front is to protect the wire from catching fire when you run it the trunk (where you pass through metal, and in other places it can get pinched/shorted). Under the hood I would see no need. When I replace mine, I ain't fusing it (since running a longer wire so that I can find some place to attach the fuseholder seems counter intuitive).

Juan

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

maybe one of your zip ties break and the wire ends up against a exhaust pipe or somehting ..... always prepare for the worst.... i would much rather spend the extra 5 bucks and some time doing something right than burning down my car...

 

[jchancellortool 10+ year member]

maybe one of your zip ties break and the wire ends up against a exhaust pipe or somehting ..... always prepare for the worst.... i would much rather spend the extra 5 bucks and some time doing something right than burning down my car...

Where can you get a fuse holder and 300 amp fuse for 5 bucks?

 

[Ignatowski 5,000+ posts]

the alt to batt wire for the big 3? i dont feel like spending any more money.

is the factory wire fused?

NOPE its not.....

I didnt fuse mine............

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

maybe one of your zip ties break and the wire ends up against a exhaust pipe or somehting .....

Absolutely impossible in my car... but you're probably talking about FWD cars aren't you? When was the last time you've seen a zip tie break? I do HVAC work... I've seen zip ties that look older than me...

I like how someone said earlier that the alt in most cars has a fuse in the fusebox.... that doesn't negate anything we're saying. Is there a fuse IN-LINE on that stock wire? NO... so if there isn't one there, and we just add a thick little monster 1/0 run in addition to the stock the car is still protected the same as from factory.

The only way my alt to bat wire is going to ground out the way I have it ran is if someone breaks in the car, opens the hood and strips off an inch of the insulation in the middle...

 

[OldOneEye 10+ year member]

Ever wonder why they put the battery on the same side as the alternator in many cases. To keep that wire as short as possible. No fuses, nothing else.

Another thing not brought up is that sometimes they can limit the amount of current that goes to the battery by limiting the size of the wire. Acts like a bottle neck.

Juan

maybe one of your zip ties break and the wire ends up against a exhaust pipe or somehting ..... always prepare for the worst.... i would much rather spend the extra 5 bucks and some time doing something right than burning down my car...

 

[Alpineinstaller 10+ year member]

My car has a 110 amp fuse stock on my alt power wire

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Some funky advice in this thread...

The only reason the positive wire from the amplifier(s) to the battery is fused is because it passes through a metal panel - even with a grommet installed, there's a chance of metal rubbing against the jacket of the wire possibly wearing it out and having very bad things happen (i.e., your vehicle burning down). The alternator to battery wire passes through no panels, so if you wrap it in split loom and zip tie it securely, you won't have any problems.

You don't need to fuse "any wire with current on it", just wires with current that pass through metal and aren't at ground potential. That's where you could have problems. 300A discharged instantly to ground with nothing to stop it isn't something you want to have...

Fuse for the size of the wire, unless you've really, really overestimated the gauge for the current draw.

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

i say to fuse any wire with current on it only becuase of personal expereince

for example i had a loomed and fused wire going from my alt to my batt and it was zip tied to the firewall.... on a long trip to sc while stuck in traffic the zip tie became so hott it broke/melted and guess what.... wire ground out against a hott engine.... fuse popped... if i hadnt had a fuse guess what? car wouldve burned to the ground //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

and sorry not every one can get a anl fuse holder and fuse for 5 bucks

 

[OldOneEye 10+ year member]

i say to fuse any wire with current on it only becuase of personal expereince
for example i had a loomed and fused wire going from my alt to my batt and it was zip tied to the firewall.... on a long trip to sc while stuck in traffic the zip tie became so hott it broke/melted and guess what.... wire ground out against a hott engine.... fuse popped... if i hadnt had a fuse guess what? car wouldve burned to the ground //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

and sorry not every one can get a anl fuse holder and fuse for 5 bucks

Just curious, what would have burned to the ground? I think the battery would have spewed a ton of acid everywhere, but the reason cars burn to the ground is that carpet and carpet padding are flammable, interior of the car catches fire.

Juan