Big 3 Question
09-28-2006, 03:45 PM
#2
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 756
Assuming you have a 100 amp alternator, stick in at least a 130 amp fuse, if not a 150.
You want to go a lot more than your alternator's rating because a), when an alternator's cold, it can put out up to 20% more than it's rated for, and b), if you've replaced your stock battery with high effieciency gel types (Optima's, etc.), they make an alternator work harder (just like dropping resistance from speakers, makes your amps work harder, so does dropping the resistance in the battery make your alternator work harder).
It was a mouthfull, but I hope it all made sense.
www.allstart.net/batadv.htm for more battery, alternator, and cabling advice.
You want to go a lot more than your alternator's rating because a), when an alternator's cold, it can put out up to 20% more than it's rated for, and b), if you've replaced your stock battery with high effieciency gel types (Optima's, etc.), they make an alternator work harder (just like dropping resistance from speakers, makes your amps work harder, so does dropping the resistance in the battery make your alternator work harder).
It was a mouthfull, but I hope it all made sense.
www.allstart.net/batadv.htm for more battery, alternator, and cabling advice.
09-29-2006, 02:29 PM
#4
Administrator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 16,855
Why add any fuse at all? Of all the cars I have owned, the only one that had any kind of fuse between the alt and the batt was my Civic...
Theoretically if you are going to fuse the charge lead, it should be fused at each end, one at the battery, one at the alternator. Have fun.
Theoretically if you are going to fuse the charge lead, it should be fused at each end, one at the battery, one at the alternator. Have fun.
09-29-2006, 03:47 PM
#6
Originally Posted by Dukk
Why add any fuse at all? Of all the cars I have owned, the only one that had any kind of fuse between the alt and the batt was my Civic...
Theoretically if you are going to fuse the charge lead, it should be fused at each end, one at the battery, one at the alternator. Have fun.
Theoretically if you are going to fuse the charge lead, it should be fused at each end, one at the battery, one at the alternator. Have fun.
No fuse on mine.
09-29-2006, 03:51 PM
#7
Originally Posted by Dukk
Theoretically if you are going to fuse the charge lead, it should be fused at each end, one at the battery, one at the alternator. Have fun.
09-29-2006, 04:02 PM
#8
Dukk and Hardwrkr, sounds like you guys are looking for a fuse and not a fuseable link which is generally between the starter and alternator or starter and battery. Very very few cars do not and have not had a fuseable link of some type. In most older Gm's there is a crapload of fuseable links at the starter, cleverly disguised as wires......
^^^^ yes you are right. This is why you also need to mount a fuse holder properly so that it does not make contact with anything else in the engine bay. (zap straps don't cut it either). Next ensure that the power wire from the alternator and the battery cannot chaff on anything (as the engine moves) and that the wire is not anywhere near anything hot.
^^^^ yes you are right. This is why you also need to mount a fuse holder properly so that it does not make contact with anything else in the engine bay. (zap straps don't cut it either). Next ensure that the power wire from the alternator and the battery cannot chaff on anything (as the engine moves) and that the wire is not anywhere near anything hot.
Last edited by MR2NR; 09-29-2006 at 04:08 PM.
