Taken from Basic Car Audio Electronics <--- everyone who is unsure sure keep this page for reference...

In the diagram below, you see that there is a fuse between the battery and the amplifier. In this configuration, the fuse can be used to protect the wire and the amplifier. If the fuse is the proper one for the amplifier, all you have to do is make sure that the wire segments 'A' and 'B' are rated to pass more current than the fuse and you'll be OK. Wire segment 'A' must be as short as possible because it is NOT protected by the fuse.



So, basically fusing close to the battery leaves you with a small portion of unprotected wire, opposed to 5 feet of it, and having the short to occur under the carpet, or behind the dash, thus burning your car down...

Unless you're running an SPL system, they aren't prone to this problem; or so I've read j/k


regards, Mark

 

Mark
I try to put my fuse as close to the battery as physically possible. But your comment is more of a personal attack on SQCivic, rather than usefull technical information. So why is he wrong in your opinion?

If a proper install is done, and the pos wire is protected and does not rub on anything, then the chances of a short are very very low. There is no fuse between the battery and the alternator, regulator etc, nor between the battery and the main fuse box.

 

^^^ Well I'll apologize for attacking myself then...

He stated that the rule was that there isn't to be a fuse for the first 18 inches... it shouldn' be done that way, and if you feel I am not correct, do some searching, and come to your own comclusions...

regards, Mark

 

Sorry...it was Buzz that quoted the rule..
I understood it as "if you use e 18 inch rule, then (only) the first 18 inches are unprotected"
Not , I believe what you interpreted as "the 18 inch rule says you do not put a fuse closer than 18 inches...and you leave that 18 inches unprotected'


I think that every one agrees that you need to try to put a fuse as close to the battery as possible... and never more than 18 inches away..

 

Yup it was me, and what I should have added was no more than 18" away, but I was elaborating on the 18" rule and gapped....... so sue me....hahaha

The fuse should be as close as possible to the source, period.

 

sue you ? naaa

just strap you into an spl car...and crank up the dbs!

 

LOL, well as long as it's not Team Riprock's trooper!!!

 

Hmm. The thought of using bass as a torture device is somewhat twisted... I like it!

 

everyone's here to help everyone else, weather it be by giving advice, or just seeing the latest install by one of the board members...

That being said, when you give advice, try to make sure it's as accurate as possible, as someone new to the hobby, might take it literally... If someone here had a problem with their fuse in the power wire constantly poping, and the advice given by one of the members here was to just cut out the fuse, and re-attach the wire, that would most likely cause a fire... Nobody here want's that, all we are trying to do is give advice, and help new guys, and even some old guys further their knowledge in this hobby we all enjoy and love so much.

regards, Mark