one of meades videos got me thinking

[Broke_Audio_Addict]

he probably has the runs from the alt to the back and only fuses at the rear if i recal right he has fuses from those runs. if they are not connected to a battery in the fron they only need to be fused on one end.

I'd still say they should be fuse at both ends because you want the fuse to be as close as possible to the potential issue so if there is a problem in the front and it's not fused you're gonna have a bad day.

I fuse any positive wire I could care less if it's a foot long it's getting fused.

Also alts can go nuts and having them fused can possibly prevent it from frying your stuff if it does.

if the alternator is connected to one side and the battery is connected to another you only need one fuse. fuses are protecting the wire from melting and shorting from a constant power source. when you turn car off, the alt is porducing nothing. the battery is what holds the power, thus you are wasting money and addind resistance/increased chance of problems/poor connection, by fusing your alt. there is no need.

And when it's on?

Don't forget about alternators potentially going nuts and put out a huge surge, it's The reason 99% of factory alt positive wires are fused.

[meade916]

i almost never fuse the alternator wire. I always put fuses within a few inches of each positive post on each battery though. I have put fuses AT the alternator before but it seems like a waste of a fuse and holder. Especially if the run is short. Normally i come off of the alternator terminal and run straight to the nearest bus-bar but those busbars are also fused. Either that or the nearest (front battery) but always on the back side of IT'S fuse. If i ever see smoke or any other indicator that the alternator wire is shorted out, i could easily just turn the key off and the source of power is now gone.

A battery can't be shut off like that so they always get the fuse.

[meade916]

does meade not fuse his alternator wires from the alternator, just at the buss bars in the back? to me it seems like he runs wires straight from the alternators to the buss bars in the back and I have no idea where he runs the negative wires that hook up to the buss bars. maybe someone can shed some light.

thought you already asked me this the other day and i already explained this

...if it wasn't you that is kinda odd that two people would ask the exact same question the same week.

[Broke_Audio_Addict]

That's you though who has the knowledge and common sense, anybody who is new with no knowledge should fuse everything in my opinion.

[Bump4life]

he probably has the runs from the alt to the back and only fuses at the rear if i recal right he has fuses from those runs. if they are not connected to a battery in the fron they only need to be fused on one end.

I'd still say they should be fuse at both ends because you want the fuse to be as close as possible to the potential issue so if there is a problem in the front and it's not fused you're gonna have a bad day.

I fuse any positive wire I could care less if it's a foot long it's getting fused.

Also alts can go nuts and having them fused can possibly prevent it from frying your stuff if it does.

if the alternator is connected to one side and the battery is connected to another you only need one fuse. fuses are protecting the wire from melting and shorting from a constant power source. when you turn car off, the alt is porducing nothing. the battery is what holds the power, thus you are wasting money and addind resistance/increased chance of problems/poor connection, by fusing your alt. there is no need.

And when it's on?

Don't forget about alternators potentially going nuts and put out a huge surge, it's The reason 99% of factory alt positive wires are fused.

It doesn't matter if it's on. It won't stay on long enough to cause any serious damage if there is an issue. Remember you fuse to protect the wire and and car.

The only way an alternator is going nuts is if the voltage regulation fails. You won't have a massive amount of current or anything. And if that happens your diodes in the alt if not rated for that voltage will fry and by by alt. This would all happen in a

Matter of seconds. Factory wires from alt are not fused. I think you are referring to a fuse in the fuse box for the battery. Ultimately the fuses are to protect car from the battery. Not the alternator.

[Broke_Audio_Addict]

You better go look at some factory wires and stare at the fusible link.

You also aren't fusing just to protect the wire I absolutely hate that statement especially when people are suggesting someone should fuse to their wires current carrying capability when their actual current demand is much less.

[Jhunt94]

he probably has the runs from the alt to the back and only fuses at the rear if i recal right he has fuses from those runs. if they are not connected to a battery in the fron they only need to be fused on one end.

I'd still say they should be fuse at both ends because you want the fuse to be as close as possible to the potential issue so if there is a problem in the front and it's not fused you're gonna have a bad day.

I fuse any positive wire I could care less if it's a foot long it's getting fused.

Also alts can go nuts and having them fused can possibly prevent it from frying your stuff if it does.

if the alternator is connected to one side and the battery is connected to another you only need one fuse. fuses are protecting the wire from melting and shorting from a constant power source. when you turn car off, the alt is porducing nothing. the battery is what holds the power, thus you are wasting money and addind resistance/increased chance of problems/poor connection, by fusing your alt. there is no need.

And when it's on?

Don't forget about alternators potentially going nuts and put out a huge surge, it's The reason 99% of factory alt positive wires are fused.

It doesn't matter if it's on. It won't stay on long enough to cause any serious damage if there is an issue. Remember you fuse to protect the wire and and car.

The only way an alternator is going nuts is if the voltage regulation fails. You won't have a massive amount of current or anything. And if that happens your diodes in the alt if not rated for that voltage will fry and by by alt. This would all happen in a

Matter of seconds. Factory wires from alt are not fused. I think you are referring to a fuse in the fuse box for the battery. Ultimately the fuses are to protect car from the battery. Not the alternator.

my alt wire in my truck was fused, or well it said it had a fusable link or something like that. Idk if that's different

[meade916]

You better go look at some factory wires and stare at the fusible link.

You also aren't fusing just to protect the wire I absolutely hate that statement especially when people are suggesting someone should fuse to their wires current carrying capability when their actual current demand is much less.

actually, you are just fusing to "protect the wire"...and that protects the rest of the car by protecting that wire. And the current demand doesn't mean shit. When that wire is shorted, THAT current is the only current you should worry about. I only fuse to protect from fire from a direct short on the wire itself and not any equipment that may be hooked up. Those items usually have their own fuse.

[Bump4life]

You better go look at some factory wires and stare at the fusible link.

You also aren't fusing just to protect the wire I absolutely hate that statement especially when people are suggesting someone should fuse to their wires current carrying capability when their actual current demand is much less.

I think you are confusing fuses

Seriously though, there is no reason to fuse an alternator. Oem manufacturers fuse any

Wire that could short on battery side only. You are probably looking at another fuse.

If they fused the alternator they would have to fuse at or above alternator rating. I've never seen a 150 a fuse in a car fuse box.

Also the rule is to fuse at or below the current capability of wire. Depends on what you need to run through it. It's mainly for he wire because people who put wires in hat will short one day didn't design or plan it out well. A wire should never short. That's just bad install.

Edit: if a wire does short the fuse protects wire from melting down rest of wire and starting fires along the wire.

The fuse can also limit if you are trying to draw too much through too small of a wire which will cause a dangerous situation

[Jhunt94]

You better go look at some factory wires and stare at the fusible link.

You also aren't fusing just to protect the wire I absolutely hate that statement especially when people are suggesting someone should fuse to their wires current carrying capability when their actual current demand is much less.

I think you are confusing fuses

Seriously though, there is no reason to fuse an alternator. Oem manufacturers fuse any

Wire that could short on battery side only. You are probably looking at another fuse.

If they fused the alternator they would have to fuse at or above alternator rating. I've never seen a 150 a fuse in a car fuse box.

Also the rule is to fuse at or below the current capability of wire. Depends on what you need to run through it. It's mainly for he wire because people who put wires in hat will short one day didn't design or plan it out well. A wire should never short. That's just bad install.

So why wouldn't you want to fuse it? if the winding in the alt burnt up and grounded out, wouldn't that connect the alt charge lead going to the front batt to the ground? just a thought