Hey All !

I have a quick question.

I did the grounding of my car mod about 2 weeks ago and added a second alternator wire straight to the battery at the same time. I started thinking a few days later and wondered if the stock alt. wire was fused at some point so I checked the wiring diagram last night and sure enough it was (80 amps). Now I'm wondering if I should fuse my new wire or somehow tie it in with the stock fuse. I have searched the net and I found that most people didn't fuse there extra wire they put on. Is this something they have overlooked as well?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
-Mike

 

Personally, I have not run a spare alternator wire on any of my cars. I really was not aware there was a problem with the positive wire, I thought just the ground.

Anyway, that fuse is there in the stock wiring to prevent an overcurrent situation from damaging the alternator. Not having that main fuse may also cause an electrical fire in an overcurrent situation. However, I think the odds of that are relatively slim. Most vehicles never had those types of fuses ("main" fuse) until recently. I think most domestic vehicles still don't, although it is catching on.

You probably would be OK to not run one. Given the option, though, I would probably find a way to use the stock fuse, since it's already there. Maybe just get a ring terminal to fit your new wire, then fit it to the protected side of the fuse.

Ren

 

Hmmm... That makes sense. Thanks for the input. I looked at the Main fuse and it's hard wired in to the main fuse panel. Not to mention that it's only 6 or 8 gauge and I have a 4 gauge wire. So I don't think taping in to that line is a good option. Does anyone know if there would be a problem with me putting another 100 amp fuse in my new line and leaving the old one intact at the same time?? ( The original line has a 100amp fuse already) Doing that wouldn't make it seem like I have a 200amp fuse would it?

Thanks a lot,
Mike

 

It would. With fused wires you want to replace with a larger wire, not add on. With two cables in parallel, each fused at 80 amps, why would, say, 90 amps of current flow through only one of the cables and blow that fuse and then the other? (you might want to replace that 100 with an 80; I'm not sure for 1990, but it seems to me they were all 80s. Is the manual you referred to for your year?)

If it's tough to replace the original wire at the fuse, maybe you can find a stand-alone fuse holder? You do want to keep the fuse, it's a lot cheaper than a new alternator.

-John.

 

I ran mine from the battery to fuse box, and fuse box to alt. the fuse box just has a bolt and nut on either side that a ring termanal bolts to. I just doupled up the rings on the bolts with the 2nd wire. it's only 8 gauge though. you wouldn't fit 4.

I'd put a 100amp fuse in there. the main reason for having one is if the wire cover gets worn off and the wire grounds itself it'll blow. so any fuse size will work. you don't need to double or anything. as long as it's bigger then what normaly goes though, which is around 50-60.

 

Hmmmm.... Thanks for the input guys. I think I'm going to take a closer look at the Fuse box and see if I can get some 8 gauge in there. I don't think I need 4 gauge anyway. I just had some left over from the grounding


Thanks again,
Mike