November 7, 200816 yr Author just a little aside...i was reading this thread and came across a question that wasnt answered and I'm also curious to know the answer.why is it that people run more than 1 0/1 gauge from front to back? is it necessary?more wire, better current flow. and sometimes its hard to get 2+/0, so more runs of 1/0 will do the same,How do you know if you need more than 1 run of 1/0 gauge? Does anyone know the max each wire can conduct, or does that purely depend on the wire? Is there a rough estimate? Like 4000 watts can transfer through 1/0 or something like that?10' of 1/0 Gauge is "only" 350 amps I believe.So unless you're running over 3k watts, you probably don't need more than 1 run of 1/0 right?Also, since I have a 200A alt, I'd be fine using 4 gauge to do the big 3? Or should I just go 1/0 to be safe?
November 7, 200816 yr just a little aside...i was reading this thread and came across a question that wasnt answered and I'm also curious to know the answer.why is it that people run more than 1 0/1 gauge from front to back? is it necessary?more wire, better current flow. and sometimes its hard to get 2+/0, so more runs of 1/0 will do the same,How do you know if you need more than 1 run of 1/0 gauge? Does anyone know the max each wire can conduct, or does that purely depend on the wire? Is there a rough estimate? Like 4000 watts can transfer through 1/0 or something like that?10' of 1/0 Gauge is "only" 350 amps I believe.So unless you're running over 3k watts, you probably don't need more than 1 run of 1/0 right?Also, since I have a 200A alt, I'd be fine using 4 gauge to do the big 3? Or should I just go 1/0 to be safe?not much of a point doin the big 3 in 4 gauge, i think thats what stock battery cables are, do 1/0 guage, and be sure to use a fuse when connecting the alt post to the + battery terminal.
November 7, 200816 yr i hear that you actually shouldn't put a fuse on the alternator to battery + terminal. I cannot remember where.
November 7, 200816 yr i hear that you actually shouldn't put a fuse on the alternator to battery + terminal. I cannot remember where.Im sure it was wrong. look at your factory fuse box, it has fuse for the alt in it. why would aftermarket alts be any different?
November 7, 200816 yr i hear that you actually shouldn't put a fuse on the alternator to battery + terminal. I cannot remember where.Im sure it was wrong. look at your factory fuse box, it has fuse for the alt in it. why would aftermarket alts be any different?My stock alt to batt didn't have a fuse, and my 1/0 gauge run doesn't either.
November 7, 200816 yr Author i hear that you actually shouldn't put a fuse on the alternator to battery + terminal. I cannot remember where.Im sure it was wrong. look at your factory fuse box, it has fuse for the alt in it. why would aftermarket alts be any different?My stock alt to batt didn't have a fuse, and my 1/0 gauge run doesn't either.Yah I'm running a HO alt in my other vehicle, and did the big 3 in it just running 4 gauge from alt to bat, with no fuse either. Never had a problem, I had the local shop do my big 3 though, and they told me I didn't need more than 4 gauge and refused to use 1/0 even though I offered to pay extra.
November 7, 200816 yr If the wire became defective due to the heat or whatever that could go wrong, you're battery would not be charged because the fuse is broke. So all you're electronics in the car would shut off. This is what I was thinking. I didn't even know that the wire from the stock alternator to battery + was fused.
November 7, 200816 yr i hear that you actually shouldn't put a fuse on the alternator to battery + terminal. I cannot remember where.Im sure it was wrong. look at your factory fuse box, it has fuse for the alt in it. why would aftermarket alts be any different?My stock alt to batt didn't have a fuse, and my 1/0 gauge run doesn't either.same here
November 7, 200816 yr If the wire became defective due to the heat or whatever that could go wrong, you're battery would not be charged because the fuse is broke. So all you're electronics in the car would shut off. This is what I was thinking. I didn't even know that the wire from the stock alternator to battery + was fused.Nothing is going to happen to my wire though, it was soldered, and I used heat resistant loom all around the wire, and taped the loom shut. Most of us have volt meters too, we would notice...I hope
November 7, 200816 yr i hear that you actually shouldn't put a fuse on the alternator to battery + terminal. I cannot remember where.Im sure it was wrong. look at your factory fuse box, it has fuse for the alt in it. why would aftermarket alts be any different?My stock alt to batt didn't have a fuse, and my 1/0 gauge run doesn't either.Yah I'm running a HO alt in my other vehicle, and did the big 3 in it just running 4 gauge from alt to bat, with no fuse either. Never had a problem, I had the local shop do my big 3 though, and they told me I didn't need more than 4 gauge and refused to use 1/0 even though I offered to pay extra.I guess it is a little bit more work to put in the 0gauge wires because of its size, but it is always better to go bigger and have room for more than to have the bare minimum. That shop is weird. You may want to go get another source.
November 7, 200816 yr my car has a fuse between the alt and + battery, and the irragi alt i have said to use a fuse, ive never heard not to use a fuse there.
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