Ok, I had just finished fillin up on gas and i started up my car and left the station. I cruise for about 3 minutes. When i was rounding a cruve, all my lights in my car dimmed and shut off (sound system, everything...). Then everything started right back up while my car was movin. I didnt have to do anything... the car just kept on like nothin happened. I pull into my garage and find out that my main fuse to my system is blown. What the h3ll happened...?

Is my alternator starting to leave me?
Did the shutting down of my car for that split second cause my fuse on my main line to blow?

This is kinda freakin me out since i need my car tomorrow for work... Thanks in advance. (by the way, I JUST replaced my battery about 3 weeks ago.)

 

do a test on your alternator, see if its putting out 14 volts to the battery. that might be why you needed to replace your battery 3 weeks ago.

 

What size fuse are you running? My main fuse for a 4 gauge power wire for my system is an 80 amp fuse. If you blew that, holy crap!!! That would take all sorts of current. No wonder your lights dimmed then shut off. Most likely, when you took the bend, something shorted, and you drew some insane amount of current for a short time before the fuse blew. Once the fuse blew, all the current that went through the short went back to the normal draws, like your lights, that's why they came back on.

My guess, you got a short somewhere on your main power wire for your system.

 

That's exactly what happened to me the day my alternator died. Don't drive anywhere with it like it is. If it fries completely you will have to get towed. I was lucky - only 2 blocks from home...

Personally, I don't think it's a short. My advice (take it or leave it): Only drive it a short distance, and only to some place that can test and replace the alternator if necessary!

 

Well i guess to make it worse, my main fuse is 150 Amps on my 4 guage. I guess it takes some insane power to blow that... which i did. I drove my car around a lil bit afterwords and it drove fine. I just have the main power wire disconnected from my system. My battery before the replacement was really old so that is why that one died, no doubt. Ima just leave it disconnected for a bit to see how my car runs. then eventually replace that fuse. What size fuse should i be running on a 4 guage wire?

 

That depends on how much current your amplifier(s) draw. Look in the manuals for your amp(s) and see what size fuse the manufacturer recommends at the battery. If you have two amps, just add the numbers together. Although, you can get away with a smaller fuse if you are just running the amps in 4 ohm stereo. 4 ohm mono and 2 ohm stereo configurations draw more current. I would check for a short on that wire first so you don't just waste your money on a new fuse that is gonna blow up right off.

 

^^^ what he said .... you have short somewhere. After finding your wiring problem then make sure your fuse matches with the fuses mounted on your amps. For instance I have one amp thats rated at 60 amps and one that is 30 amps thus I have 80 amp fuse since there's no 90 amp fuse at least not that I know of. You need about double the current the fuse is rated for to blow it instantly. While your at it buy a multimeter and make sure your alt and battery are ok. It should be like 12.5v when your car is off and around 13.5 - 15v with the car on.

 

im runnign a 150 amp circuit breaker for my system with 4 guage wire. that doesnt sound like an alternator issue is just sounds like a looks battery terminal connection or a short somewhere. if he had to replace his battery 3 weeks ago and his alternator was toast it wouldnt have lasted as long as 3 weeks. maybe 2-3 hours at most. my yellow top lasted 5 hours with a shot alternator.