i'm going to be doing a big 3 upgrade this weekend using 0awg wire. wanted to know if a fuse as necessary for the upgrade, or just a recommendation

 

Just a recommendation. I have been running w/o a fuse and 0-ga Big-3 for over two years w/o issue. Just make sure your wire is secure and will not be damaged by moving engine parts and heat will not melt ot damage the shrouding.

 

cool thanks man

 

Any time.

 

uhhh no you REALLY want to fuse it. just do it the right way.

 

That's a pretty sorry recommendation. I could've went without wearing a seat belt for last ten years w/o issue.

You need to have a fuse there unless you never get in a front end collision. It happens to be one of the more important fuses that goes under the hood. It should be the same rating as your alternator. If your alt is rated at 120A your fuse should be 120A

 

I don't know you well enough for me to think your smart assed comments are funny. I have done huge SPL systems with 16+ batteries as well as smaller systems with big-3 upgrades and the guy I built them with never used fuses in any of them. I have also never used them in any of my cars or people I have done the big-3 for. One of which took a nose dive into a gaurd rail on the interstate. Never had an issue.

Your solution would have been enough.

 

ok... i thought this post would just fade into memory, but since it's still close to the top i might as well NOT start a new thread
me and my mechanic just tried to do the big 3 upgrade today,and ran into a small problem. after adding the 0awg running back to the trunk for the amps, i tried to attach another 0awg to run from the alt to the batter positive, unfortunately the nut that hold everything together will not go back on securely, my mechanic says to try to find a battery terminal with a longer bolt, are there any other options that anyone knows of. by the way i have a 6th gen, if that makes any difference
will have pics in the morning since its dark out at the moment

 

Wait.

Why are you running wire to the trunk? We already did that.

You're going to have to get creative with an aftermarket battery terminal if you want 2 0awg wires connecting to the OEM battery/terminal.

 

because i love the org so much and so i can clear things up, check the pick. the battery terminal is fine, its the bolt that connects all the wires together...it's not long enough any other ideas on getting a 2nd 0wg gauge to connect to the bolt and still have enough room for the nut, and we've already tried running on the other side of the battery

 

Yea, I remember that.

You're not going to get another one on there. You're going to have to get an aftermarket terminal onto the battery, run a wire from the OEM terminal to the aftermarket one, and then connect the 0awg wires to the aftermarket terminal.

 

OR, get the proper sized optima battery that has additional posts. (better option)

 

unfortunately they don't make optima d35's with top and side posts

 

Then time to get creative with some wire

 

ok i still have the stinger battery terminals that we never used, how would i run the wire from the terminal to the other terminal???

 

What I used for the negative terminal:



What I used for the positive terminal:



Both are available at your local parts store for around $4ea, or atleast that is what they cost here.

 

Does the 6th gen have a battery box, like the G35 does that will limit your choices on battery sizes? Or is it open like the 5th gen? If it is open, you may be able to fit a Group 34/78, which is what I did.

 

i think i have one already, it was too short to use, here is the problem though 6th gen maxima's have a right angle connector attached to them for all of the stock wiring, becuase of this the positive cable won't reach to where the 34/78 posts are, if anyone know a way around that i'm all ears

 

Mine was too short too. I cut a piece of wood for the battery tie down and put it in between the tray and the batteries base to give it the hight it needed.

I have a right angle as well. That is why I bought the piece in the positive terminal pic above. It extends the stock piece allowing you to use the aftermarket battery. If you unscrew the nut in the picture the stock part pops off the bottom and then you just replace it with the one from the auto parts store.

 

well congrats you've done every install wrong then. i'm not going to get into it(dead short...) but if you don't see/know why that needs to be fused you should just stop modding cars now and doing stereo installs for people.

sorry but i really have to call you out on this one.

 

WooHoo ! I have done every install wrong then too ! Hmm think I should inform Chevy, Infiniti, Ford, Honda and a few others that they too have been doing it wrong? I may have to look into this and be the hero of the year !

 

Torgus and Baxtel obviously know more about audio and electronics than either of us Don.

I will take thier advice, as it must be genius and no other alternative is viable, and never install anything again.

Why haven't these guys won some awards for thier collective or even individual achievements in proper electrical design and implimentation?

Call me out all you want to. Being a dick about it means just that your a dick. Your interjections and advice mean less and less everytime you make a personal attack.

 

wondering when you would show up, hope your feeling better...any ideas on what i could do???

 

actually nissan does. they use fusible links which is the same as having a fuse in there. unless they stopped which i'm not aware of. please correct me don.

the reason you fuse it is in the case of an accident the cable isn't allowed to fuse it's self to the block, frame, etc.

 

Extend your terminals a tad?

 

My Infiniti did not. Nor did my current TBSS or my accord, my wifes Odyssey, etc ...

Im well aware of the reasons, however there is quite a slim chance these errors would occur. Routed and secured properly the likelihood is null.

 

actually i'm pretty sure then do have fusible links. or they just use a fuse. what models and years don? i can find out pretty quick if they do or don't. i was under the impression all vehicle have fusible links/fuse between the alt and battery...generally speaking of course.

Just from an engineering/electrical standpoint i can't see any reason not to use them...

also how would you route the wire so in a collision there is 0 chance of it ever grounding out? over the engine? because in front, below, or behind obviously wouldn't work...least from how i'm thinking about it.

 

You can start with my truck ... '08 Trailblazer SS. Direct from alt to batt.

 

Don: the fuse-link on a 08 TB SS is in the battery cable harness, near the positive battery terminal. My buddy, a GM Grand Master Technician, told me this. Obviously i can't prove it without the truck in front of me, but he says it's right there and i take his word.


next car? but lets be serious here, me proving every car you own does/does not have a fusible link doesn't proves anything we all know it SHOULD be there. and afaik it always is...If anything you've acknowledge there is potential risk there so wouldn't you want to add it anyways just so your customer's cars are safer in the event of an accident/alt failure...?


Again i HONESTLY think most manufacturers use some means of protection on that wire. It makes 0 sense not too, and it's cheap to do it. If for some reason there were a fault in the alternator and it shorted out, with out a fuse link of fuse, there would be a fire. a fire burning down a customer's car could bankrupt most smaller car audio business unless of course their insurance covers it. Me being licensed to sell insurance in multiple states and having a good idea about how the industry works makes me VERY unsure if they would cover a ca shop in this instance...simply for the fact that a security measure put in place by the vehicle's manufacture was obviously removed, which caused the fire.

Maybe i'm out in left field here but i'm rather sure any customer, assuming they were told about this danger, would rather pay 20 bucks to have a inline fuse in their alt. to batt wire then risk a fire/wire welding it's self to the block, etc...right? not to mention it's more money for you as you make a markup on the products. it's win win for everyone...they are safe, you make more money.


How would you route/secure the wire so in a collision there is 0 chance of it ever grounding out? over the engine? because in front, below, or behind obviously wouldn't work...least from how i'm thinking about it.

 

Unfortunately my truck is a dud then since there was absolutely nothing but wire connecting alt to battery.

IF in an accident and the line was grounded ... simple it would drain the battery. I honestly cannot see 'fire' as a common here. Have you ever discharged caps in an amp? Did you start a fire doing so?

Could a fuse be put in line for added measure? Sure. Is it THAT critical? I still believe not.

 

So why have auto manufactures been doing it for so many years if it's not important? i mean you have to agree there are tons of cars with fusible links...i thought all myself...

Well either my buddy is wrong, which is possible, or your truck is unique. while in no way am i calling you a lair could you snap some pics for me to see? maybe i'll make a wager with my friend and we can split the profits.

if the wire grounded out, it would fuse it's to whatever it touched possibly starting a fire, as when things fuse lot of heat is created...it wouldn't just discharge slowly...

i'v exploded caps, discharged/charged caps etc. used cap guns you name it.

 

It depends on the placement of the alt in respect to the battery. If you ever touched live (+) cable to ground and you get a spark and go ahead and throw some flamibible fluid (oil, gas, brake fluid, etc) in the mix and you're on fire. In the case of a maxima the alt is on the opposite side of engine bay. The factory alt to battery cable runs through the radiator support which can easily get damaged in a front end collision. I'm disappointed that you don't know the difference between a cap and a battery.

It's not a smart assed comment it's a comparison. You don't have to know me you should be knowing basic high school level electronics before touching anything electrical. This ignorance of installers is just giving me more confidence in DIY. Unlike the other 16+ people driving around, at least my system was wired correctly. There was nothing meant to be funny in my reply. Safety is nothing to laugh at.

This is why I used the analogy of using a seat belt. It is there for safety I'd still be alive today even if I have never ever wore a seat belt but does that mean I should never wear a seat belt again? A fuse is there for safety there is absolutely no reason why it should be ignored. PERIOD.

 

Your absolutely right, I know nothing about caps and batteries or their differences. Hell, I guess I know alot about absolutely nothing.

 

Then I guess my truck is unique. Asking for a pic is just a nice way of saying ... Hey I dont believe you. It is what it is, believe it or not.

 

for honesty

 

Guess you got me and I should close up shop now and find another job.

 

ok don ignore everything i said or when i asked you questions...

i guess you're right fusing an alt to batt wire is pointless, useless, and there is no reason for it! what were those silly engineers at all of those auto companies thinking. foolish people!!!

you > me

sorry for saying a word against your holyness! you word is law. heaven forbid someone say something that goes against what you've said. i only add this in because every one on this forum everyone seem to have a huge boner for you, for which i don't understand. not to say you arn't knowledgeable or good at your job but this post imo shows something about your lack of basic electric theory, which as an above poster mentiod this is highschool grade theory stuff at most. let alone college.

all i used were plain facts, all you gave were opinions

when i said: "Well either my buddy is wrong, which is possible, or your truck is unique. while in no way am i calling you a lair could you snap some pics for me to see? maybe i'll make a wager with my friend and we can split the profits." i was serious. in terms of mechanics knowledge i honestly have to put my ASE and GM certified friend above you. sorry but it's a fact. maybe you missed the fuse it's easy.

 

Nevermind. This subject is boring me.

 

Funny post, would read again.

I would love for you to show me where I said it should not be used. Please, take your time.

Trust your friend, you should. I trust my own eyes. Kind of hard for me to take a pic since it has been changed however I may be able to dig up the OEM wire.

 

I must also note that I find this incredibly offensive to the other members of the board. Odd that you feel this way and I the one that your referring to do not see it.