BIG 3 Questions / Results:

Post by **mhyde71** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:14 am

Okay guys... (Vehicle performed on 2002 Nissan Pathy - 1st time ever done big three & HO Alt)
I did did Big Three, HO Alt, HO Batt all this past weekend and I am pleased with results I think (to a certain degree anyways)...
Here's the deal I did all the work, got everything in there and then car then wouldn't start... brought it to shop they said "well, you didnt screw things up too too much.. but you cut the wrong cable.. you cut the starter cable." Up at the battery there was a solid black w/ red strip 4ga wire coming from it. It looked as though the 4ga wire from Alt was also solid black w/ red strip.. so I cut the 4ga up at battery and ran 0ga to alt.. removing the original wire form alt.. Now I didnt totally remove as in yank from car.. simply disconnected from alt and then cut up at battery... and ran new 0ga from batt to alt... but to my dismay the wire i cut up at battery was the starter cable. I have read a lot of different stuff about big 3 and i have yet to see anyone mention that the alt wire might/or is fused and/or going through fuse box. I have always heard/read that you simply remove alternator wire and replace or run along exsisting stock when upgrading the cable... I have never heard of the alt wire being fused.. I have heard of the starter being fused before.. and so I thought the one of the two smaller 8ga's coming from the battery was one of the starter cables.... nope it wasn't.. so anyways for now I have the starter cable linked in with my inline fuse for amps in back that goes to distro & cap.

here are my questions:

1) has anyone else heard of fused alternator.. my friends car also has alt fused, but if this is so common why isn't it mentioned in all the readings I have read about big 3 on line?? And should the new wire that is in there now be fused just the same as the stock set up was...
2) along w/ #1.. If yes, it should be fused just the same as stock, then shouldn't the fuse be "upped" to the rating of the alt??? i.e. my stock alt was pushing 110amps (not bad for stock) and it had a 110amp fuse... (110A alt & 110A Fuse).... If i should/need to fuse the upgraded line (0ga) just the same as the stock, Do I match the amps power i.e. put a 200 amp inline fuse for alt now seeing how it is a 200a alt??? or see if I can just get the same type of fuse rated at 200a and put in the fuse box?? If i go that route (just using fuse spot in the box...??? That would mean that I would then run from alt to fuse box, then to battery.... so would I need to run 0ga to fuse box, and then 0 ga from box to batt? or becasue it is like only 2.5/3" in length from fuse box to battery would 4ga be suficcient?? I think i would prefer doing an inline fuse set up though to the alt... but if it's not neccessary then that's fine too.. just thinking that Nissan had it fused maybe it should/needs to be exspecially now that it has all been upgraded.
3) Since the upgrade though, which as it stands now the 200a alt is only fused with 110a, becasue the wire is back on the alt from being at the shop (like I asked them to do)... I have noticed that there are no more dimming of the lights at high power.... GET THIS: I can have AC, high beams, Signal turning, fooling w/ windows (up/down), and bump the "toys" and no dimming of lights EVEN at IDLE!!! ... which was exactly what I was shooting for... BUT NOW the amp is getting very very hot!!! WAY Hotter than before the upgrade... anybody have any thoughts as to why that might be? NOW with that being said I will say we have also had 100 degree weather out last two days and I am certain that plays a role in the matter of it running hot. I mean I couldn't even touch it.... So I have a wood slab that props the 2250 up/open for ventilation but still oh so very hot... NOW...?? I am working on getting more cooling back there for the amps but it didnt go that hot before the upgrade.. did I maybe do something wrong.. ?? is it maybe becasue of something directly related to the upgrade??? Would/could it be just becasue of the weather..?? I have been running the ac full steam and trying to shoot it to the back much as i can. But little to no help...
4) not sure if there is a question with this one or just letting you know what the story is to the back of the rig.. but I only have 4ga running to the back (right now)... I have the 0ga cable i am going to be putting in this weekend... and maybe that will help out a bit, as maybe the amp wont have to work so hard??? is that one of the benefits you reep when upgrading to 0ga to back??? less resistance and therefore easier on amp? maybe that will help the temp of amp when running???

Sorry for long post.. but had a few questions about this here.. I will add pic's of HO alt, Batt & Term's to my 2002 Pathy install thread in a short bit.

Thanks guys!

Post by **stipud** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:19 am

Normally alternators use a fusible link, but sometimes I have seen fuses. Yes it is normally a good idea to install a fuse there, just incase you end up shorting out the power wire at your alternator somehow. That said, I never bothered to install one yet (shhh...

). If you do end up fusing it, your stock rating or higher would be totally fine, as long as there is something to keep your wire from burning up.

Your amps are probably getting hot because they are actually producing the power they SHOULD have been. When you run your wiring through that stock 8 gauge ground, that basically limits your whole system to that (granted, 8 gauge for a short line like that can flow quite a bit of current, but 0 gauge all around is much better!).

Unfortunately as you have found out, this now makes cooling a big issue! Try scaling back your gains a bit in the meantime perhaps.

Post by **mhyde71** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:48 am

Yeah I need to work on a better cooling scenerio back there... It gets REAL F%$#@G hot back there. Just sticking my head in cargo area it musta been over 110/120 back there... whew! And/But I have the covers for the 275 opened up and the 2250 propped up so it is more exposed/open to the outside air.. therefore pouring into the cargo area... and when I drove for about 20 minutes up the highway yesterday and pulled over to check things out wholly shit... i could have baked cookies on it.. so I turned it down for duration of my drive. I might have to treat the 'quipment like a couple of dogs or something and keep the glass part of truck open for air flow.. on hot hot days... it's better today and might be making same trip so I'll check and see....

Is the fact that the lights are not dimming any more an indication the amp is working full power/getting all the power it needs/should be getting now??? Once I run the 0ga to the back that might help out too a lil' right?

Pls Thx
m

Post by **stipud** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:59 am

mhyde71 wrote:Is the fact that the lights are not dimming any more an indication the amp is working full power/getting all the power it needs/should be getting now??? Once I run the 0ga to the back that might help out too a lil' right?

Oh you haven't got 0g to the back yet? That should help. If the amps have to strain a lot to get the necessary power, that can cause them to get hot too... REALLY hot even. Hook a T1200.1 up with 8 gauge and you'll have a nice campfire in your trunk

Post by **mhyde71** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:02 am

stipud wrote:
mhyde71 wrote:Is the fact that the lights are not dimming any more an indication the amp is working full power/getting all the power it needs/should be getting now??? Once I run the 0ga to the back that might help out too a lil' right?
Oh you haven't got 0g to the back yet? That should help. If the amps have to strain a lot to get the necessary power, that can cause them to get hot too... REALLY hot even. Hook a T1200.1 up with 8 gauge and you'll have a nice campfire in your trunk

Yeah the under the hood stuff took too damn long this past weekend and still only have 4ga to back.. will be 0 this weekend.

Thanks Tom