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Battery to small?

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Old 03-06-2013, 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by 5-90
DO NOT DO THIS!


Fine with pre-74 vehicles (points & condenser, next to no electronics,) but this can lead to a huge repair bill with vehicles that have more modern electronic controls!

I've posted a writeup here on how to check your primary electrical setup - search it up and follow that. (No, I didn't keep a link. It's its own thread, so it should be easy to find...)
Geez Jon, good thing I save your stuff.....

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/bat...or-test-78125/
Old 03-06-2013, 06:34 PM
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Originally Posted by wesleys1990xj

Ya im not gonna do that. But i cleaned the two grounds on the block. Then i followed the alt charging wire to see if it was good, and it went from a 6 or 7 gage wire to a 9 gage wire. So i cut that 9 gage wire out, then connected it where it was in the first place,and i can tell its charging better. So now right when the headlights get dim i hear a click under the driver side dash. Maybe my headlight switch? Or maybe the connections to the switch are bad. But they don't get as dim.
Hey just so you know, that smaller gauge wire is supposed to be in there, it's the fusible link. Although many people say they aren't necessary. I'm actually not running one since I redid my battery cables entirely. Possible safety hazard though.
Old 03-06-2013, 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Dan91

Hey just so you know, that smaller gauge wire is supposed to be in there, it's the fusible link. Although many people say they aren't necessary. I'm actually not running one since I redid my battery cables entirely. Possible safety hazard though.
I believe 5-90's replacement cables replace all of that with 4 or 2 AWG. Fuses should be fuses, if someome thinks a random length of undersized wire is a safety feature then they're doing it wrong
Old 03-06-2013, 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by salad

I believe 5-90's replacement cables replace all of that with 4 or 2 AWG. Fuses should be fuses, if someome thinks a random length of undersized wire is a safety feature then they're doing it wrong
Whats it for then. (The undersized end of the wire)
Old 03-06-2013, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by RTorrez1
You really should stop recommending this. I have seen a few other post that you have told this to and it the WRONG thing to do on any vehicle with a computer in it. It was fine for older vehicles before they start putting in the computer to control everything. All you are doing is leading someone in the wrong direction and possibly damaging the electronics. No it wont always cause damage but why would you want to risk it??? Like I mentioned in another post that you recommended this. You should only recommend this if you are willing to take the responsibility for frying there computer and you are willing to replace it for them. Other wise you need to stop telling everyone to try this!
This is how i've always done every vehicle i've owned, and i've never once had a problem. Honestly if I knew it was such a big deal i wouldn't have recommended it to anyone (not that it's going to stop me from continuing to do so on my own vehicles) but theres no reason to get all worked up man. Say your peace, theres no reason to go on a rant about it.

OP dont do this, its apparently very bad.

And to be honest.. I really didnt know the extent of the damage this could cause, I was taught this by my grandfather who worked on cars of a different era.
Old 03-06-2013, 10:54 PM
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Originally Posted by salad

I believe 5-90's replacement cables replace all of that with 4 or 2 AWG. Fuses should be fuses, if someome thinks a random length of undersized wire is a safety feature then they're doing it wrong
He provides a replaceable ANL fuse link in place of it. The "random" length of undersized wire is a commonly implemented fusible link feature.
Old 03-06-2013, 11:47 PM
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Originally Posted by salad
I believe 5-90's replacement cables replace all of that with 4 or 2 AWG. Fuses should be fuses, if someome thinks a random length of undersized wire is a safety feature then they're doing it wrong
That's really all a fuse is, a chunk of undersized wire enclosed in something flameproof.
The fusible links have a special jacket that is flameproof and will melt when it gets hot to seal the ends of the wire. Keeps the conductor from contacting the frame when the link melts and causing a fire anyway.
Using ordinary plastic jacket wire as a fusible link is a bad idea.
Old 03-07-2013, 01:05 AM
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Originally Posted by xj_maniac_newb
if I knew it was such a big deal i wouldn't have recommended it to anyone (not that it's going to stop me from continuing to do so on my own vehicles) ***

OP dont do this, its apparently very bad.***

I really didnt know the extent of the damage this could cause, I was taught this by my grandfather
Gotchya Maniac. What we do with ours (and ours), might be different than what I myself, might post for the whole internet. I guess a doctor's first goal is to do no harm. To bad here in the states the $ are set by the azss in congrz with the $ !!! Finical harm is normal!

I know my alternator is putting out anytime voltage is above 12.7 at 78*. If it holds around 14 with the brights and blower on high, my belt is tight enough and I'm OK.

Last edited by DFlintstone; 03-07-2013 at 01:10 AM.
Old 03-07-2013, 09:20 AM
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Originally Posted by DFlintstone
Gotchya Maniac. What we do with ours (and ours), might be different than what I myself, might post for the whole internet. I guess a doctor's first goal is to do no harm. To bad here in the states the $ are set by the azss in congrz with the $ !!! Finical harm is normal!

I know my alternator is putting out anytime voltage is above 12.7 at 78*. If it holds around 14 with the brights and blower on high, my belt is tight enough and I'm OK.
I would probably not do the method i described if i had a voltmeter gauge, but unfortunately i have the idiot lights. Didnt mean to come off as a jerk by any means to anyone, I just honestly had never heard of it doing that extensive amount of damage on a vehicle, or harming them at all really.
Old 03-07-2013, 09:34 AM
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Don't get me wrong. I use to do this myself until I had a job at a Chevy dealer back in the early 80's. You wouldn't believe how many people would come in because they fried something doing this.
Old 03-07-2013, 03:26 PM
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Originally Posted by wesleys1990xj
Whats it for then. (The undersized end of the wire)
The charging lead is 6AWG.

The fusible link wire is 10AWG.

And, it's there on purpose.

A "fusible link" is one of many styles of fuse device, meant as overload protection in an electrical circuit. Would you rather lose a fuse that costs a couple of bucks, or a whole vehicle due to an engine bay fire?

This is why I offer the ANL fuse kits in my listings - which seems to be uncommon (if not unique) among makers of heavy-duty mains wiring. I have even had people doing full-on custom setups asking for fuses for their winches - with my answer being "Sure - what make & model? I need to figure out what size you'll need..."

An OEM circuit protection device should NEVER be eliminated!
Old 03-07-2013, 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted by xj_maniac_newb
This is how i've always done every vehicle i've owned, and i've never once had a problem. Honestly if I knew it was such a big deal i wouldn't have recommended it to anyone (not that it's going to stop me from continuing to do so on my own vehicles) but theres no reason to get all worked up man. Say your peace, theres no reason to go on a rant about it.

OP dont do this, its apparently very bad.

And to be honest.. I really didnt know the extent of the damage this could cause, I was taught this by my grandfather who worked on cars of a different era.
Most people don't - I try to be civil about it, but I'll still jump squarely on it with both feet...

I get annoyed because people don't keep up with the tech, and while I enjoy fixing things, I don't like fixing things due to preventable screwups (because I invariably have to fight to collect the bill afterwards...)
Old 03-07-2013, 03:29 PM
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Originally Posted by cruiser54
Geez Jon, good thing I save your stuff.....

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/bat...or-test-78125/
Why do I need to save it? I've made it easy to find, and I wrote that from memory...

Think of it as "the cost of admission" - encouraging people to use the Search button for an easy target is a good thing. You don't think Black Belt Google-Fu artists started out finding the difficult and abstruse, do you?
Old 03-07-2013, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by xj_maniac_newb
I would probably not do the method i described if i had a voltmeter gauge, but unfortunately i have the idiot lights. Didnt mean to come off as a jerk by any means to anyone, I just honestly had never heard of it doing that extensive amount of damage on a vehicle, or harming them at all really.
Buy a DMM for troubleshooting - the IP voltmeter is a notorious liar anyhow. I interpret it more as "relative state-of-charge" than as an absolute reading, and the grease pencil mark I make on the window gets checked annually as part of a vehicle inspection...
Old 03-07-2013, 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by RTorrez1
Don't get me wrong. I use to do this myself until I had a job at a Chevy dealer back in the early 80's. You wouldn't believe how many people would come in because they fried something doing this.
Originally Posted by 5-90
Buy a DMM for troubleshooting - the IP voltmeter is a notorious liar anyhow. I interpret it more as "relative state-of-charge" than as an absolute reading, and the grease pencil mark I make on the window gets checked annually as part of a vehicle inspection...
Originally Posted by 5-90
Most people don't - I try to be civil about it, but I'll still jump squarely on it with both feet...

I get annoyed because people don't keep up with the tech, and while I enjoy fixing things, I don't like fixing things due to preventable screwups (because I invariably have to fight to collect the bill afterwards...)

I can understand what yall are saying, i'd probably have been right there with you should I have known better. Guess i gotta make a change to the list of answers to everyday questions in my noggin.


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