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1/0 gauge wire and high output alternator Question.

Flip97GTP

Flip97GTP

New member
I recently installed a 160+ amp alternator and made a mistake.

After the installation of the HO alternator I didn't run a 1/0 gauge wire or bigger wire from the alternator to the battery. I started the car like that and it ran for about 10 min or so. I also drove it up the street and back.

My question is: Is it possible, I burnt up my new HO alternator by not hooking up a bigger gauge wire?
 


Highly unlikely to borderline impossible that you caused any damage. In fact the only way you could have hurt anything is if you ran a new sense wire to the battery or something.... then the alternator might have to run at 16 volts to push enough through the tiny stock wire to make the sense wire happy voltage wise. That shouldn't even tickle the alternator though. Unless you melted the stock alternator wire you probably have a bad alternator if it isn't working anymore. Things that kill alternators are Heat and miles. If it was a self sensing alternator then there is zero chance you hurt the alternator and a slight chance you could melt the stock wire.
 
most likely melted a power/ground wire, I had 3 runs of 1/0 on my 275, so rule of thumb is really 1 run per 100 amps to be safe.
 
Pretty much every wire chart says a single 1/0 gauge wire will handle 275 amps to the trunk of the car fine.
 
The reason I brought it up is because after I installed the alternator and started her, she started smoking behind the engine and smelled kind of funny. I have power steering problem also so power fluid is still around the bottom of the engine. So, I figured the smoke was from that. Then I noticed I forgot to put the 1 gauge wire from the alternator to battery. I haven't started her since then.

I have check the wires to see if they got burnt. Does anyone have a charging system diagram for 97 GTP?
 
Check the main supply wire from the alternator, It goes around the back of the engine, over the throttlebody, to the rad cradle along the drivers side dogbone, to the battery. Then check the ground wires that bolt to the front of the transmission, Should be directly below the right side of the drivers side dogbone. Also check the wimpy little body ground that goes 6 inches from the battery to the strut tower.
 


I wouldn't run 1 run of 1/0 for 275 amps lol... especially in the stereo world, more runs = better flow, less restriction, and is better for the future if you put a bigger amp on and need more juice haha
 
SunflowerPower93 said:
I wouldn't run 1 run of 1/0 for 275 amps lol... especially in the stereo world, more runs = better flow, less restriction, and is better for the future if you put a bigger amp on and need more juice haha
Click to expand...
Yea...that's a good idea, but in the future, if I run a big amp I will just run a another 1 gauge wire. For right now I'm just going to run 1 wire. Thanks tho.

Is it a good idea to run a ground wire to the alternator housing? I can't find a spot on the block.
 
not from the alt to the battery, if your running a stereo you can, I have 3 batteries, 2400rms amp and 275 amp alt and 2 runs of positive with no fusing, but if its just a power and ground for your battery/alt you don't need a fuse.
 


battery to frame, if the alt has a ground post, you can ground alt to negative, negative on batt to motor, then batt to frame, that's called the big 3, just google it
 
Whether you need more than one run depends on the quality of wire. I buy welding wire rated at 350A for up to 50 foot runs, more than that is just wasting money. And the wire is extrememly cheap compared to all the car audio ripoff brands. Save yourself money and get wire here: https://weldingsupply.com/cgi-bin/browsecatalogs.pl?SIGNOUT::1

An average of $3 a foot compared to the $5-6 a foot people pay for "branded" wire. It kills me to see people waste money on inferior wire.
 
Well, I just used a bench vise and tighten the hell out of it.....lol! They seem to be on there pretty tight. The big 3 install gave me some problems, but I have all the wires connected besides to the battery terminals. I need some longer bolts to connect the battery.

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That's what I was going to do Scotty, but I couldn't find my solder. I think my 15 yr old son did something with it. Anyways, when I had the wire on the vise I took some pliers and tried to take them off by pulling on it and they wouldn't come off. So, I think they are on there pretty good.
 
its not that they are on there good or not, its dry wire your gonna get from the raw copper wires being exposed to air. it wont happen over night but over time it will kill the wire and not flow current like it should.

solder is weather proof, it dont come apart if done right, the shrink tube will keep any air out at the end of the lug to the wire.

i like to cut my wire so the rubber insulation is sunk into the lug, then shrink tube it as well.

you can use a plumbers soldering kit, flux and solder costs like 5 bucks. the flux is a big part of doing it right. as that vid shows.
 
Scotty, you are killing me here.....Lol! You have great advice though and thanks. I like things to be done right also pal!
 
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