What type of Fuse are you after? There's a number of different types available on the market. Jaycar seem to stock a number of different ones (100A mega fuses, auto & manual resettable circuit breakers etc...
The Redarc SDI12 wiring kit came with two inline fuse holders for both the AUX and Starter battery connection. I need to replace these 60amp fuses with 100 amp to support the override feature (Starting the car from the AUX battery if the main one dies)
I tried Jaycar.
Do you know what size the cable is? The fuse is there to protect the cable, so if the current carrying capacity of the cable is only 80A, then a 100A fuse will not be suitable unless you want a bbq under your bonnet!.
I phoned Redarc and they told me I need to install a 100amp fuse or breaker as the redarc unit is mounted near the AUX battery (had to do this due to space restrictions) and they suggested installing a 6AWG cable to account for the voltage drop.
Mmmm, personally I prefer to run bigger. I ran 3 B&S / 26mm² from both Batts to my SBI12 so I can use the Overide function. I would've thought that 6B&S / 13mm² would be on the slim side if cranking off it?.
Edit... This is from the Redarc SBI12 Manual
And when you get it all installed, if your main battery is dead flat and you try to "jump" from the second battery, you will probably find the fuse just pops anyway as the current draw from the starter will be more than the 100amp allowed through the fuse (I have read diesel prado is around 250 amps starting current, no idea if that is right or wrong).
Redarc suggest using manual reset breakers instead of fuses, but high amp ones are big and bulky and I couldn't find anywhere suitable to mount them (not keen on just drilling holes) so I am now looking at going much larger cable 0 or 2 gauge, SBI212 and appropriately sized fuses so I can link for winching as well (which I am not sure if that will work either as the winch current draw will probably exceed the larger fuse anyway...).
A lot of people install without ANY protection between batteries (many threads on this here and other forums) but that doesn't really sit well with me so I will persist with fuses.
But to answer your original question, I just work out what I want and buy it from eBay usually works out cheaper and saves all the running around.
Probably in excess of 95% of the use of a coupling system between the starting and auxiliary batteries, is at currents well below 100 amps. I carry a set of jumper leads anyway. So, if my starting battery goes flat and requires that the auxiliary battery be used to jump start the car, then I use the jumper lead from one battery positive to the other.
Saves having to cater for currents in the hundreds of amps when cranking from the aux battery via the VDR system.
The main reason they suggest manually resettable fuses is because when the starter solenoid initially strikes, it will spike for a split second into the kA range. Before settling back down to normal operating current. Spikes this high MAY trigger the fuse as a short circuit load protection hence dropping in a circuit breaker.
Went today and spoke with ARB about fuses and they told me that they never put in fuses when configured with an over-ride start button.
Mmmm. Not sure if that's good or bad?
Redarc recommend fuses (MIDI style by the looks, easy to get at Battery World or Whitworths chandelry etc). Drop them an email, I have found the guys really helpful and answer even my dumbest questions.
My 150 build - http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread.php?27423-A-Random-approach-to-a-Bluestorm-150-GXL-D4D-automatic
Redarc recommend fuses (MIDI style by the looks, easy to get at Battery World or Whitworths chandelry etc). Drop them an email, I have found the guys really helpful and answer even my dumbest questions.
Cheers MrRandom.
I always though ARB would a good source of information. How wrong I can be.
I have a Whitworths near me. I'll pop in and get some fuses.
Went today and spoke with ARB about fuses and they told me that they never put in fuses when configured with an over-ride start button.
Mmmm. Not sure if that's good or bad?
To be quite honest, I'd probably be hesitant myself to put in a fuse. If I did, it'd be the 300A ANL fuses. With that being said, I'd NEVER tell anyone to do the same and certainly not from a retail standpoint.
You gotta understand, if I'm not fusing I'm making damn sure its not going to rub against anything and that I have a big arse isolation switch in there... again, I'd never recommend it. Just what I'd do on my rig.
I have a BCDC 12-20A charger in my car which was supplied by a Jaycar 5AG fuse holder , the large plastic screw together type . During the last trip at Alice Springs I found that the whole fuse holder had overheated and failed . Luckily I'd taken a 50A breaker , the small metal bodied type along with us and it worked ok .
Cheers Ross
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