2001 7.3 ex : Truck lost all electrical last week while driving..just momentarily and immediately came back on. Engine ran entire time. Then it did it again second time and had to re-turn key to fire up while driving..several hundred miles later, battery light comes on, but voltage is good...another 150miles and voltage drops, no electrics inside or out, but motor runs fine until turned off, then click click. Swapped out batteries and alternator. Can charge it up and run it till battery dies. Then no electrics again. Engine continues, but I imagine it requires very little to run. Started looking around for thing I've read on the forums and see broken fusible link going to solenoid on passenger fender..I understand those go to the alternator and will prevent it from charging the batteries. I understand what a fusible link does, but do not know how to replace them and cannot find any write ups. Is it just a piece of "blowable" wire that butt connectors on to the red/orange? Are there more of them on the way to the alternator or just the two right at the starter solenoid? Also, while it was running and voltage gauge on dash was pegged at the bottom I tried to test voltage output of the new alternator (maybe I did this wrong[connected positive lead to large non pigtail wire on alternator and negative lead on battery]) and only got 3.3v...
I'd tow it to a shop, but tomorrow's labor day, we're out of town and I have to get the wife home for her week new job by Tuesday. If I can run a jumper with an inline fuse to hobble home on I'd do that, but don't know what I'd need size-wise...if I can buy a fusible link and do it myself, I will tomm. Just need a little nudge in the right direction from you guys. Thankyou.

 

I think I found the question in there, based on the thread title.

Yes you can replace the fusible links yourself.

There are two fusible links per alternator, and two fusible links to the electrical center.



All fusible links are located at the fender mounted starter solenoid for the 2001 model year.

It takes a twin pair of fusible links to carry the load of one alternator charge wire.

If you have only one alternator, the alternator charge wire is black with an Orange stripe.

It would be a good idea to try and figure out how or why your existing fusible link failed in the first place, before removing it and obliterating the evidence in the process.

If there was no short to ground at the fusible links themselves, then something happened to overheat the fusible links, forcing them to do their life's work, and ending their life in the process.

If you replace those dead links with new links, the exact same life mission and immediate death thereafter may repeat itself. BY comparison, the fusible links to my truck, which is a year older than yours, have never blown.

The most important thing you can do is figure out why yours blew... and part of that figuring is a visual examination of all the wires leading to heavy loads... which are typically glow plug and starting, unless you have some high amp aftermarket equipment or accessory.

The existing state of wiring offers the best evidence as to what went wrong. If you make corrections without first making an examination, then you may lose the evidence that would be helpful in diagnosis.

If time is short, and you just need to get down the road, and the risk of repeated failure is outweighed by the need to get the truck back home, then the typical fusible links sold at the wax and oil chain automotive parts stores is 12 gauge, so it will take a pair of 12 gauge fusible inks in parallel to handle the ampacity/load of the charge wire (black with orange stripe).

Dual layer adhesive lined heat shrink tubing is the Ford preferred method of making the splice connections. You will see evidence of Ford's use of RayChem SCT 1 dual layer 4:1 shrink ratio adhesive lined heat shrink as you cut apart the existing fusible links.

If the existing fusible links seem ok at the eyelet terminal, then you might be able to preserve the eyelet terminal and the Y formation of twin fusible links already formed there, and just individually butt splice each fusible link in the pair.

The same holds true for the combined 3 way connection to the black with Orange stripe alternator charge wire.

 

Thankyou very much. I have all day to figure it out. I'll Iook for the cause. It may have been my aftermarket amp..the fuse holder is melted, although still functional...

 

Sounds plausible. I would remove this wire from where you have it tied into power and investigate the amp later at your leisure.

Of course still look over the rest of the wiring before the fix and drive home as Y2K stated.

 

Just ran through everything I can visually see. I didn't open up the looms, but nothing is damaged or rubbed through. I checked everything from alternator and batteries to glow plug relays back down to the solenoid and down to the starter and I can't find anything... I must admit though, fuse holder for the amp held a bend piece of Romex rather than a fuse

 

Just in case the stereo wasn't the problem, I made the fusible links serviceable on the fly. I took the alternator wire and put a battery terminal lug/eyelet on it. Then I took two 3-in sections of 12 gauge fusible link, and wired them to eyelets. One end of the new removable fusible link goes to the solenoid and the other is bolted to the eyelet on the alternator wire. Now if I need to replace it on the way home, I already have made a spare and can just bolt it in.. I think I may have further looking to do.

 

Yikes, sounds like Bubba screwed you over trying to burn your truck down. Yank that solid piece of copper wire out of the fuse holder and have a conversation with your wife on the trip home instead of listening to the radio. Depending on the gauge of Romex that thing could handle 300+ amps before it gets close to melting on a 12v system

Then when you are home replace the fuse holder and use an appropriate sized fuse. Maybe even redo the math on voltage drop vs distance traveled and go up a wire size to the amp


I've seen many amps installed with 10 or 8g wire for 15+ feet running a 60-90 amp fuse where the wire was swollen and burned completely thru and the kid was complaining about the amp not working, well duh.... They thought I was crazy running the much more expensive 0 gauge on 90-100 amp fuses to the capacitors and amps. Meanwhile my audio was clear and never burned anything up. Never even popped a fuse now that I think about it

 

[QUOTE=Y2KW57;20964501]I think I found the question in there, based on the thread title.

Yes you can replace the fusible links yourself.

There are two fusible links per alternator, and two fusible links to the electrical center.



All fusible links are located at the fender mounted starter solenoid for the 2001 model year.

It takes a twin pair of fusible links to carry the load of one alternator charge wire.

If you have only one alternator, the alternator charge wire is black with an Orange stripe.

It would be a good idea to try and figure out how or why your existing fusible link failed in the first place, before removing it and obliterating the evidence in the process.

If there was no short to ground at the fusible links themselves, then something happened to overheat the fusible links, forcing them to do their life's work, and ending their life in the process.

If you replace those dead links with new links, the exact same life mission and immediate death thereafter may repeat itself. BY comparison, the fusible links to my truck, which is a year older than yours, have never blown.

The most important thing you can do is figure out why yours blew... and part of that figuring is a visual examination of all the wires leading to heavy loads... which are typically glow plug and starting, unless you have some high amp aftermarket equipment or accessory.

The existing state of wiring offers the best evidence as to what went wrong. If you make corrections without first making an examination, then you may lose the evidence that would be helpful in diagnosis.

If time is short, and you just need to get down the road, and the risk of repeated failure is outweighed by the need to get the truck back home, then the typical fusible links sold at the wax and oil chain automotive parts stores is 12 gauge, so it will take a pair of 12 gauge fusible inks in parallel to handle the ampacity/load of the charge wire (black with orange stripe).

Dual layer adhesive lined heat shrink tubing is the Ford preferred method of making the splice connections. You will see evidence of Ford's use of RayChem SCT 1 dual layer 4:1 shrink ratio adhesive lined heat shrink as you cut apart the existing fusible links.

If the existing fusible links seem ok at the eyelet terminal, then you might be able to preserve the eyelet terminal and the Y formation of twin fusible links already formed there, and just individually butt splice each fusible link in the pair.

The same holds true for the combined 3 way connection to the black with Orange stripe alternator charge wire.[/QUOT


What size of alternator fusible line is needed on a 2000 excursion V10. Mines are corroded and causing blinking lights.

 

what size fusible link is needed for 2000 ford excursion V10 at the alternator