I read Jim's article on properly wiring electronic and electrical items and a point was brought out about fuse links. As much as a PITA the are, they are the only practical way to protect the vehicle wiring from catastrophic damage such as a fire. In most auto applications they are located at a point where the battery voltage is distributed to the harness and to the fuse panel. Links are preferred because they don't use a conventional fuse holder. Any time a wire has an inline fuse holder there is resistance in the connector within the fuse holder. A problem has always been in high current feeds that the fuse and/or holder gets hot, in some cases hot enough to melt the fuse and burn the holder contacts. Links eliminate this to a large degree especially in underhood environments. A common example is the household microwave oven. Open it up and you will see the primary AC fuse is ceramic, with a gold plated fuse holder. Put in a glass fuse and it will melt in short order. Another reason links are used is for liability reasons. Manufacturers know some idiot will use larger fuses in a circuit that may be drawing more current than normal or because of a chafed wire. By using links they can again protect the vehicle from excessive damage and the potential of a lawsuit. I doubt that you will see them go away any time soon.

 

good article, thanks

 

Some fusible links have been replaced with Maxi fuses. For example, the 3rd gen electric fan is powered by a 16 gauge fusible link. The 4th gen electric fan is powered by a 40 amp Maxi fuse. Just making conversation.