Trying to fix a "dead car" problem.

I went out in search of the notorious fusible link today. The only ones I found were in the "Help" packages. One was for Ford, and one was for GM. Both of them were marked "14". But the Ford FL had longer wires.

I am assuming the "14" means 14 awg is the guage of the link.

Looking up at the FL's in my car, coming off the starter, I see the black rubber cylinders have the number "16" stamped on each one on the side next to the FL wire. I assume this means that the FL's in my car are all 16 AWG guage.

Can I use the "Help" 14 AWG FL ?

There are 3 FL's coming off the starter.The FL that fried is the one that feeds into 2 orange ( or red?) wires.

ANother question : Does a larger AWG mean a thinner wire? Is a 16 AWG wire thinner than a 14 AWG wire? Like shotguns? :lala:

I've read my Chilton's and they don't say what the guage of the wires are at the starter.


Went to AutoZone, Strauss Discount, Natl Auto, and Advance. All they have is these "Help" FL's.


Oh yeah, what is the AWG of the orange ( or red) wires coming out of the loom toward the starter ?

Can't wait to plug in an FL and check it out.



Thanks

 

That is correct.
The fusible links are 2 wire sizes smaller (2 'numbers' bigger) than the wiring they protect; IE: use a 16 gauge FL for a 14 gauge wire. But I don't know offhand what wire size the red ones are...likely 12 or 14.

Pete

 

I could count on 2 fingers the number of times I blew a fusible link in 15 years. Find out what's drawing the current and fix it (unless you have a known power-gobbler added to the car- like a huge amp or whatever). The fusible link is the "last line of defense" for almost everything that draws current. Most things are separately fused and the individual fuse should blow before the link does.