If you already know what it was and fixed it, fusible links can be purchased at auto parts stores and installed in the same amount of time you would take to perform the bypass. The couple dollars saved bypassing it are not really worth the fire risk if something should occur.

They are placed in-line between delicate harnesses and large sources of electrical current in your car—between the battery and alternator, for example. These links must transmit high-current electricity, but also protect the rest of the electrical system from dangerous spikes that could cause a fire.

The fusible link is essentially an in line fuse on the positive terminal of the battery. To determine if the fusible link has been blown , one test lead of your ohmmeter should be on the positive terminal of the battery and the other test lead should be on the end of the fusible link going to the circuit it protects.

A fuse will not work, you must replace with a fusible link. A fusible link is a solid wire (but smaller awg) placed in a current carrying line where there should NEVER be a dead short. Fusible links—also spelled fuseable and fusable—serve a similar purpose to a fuse.

When it fails, it will break the continuity in the rest of the circuit, preventing damage to other components down the line. A fusible link typically costs a couple of bucks and can be replaced in 30 minutes.

One difference between a fusable link and a fuse is that the link is bare while the fuse has the link in some type of enclosed package. As a general rule, a fusible link is made of wire that is four gauges higher (smaller) than the rest of the circuit, making it the weakest link in your electrical chain.

9″

Replace the link with another fusible link, or do the cheap thing and take a piece of wire the same size as the link wire and shave it down to 1/3 the diameter of the link wire. Then install solder it in, and cover it with heat shrink. This wire will duplicate the fusible link.

You can go to almost any (old school) auto electric place, and talk to the guy. I went to one, got 8″ of fusible link wire, and a set of terminals, and made my own. Easy. I’ve got enough for spares.

A 14-gauge wire would be protected by an 18-gauge fusible link. A 6-gauge wire would be protected by a 10-gauge link, and so on. Odd number wire gauge sizes like 19, 15, 13 and 11 are counted when sizing a link. The length of a fusible link should not exceed 9″.

A mechanical fusible link is a device consisting of two strips of metal soldered together with a fusible alloy that is designed to melt at a specific temperature, thus allowing the two pieces to separate. For example, an AWG 16 fusible link might be used to protect AWG 12 wiring.

About fusible link’s The melting point of the alloy can be engineered to release at temperatures ranging from 135F/57C to 500F/260C.

Generally, fuses have a DC voltage rating that is half of the maximum AC voltage rating.

Look for “Class G” printed on the fuse. These fuses can be recognized by either their round shaped bodies with or without blades. Look for the wording “One Time Fuse” printed on the fuse. These fuses can be recognized by a removable slotted end cap that can be removed so that the fuse material can be replaced.

Size groups

For an appliance rated as 700W or less, a 3A fuse should be fitted. For appliances above 700W, a 13A fuse should be fitted. BS1363 has standardised on just two preferred fuse ratings, 3A and 13A, however any fuse rating up to 13A can still be used.