AGM BATTERY CHARGING - ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE BOOSTER

I was thinking start out with a small draw and move up. A turn signal bulb is about 1 amp. A headlight bulb is about 5 amps. 2 headlight bulbs wired in parallel 10 amps. Then, if it’s still working, direct short that mother and see what smokes. Use a length of 18gauge wire and see if it gets hot at any point. I don’t know what gauge wire the truck has, but I’m sure it’s not smaller than 18 gauge. Here’s my logic. If it takes 20 amps to blow the diode, and you use 10 gauge wire for your test, that won’t prove anything because 10 gauge wire will handle a 20 amp load, whereas a 20 amp load will melt an 18 gauge wire, and prove that a diode/fuse that blows at 20 amps will not protect the factory wiring.

 

Okay, that makes sense. Let me get home this afternoon and go through my scrap but save bin and see what I can rig up.

 

@Sterdog

Gonna sacrifice my spare Ford Diode to see it it does have a fused component.

 

I’m thinking when you apply the load, leave it on there for a while. Maybe 10 minutes? If the wire survives, but the diode bursts into flames... LOL

 

Yeah, this will be an outside the garage test.

 

LOL It can’t start THAT big of a fire.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HYvMWIvghnQ

 

I don’t want to become part of the TW Thread of Legends as That Guy who burned down his house, truck and belongings testing a Ford part.

 

This is 3rd gen forum material here.

Tomorrow is Friday, so I'm in for the show.

 

Well...the Ford Diode Melted!!

Started with a turn signal bulb...that stayed on 5 minutes - no melt

Then changed to a headlight bulb

FLIR

And around the 2 minute mark I started to smell it.

 

Then did a FLIR of the Ford Diode in my truck running

1st

Changed color heat palette

It’s not the heat amount seen in the test, but you can see it’s got current passing

 

That’s awesome! Good job. So, we learned it’s not really a fuse. Just an electronic component with a limit to how much current it can carry. Now we also know that the wire to the alternator is not going to catch fire. One thing you didn’t mention though, did the diode eventually go open circuit, or did you unplug it before it caught fire?

Does that fancy heat thingy give you a temperature number that it was at when it melted?

 

So what I'm reading is that the diode, since it's not a fuse, is probably okay but not ideal since it's replacing a fuse with a non fused component. The Australian stuff that is fused/breakered is the safe, albeit more expensive, option since it retains the correct fuse/breaker amperage while providing the high voltage for charging AGM batteries.

 

I disconnected it once the plastic was in a liquid state. I guess I can reconnect and see if the diode / melt current path completely fails? Melts apart.

I think somehow the color gradient can give a temperature reading but I need to find the instructions manual and read how.

 

If you feel like it, it would be interesting to see. At this point, you have confirmed that the "diode fuse" is just a diode. Although it seems like the diode is the week link and will melt before the wire does, it still could cause irreparable damage to the fusebox. However, I feel that your chances of having a chute failure while skydiving or winning the Powerball, are greater that the chance of this diode melting in your truck. At least now I know not to run out and buy the Ford "diode fuse" to replace my GM diode.

So, the bottom line is that if you go skydiving, ride a motorcycle, or use the pull out and pray method of birth control, stick a Ford or GM diode in there and enjoy life. If you believe that the moon is an alien spaceship and it might pull out at any time, you should probably have a fuse in that circuit.

Instructions? Pfft! Nobody saves instructions. LOL

 

Why use fuses at all by that logic. Just run light wire in the fuse box and let it melt instead? I love your analogies that make proper wiring seem like a something only a flat eather would do lol.

Seems silly to save ~$30 over using the correct part (I paid ~$50 USD with shipping for the HKB diode with built in fuse.) Everyone is different though, to each there own if running no fuse in that circuit is smarter than running a fuse.

 

Do you have a parts number or purchase link for the HKB diode?