Electrical problem HELP!!!!!

[ChevyMex]

Hi..

I was trying to test the new installation of my cargo light, since my truck is in the shop since 2 years ago the battery cables remain disconected, yesterday i tried to connect the battery cables in order to test if there was power in my cargo lamp but i did a mistake, i switched the + cable to the nehative pole and viceversa, a few seconds passed and the resitence wire a 16ga black wire started to burn, quickly i unpluged the cables but the dammaged was aready done, i burned the fuse wire. So i have some questions

1. Can this happen?, or is something i have wired wrong (i know i did wrong with the bttery cables, but is this normal when you switch your battery cables?

2. How can i replace the resitance wire, this wire runs from the junction block near to battery and is spliced to a 12 ga red.

3. It is better if i just replace the restance wire with a fused circuit?

4. did i damagged the rest of the wiring harness?

Thanks

[ChevyMex]

Ii i change the resistance wire with a fused circuit, what kind of fuse do i need to use?

[69CvyPickup4x]

ttt

[cdowns]

you need to run a resistor in your ign circuit to lower the voltage to your points or they'll be burning up on a regular basis every 50miles or so// it's also possible that you damaged the altenator voolt reg and the starter

[Longhorn Man]

that is not a resistor wire you are talking about, it is a fuseable link.
A fuse would work, but could be prone to popping, look for a slow burn fuse, or, just replace the fuseable link with a fuseable link.
you shouldn't have damaged anything else, that's what it is there for, to protect everything else.

[truckdude239]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

that is not a resistor wire you are talking about, it is a fuseable link.
A fuse would work, but could be prone to popping, look for a slow burn fuse, or, just replace the fuseable link with a fuseable link.
you shouldn't have damaged anything else, that's what it is there for, to protect everything else.

mine was replaced with a piece of wire i put a 40 amp fuse in mine been about 3 months no trouble yet and mines a dd

[Longhorn Man]

40 amp is a little high, I would use a 30 amp myself, that is more allong the lines of what actually rolls through that wire.

[ChevyMex]

Thanks, i will try to look for specification on this 16 GA fuse link wire, i will let you know what is the specific fuse i can use in place of the wire.

[ChevyMex]

I have not found the answer yet...

Any advise???

[alblogg]

Originally Posted by ChevyMex

Thanks, i will try to look for specification on this 16 GA fuse link wire, i will let you know what is the specific fuse i can use in place of the wire.

That wire should have a fat place on it about 1" or 1 1/2" long. That is the fuseable part of the wire that burns when overloaded. Look on this fat part and there should be a # telling the amp or saying fuseable link.