Load and heat

[weq92f]

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OK well I've found the limit on my electrical system at idle. 103 outside temp while idling, my system lags bad. I can hear the interior fan slow and if it were at night I'm certain I would have seen my lights dim. Going neutral and raising the RPM to 1100 or so remedies the situation...mostly.

I'm sure it's a combination of engine compartment heat and either an alt that can't handle the load or the lead wire off the alt to the bus that isn't big enough.

I estimate 70 to 80 amps were being demanded on the bus bar when things went sort of south as described above. My 140A alt should be OK but I can't find an idle output spec for it so ~maybe~ not. It's single post has a 6AWG wire going into a 10AWG fusible link to the bus.

I'm wondering whether 6AWG is enough. According to the wire chart, it ~might~ but without the really high operating temp accounted for.

I would like to update the alt to bus wiring to 4 or even 2 gauge to just make sure. The run from alt to bus is about 4ft.

What are your thoughts?


Thank You!

-Kevin