just an idle question

Or $10-20 on ebay. If you are the type of person that would pay $1000 to
have your harness replaced I can save you $600 by buying your bike for
$400, and you won't even have to ride it to the dealer.

Ian Singer

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That is ONLY the case if your talking about a fuse from battery negative
to ground. However that is different than what you were referring to
earlier,
which was a negative fused circuit in general. Once
more, when talking about a negative fuse -in general- it's always a bad
idea. Maybe in the case of a battery terminal to the circuit, with no
other wire connecting to the terminal other than the fuse, it might be
a neutral idea. ;-)

In most vehicle electrical systems (including bikes) there are multiple
fuses to each circuit and to a distribution point. The distribution point
that feeds the fuses is NEVER going to be connected to the vehicle frame.

As I said before, we don't always do what is recommended...

Ted

 

No I wasn't. You are reading things in my messages that aren't there.
The original message said something to the effect: A fuse on the negative
side wouldn't protect anything.

My response was and IS that a properly placed and sized fuse on the negative
(chassis) side certainly would afford SOME protection from SOME things.
I never said it would be as good as the "standard" layout.
I never said it was a good idea or should be done.
I said a fuse is a fuse, regardless of where it is put in the circuit.

THEN we strayed off on safety concerns when working with batteries; a whole
different discussion.
I'm sorry if the change in subject matter confused you.......more.

 

I am more than a little familiar with that 68 and it deff. had a fused
ts circuit. KB

 

I have the FSM right here. Page 19-14 Exterior lights, turn signals and
horns, Fairlane. Hot from vehicle feeds directly to ignition switch on
wire 37A - 21 then pin B of switch. Switch then feeds turn signal
flasher from pin A of ignition switch through wire 297 to pin B of
flasher.

I still have the car and I think the owners manual is still in the glovebox,
I can check it tomorrow but I never recall seeing a fuse marked turn
signals in the fuse positions in the manual. I certainly looked for it
at the time.

It's possible the other side of the signal circuit is fused - but if so,
it's
something stupid like a 20 amp fuse. There's no way the turn signal
switch contacts are rated for 20 amps, they are way too small.

Your possibly confusing it with the Cougar that -does- show a fuse to
the turn signals - but it's an inline fuse, in the harness, not in the fuse
panel, at least, according to the schematic.

Don't forget, this is automotive dark ages technology - there be dragons.


Ted

 

It more than likely is a shared circuit that may or may not be marked
on the fuse block but the owners manual should show which fuse it is on.
And it is probly not sized correctly. but that wasn`t the statement.
KB

 

There sure are quite a few misconceptions in this thread, so.....

Direct Current, (DC) flows from negative (-) to positive (+). No mater
if it's a negative ground or positive ground system, it still flows
negative to positive. It does not and can not reverse it's flow. It's a
direct current, flowing in only one direction.

Opening the circuit, (removing a battery terminal, or turning off a
switch, removing a fuse, blowing a fuse) stops all flow of DC
electricity on either and both polarity.

A fuse is to protect the wiring, no more no less. A thermal overload
protects a device.

A fuse is not intended to protect human life. Ground Fault Circuit
Protection, and Submersion Protection are to protect human life.

 

Rubbish. There is no such thing as a ground fault circuit protector
on a vehicle electrical system because such a system is not connected
to ground. In case you missed it, vehicle DC systems are 2 wire,
they lack a safety ground wire (green wire) a wire which is present
on both DC and AC terrestrial power systems (other than distribution
systems)

Your statement is equivalent to saying that the stress load ratings
on a steel beam are there to keep the steel beam from being buckled
by overloading it, no more no less. The fact that might be in a bridge
and precipiate a bridge collapse with people on the bridge is nothing
more than a secondary side issue. Sheesh!

The glass fuses in the fuse box in your home (if your home is older
and still has the old panel and hasn't been rewired for circuit breakers)
are not there to protect the wiring. They are there to prevent the house
from burning down by preventing the wiring from overloading. This is a
human life safety issue. The same issue exists with vehicle systems
-particularly- with automotive systems. With an automotive system there
are many areas in the vehicle where the wires pass through plastic
which is flammable, and if the wires were to overheat and start their
insulation on fire, it could cause a vehicle fire which would burn the
car up, as well as spew toxic gasses into the passenger compartment,
which could easily cause an accident if the car were in operation when
it happened.

Ted

 

Hello Ted, first of all allow me to inform you I am an Electrician by
trade. I'm well aware of the fact of the difference between AC and DC
circuits. My point being exactly as you say, there is no "life safety"
measures in automotive DC circuits because none is available that I know
of. I stand firm at what I said, fuses are to protect the wiring, and
the wiring only. Fuses are not intended to protect human life.

Yep, and incase you missed it, fuses protect wiring, and wiring only.

Your statement above contradicts itself Ted. First you say fuses protect
humans, then you say fuses protect wires. Well you're finally right Ted,
fuses protect wires from overheating / overloading.

Not on a motorcycle it's not.

Tell you what Ted, go to your local library and check out the most
recent NFPA - NEC code book and take a look yourself. Fuses are for the
protection of wires, and wires ONLY.

Fuses are to protect wires.
Thermal overloads protect devices.
Ground fault interrupters protect against shock.

 

Just to go over old ground, ha, ha, I can see some sense in all of the
comments, depending on context, eg., it can be a little confusing that
'ground' doesn't always mean the same thing.


Except for one thing, the car I liked best was an '87 BMW 325. Never
used the sunroof and it had started to rust around the edges. Drove it
across country, then it sat in front of a friend's house for a few weeks
during the rainy season and I noticed that the carpets seemed a rather
damp. Went for a drive one day and five minutes later, flames were
coming from the gas pedal. Turned the engine off, opened the hood and
could see no smoke but within about two minutes the passenger
compartment was engulfed, the flames were fifteen feet high. Firemen
put the fire out and as they were rolling up their hoses, the fire
started again. I pointed out that the battery was in the trunk, so they
cut the cables and the fire stopped.


(Afterwards, I was interrogated and the arson investigator concluded
that the fire was due to an electrical short. I still don't know what
caused all the flames but investigator told me the most common danger
is exploding tires. A few years before the glove compartment started
smoking - this car came with a rechargeable flashlight and a socket in
the glove compartment but some pennies I had left in there had shorted
the socket!)


I imagine that similar could happen to a bike.