SUX 2BU

iTrader: (1)

Newb had it pretty clear but lets break it down again. I've been through this excercise on the various IASCA competition systems I've had in my cars.

1) Your system main power wire needs to be fused within 18" of the battery and before it passes through ANY sheet metal hole to get full points. So if you had a fuse holder 12" away from the batter but you had to pass through the fender metal to get to it, then you get 0 points.
2) You don't need to fuse it again say if you have the power wire popping up through the floor in the back of your SUV. The fuse near the battery takes care of what happens downstream of the wire.
3) Each electrical device in your system has to be fused as well, but that can be placed wherever inside the car (as long as it's accessible, and within 30 seconds unless the rule changed).

So there you go. Have a fuse within 18" of your battery and don't pass it through any holes in the metal between the fuse and battery, then after the fuse, run it through as many holes as you like (put a grommet on each hole though or have splitloom around the wire or something to protect it) to your point of fusing in the back where everything else gets fused. If all of your electrical devices have built-in fuses, then you don't need an extra fuseblock but instead a proper power distribution block.

Newb

iTrader: (4)

You're overreading the rule:

"All system power wires connected to any positive battery post must be fused within 18 inches of wire length from the battery post and prior to the power cable's first pass through any sheet metal or other conductive material. If there is no fuse present or the fusing is located beyond 18 inches or 46 centimeters of wire length or after the power wire passes through sheet metal, the score is 0."

The second part "If there is no fuse present or the fusing is located beyond 18 inches or 46 centimeters of wire length or after the power wire passes
through sheet metal, the score is 0" is NOT another situation. It simply qualifies the initial sentence.

There are 3 ways you can get zero points:

1) If there is no fuse present

2) or the fusing is located beyond 18 inches or 46 centimeters of wire length

3) or the fusing is located after the power wire passes through sheet metal

then the score is zero.

maltesechicken

2 possibilities:
1) You're reading the rules wrong.
2) You're going to Lame (non IASCA) Shows, which are put on by guys who don't know the difference between a decibel and a dip-hole.

Consider this: If the fuse needs to be with 18" of the battery and 18" of the fire wall hole, the battery must be a maximum of 36" from the fire wall. I know that in my old Subaru (which isn't that big of a car), there was 30" between the battery and the firewall. Then when you add the bends and curves of the wire to neatly get to the fire wiall the wire will be more than 30." It is unreasonable to expect 18" on either side. Likewise, there is no logical reason why the fuse should be within an certain distance of the firewall. As mentioned above, the purpose of the fuse is to protect the car incase any short.

The 18" is the MAXIMUM distance it can be from the battery. Ideally, the shorter the distance, the better. This way there is less likelyhood of something slicing through the wire in an accident. Therefore, the best place to fuse your wire is directly at the battery terminal.

zzzzzzz

iTrader: (5)

3) or the fusing is located after the power wire passes through sheet metal
if i have a run 18" or less to a fuse then i run 20' under my suv come up in a hole with a grommet (do i need a fuse there ?) if so what side ?

Newb

iTrader: (4)

No, no, and no.

You're still reading it wrong. The sheet metal part of the rule is only there to prevent people getting points for fusing that is both within 18" of the battery and after sheet metal.

maltesechicken

No that is not a 3rd option. Refer back to option 1.

0 points

Save yourself further confusion.
Put the fuse directly at the battery.

Take this order of concern:
(1) Wire must be fused before it passes through sheet metal (even if it passes through sheet metal within 2" of the battery)
(2) The greatest distance the wire can run without being fused is 18".

I'll make it as simple as possible for you.
1) Fuse the wire at the battery then run the wire as long as you want to and pass it through the floor of your SUV.
2) When you pass through the floor of the SUV some 20' later, you do NOT need another fuse.

You need only 1 fuse. Put it right on the battery. Then pass through the firewall as many times as you want and you WILL NOT need any other fuses.

One fuse, One fuse ONLY. That one Fuse MUST BE BEFORE the wire goes through any sheet metal. That same One Fuse must also be within 18" (18" or less) of the battery. No other fuses are necessary regardless of how many times it passes through sheet metal.

Starterwiz

Too many big words ( more letters than the word "the" and over 18" from "the" sheet metal, and fused before "the" factory smoke escapes).

That used up a good 5 minutes of a boring day...Thanks

zzzzzzz

iTrader: (5)

it is good you looked NOW GO BACK TO WORK YOU BUM

on the a better note phoned moe I DO NOT NEED A FUSE BUT IF I HAD A CAP I WOULD.

Starterwiz

Seriously....I think I've seen every vid on Metacafe and it's only 3....I love February.
And YES you do need a fuse.....within 18" of the battery, but before it passes through the sheet metal.

maltesechicken

Well, now that you mentioned you phoned Moe, I guess the discussion is settled . . . Moe doesn't know what he is talking about and you need to take your car to a professional. You can't do this safely on your own.