I was changing the oil in my truck today, while leaning down to loosen the oil filter i put my hand on the alternator and heard something electrical arking out. the group of wires that run over the alternator had rubbed trough the insulation and have been arching out for some time. enough to melt the housing of the alternator!! well just thought i'd share it with you guys. heres some pics of the spot and my fix i made from garden hose and some zip ties.

 

Good info. Something to watch for.

 

thanks for the info. was it the output wire from the alternator that had shorted. there was another thread about shorting that out and blowing some main fuse only available from the dealer as I remember.

 

Yes i believe it was the output wire. I have blown that fuse before bumping the stub on the alternator with the oil filter. had to go to the dealer for the fuse, it was way higher capacity than anything the auto parts store had. it didn't blow it thankfully this time it had just arched enough to make noise. i'm sure its a more common problem sense the wire loom doesn't extend far enough to protect the area that arched.

 

I believe that fuse is rated for 140 amps right?

 

It's a fuseable link, rated at 140 amps

 

Thats exactly why I whenever I buy hoses at the store, I buy them to long, and don't throw away the excess. You just never know. Good fix.

 

Good post.
I found my heater grid wire chaffing on a fuel line before. Another good one to check.