When upgrading a boat's alternator from 55 amps to 160 amps, the wire between the alternator and the battery must also be upgraded; using the original small-gauge wire (often 10 gauge, rated for ~30 amps) as a bottleneck limits the alternator output and risks melting the wire insulation.

causalpending

Speaker

Jeff Kotz

Evidence Quote

people are changing their alternators but they're hoping that the wire that is there... is going to handle 160 amp alternator I seen wires melt so much that the jacket is completely gone

Source

Designing & Improving Marine Electrical Systems - Jeff Cote SeminarPacific Yacht Systems
Created: 8/13/2026, 4:54:03 AM

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