Driving without alternator?
04-03-2004, 10:02 PM
#1
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Driving without alternator?
My A/C compressor gave up the ghost. The pulley doesn't want to turn anymore. Not a big deal, I wanted to get rid of the A/C system anyway, since I never use it.
It'll take a couple of days until I get my A/C delete bracket though, so in the meantime I was thinking about just removing the alternator / AC belt.
Of course I know that my battery wouldn't charge anymore, but would it be okay for a couple of days? I'm not that much concerned about running the battery dry, but since voltage will go down to 12V from 13.5V with alt, will I run the risk of damaging system components? Like DME?
Thanks,
Gary.
It'll take a couple of days until I get my A/C delete bracket though, so in the meantime I was thinking about just removing the alternator / AC belt.
Of course I know that my battery wouldn't charge anymore, but would it be okay for a couple of days? I'm not that much concerned about running the battery dry, but since voltage will go down to 12V from 13.5V with alt, will I run the risk of damaging system components? Like DME?
Thanks,
Gary.
04-04-2004, 12:01 AM
#3
Going with the pack
is quite monotonous.
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is quite monotonous.
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Yeah, when my regulator failed on my alternator, I think I lasted about 20 miles...
Took a new battery to get the car back home as the one in there was completely toast after that.
Took a new battery to get the car back home as the one in there was completely toast after that.
04-04-2004, 01:29 AM
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Wow! 
Is the 951 so much different than other cars??
In the past I have driven my Chrysler for a couple of days without an alternator... not all day long of course, but still definitely longer than twenty minutes!
I can see that of course you need lots of juice for cranking, but when it's running? Are spark and injectors that much of a drain on the system?
Hmm... looks like I won't be driving the 951 for a while...
Is the 951 so much different than other cars??In the past I have driven my Chrysler for a couple of days without an alternator... not all day long of course, but still definitely longer than twenty minutes!
I can see that of course you need lots of juice for cranking, but when it's running? Are spark and injectors that much of a drain on the system?
Hmm... looks like I won't be driving the 951 for a while...
04-04-2004, 03:56 AM
#6
Nordschleife Master
Actually, you should be OK running without the alt if you keep all the other draws off line. The radiator fans could kill you though if they kick on. And of course the exterior lights.
The car draws about 7 amps running with everything off except the HVAC fan which will stay on slow speed unless you pull the fuse. With a 63 amp hour battery you should be fine for a few hours (but not too many starts) during the day if you can keep speed up and prevent the rad fans from kicking in. Then recharge the battery over night and do it all over again.
If the battery voltage under load drops down to somewhere around 9 volts you will be a dead duck as the DME won't work anymore.
The car draws about 7 amps running with everything off except the HVAC fan which will stay on slow speed unless you pull the fuse. With a 63 amp hour battery you should be fine for a few hours (but not too many starts) during the day if you can keep speed up and prevent the rad fans from kicking in. Then recharge the battery over night and do it all over again.
If the battery voltage under load drops down to somewhere around 9 volts you will be a dead duck as the DME won't work anymore.
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04-04-2004, 04:12 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
Originally posted by Perry 951
You can run off a fully charged battery for about 15 minutes. Looks like you'll be thumbing rides until the bracket shows up.
You can run off a fully charged battery for about 15 minutes. Looks like you'll be thumbing rides until the bracket shows up.
List, the same thing happened to me last Wednesday. I was fixing to go out on the town, fired up 2.5L and all she could do was squeal like a pig. So I crawled out of the car and on my back for a little look. The head snapped right off which left the arm flopping in the breeze. Fortunately, I had another adjuster on a parts car at my shop. Unfortunately, the shop is 250 miles away from where I live and attend college. I as planning on going over to pull some TLC (aka front end seals and water pump) on this oil leaking pig anyway and also figured with the way UPS works I wouldn't be able to get my hands on an adjuster till Monday afternoon. So my only option was to drive.
Thurs I drove my non voltage producing 944 to the Zone and bought a spare battery. Friday morning at 8 am I blasted off. I made it 206 miles before the first battery died. I feel like I could have made the complete trip had I given the battery a good charge before I left but I don't have a charger on hand. The battery had about 10 cranks, 36 hours of normal voltage draw from sitting and a 5 mile drive thru town w/ football game traffic w/o the alternator w/ cooling fans. For the trip I decided to pull the relays for the cooling fans and a/c blower and left my V1 in the glove box to conserve as much voltage as possible. I didn't even bother to look for another end piece locally. I figured it'd be a waist of time to look for one in this rinky-dink town which was voted worst in the SEC by ESPN. Good Luck.
Thurs I drove my non voltage producing 944 to the Zone and bought a spare battery. Friday morning at 8 am I blasted off. I made it 206 miles before the first battery died. I feel like I could have made the complete trip had I given the battery a good charge before I left but I don't have a charger on hand. The battery had about 10 cranks, 36 hours of normal voltage draw from sitting and a 5 mile drive thru town w/ football game traffic w/o the alternator w/ cooling fans. For the trip I decided to pull the relays for the cooling fans and a/c blower and left my V1 in the glove box to conserve as much voltage as possible. I didn't even bother to look for another end piece locally. I figured it'd be a waist of time to look for one in this rinky-dink town which was voted worst in the SEC by ESPN. Good Luck.
04-05-2004, 02:04 AM
#11
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Stephen - must have been a good battery!! I tossed the belt about 2 weeks after I bought my car. I went about 10 miles before it started missing like crazy. (nothing on but the cooling fans, turbo water pump, and engine electronics)
I still would not make it part of my plans.
I still would not make it part of my plans.
04-05-2004, 02:35 AM
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Thanks everyone for your replies! Since it's 85-degree convertible weather around here anyway, I'll just drive my Chrysler for a while until the A/C delete bracket shows up.
Dirk: Thanks, yes, I had already printed out your A/C delete instructions! Hopefully it won't be too much of a PITA
Let me know when you're ready to drop in the new engine...
Thanks,
Gary.
Dirk: Thanks, yes, I had already printed out your A/C delete instructions! Hopefully it won't be too much of a PITA
Let me know when you're ready to drop in the new engine...Thanks,
Gary.
04-19-2004, 11:11 PM
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Oh my, I am a _real_ dummy!
The delete bracket came in today, so I got ready to take out the AC, but I took another look at the AC pulley, and, uh-oh, it's not frozen as I had assumed from watching it from above. It turns freely. Thing is, I had never verified by hand if the pulley turned or not; I had just watched the pulley with the engine on and the belt connected, and I saw that the front part of the pulley wasn't moving. I didn't realize that the inner part of the pulley was a separate piece.
Duh! Duh! Duh!
So, I don't think I am going to take out the A/C after all. I don't feel like spending an afternoon fixing something that doesn't need fixing...
Do we keep a high score list of stupid things that Rennlisters do? If so, what's my score for this?
Thanks for listening,
Gary.
It's somewhat fitting that this should be my 100th contribution to this board...
The delete bracket came in today, so I got ready to take out the AC, but I took another look at the AC pulley, and, uh-oh, it's not frozen as I had assumed from watching it from above. It turns freely. Thing is, I had never verified by hand if the pulley turned or not; I had just watched the pulley with the engine on and the belt connected, and I saw that the front part of the pulley wasn't moving. I didn't realize that the inner part of the pulley was a separate piece.
Duh! Duh! Duh!
So, I don't think I am going to take out the A/C after all. I don't feel like spending an afternoon fixing something that doesn't need fixing...
Do we keep a high score list of stupid things that Rennlisters do? If so, what's my score for this?
Thanks for listening,
Gary.
It's somewhat fitting that this should be my 100th contribution to this board...
