[DML] Re: Car's use of electricty / alternator & battery question

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

An alternator is ALWAYS making electric. The purpose of the regulator
is to regulate the amount. You are correct, the purpose of the
alternator is not to recharge a dead battery. It IS supposed to carry
most of the electrical load of the car, NOT the battery when the motor
is running. You are also correct, at idle the alternator cannot put
out it's full, rated capacity. That is when the battery is supposed to
help for that short period of time while driving that the motor may be
running at idle, like at a traffic light. The battery is also a
"sink". It helps dampen the fluctuating AC that the alternator puts
out. Even with perfect diodes the DC still has a small component of AC
in it. The battery also helps to hold the voltage peaks down. Without
a battery you could see the voltage go over 50 volts! VERY BAD. It is
NOT good practice to ever allow the battery to become disconnected
while the motor is running. This stuff is not Delorean specific and is
even more important on the newer cars with those sensitive (and
expensive) computers!
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "John Hervey" <john@...> wrote:
>
> David Vegas, I agree with what Dave D. Is saying but don't get the
> impression that you can do this indefinitely. The alternator has to
rest or
> it will burn up the regulator. To drive the car for any length of
time you
> would have to keep the RPM's to 1500 minimum to also supply voltage and
>



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