I've heard two different stories on this..which is correct? I've heard from some that the battery is primarily used to start the car, and that once it's running, you can disconnect it and drive without it....and others have said that this wont work because the power to everything to the car is still sucked from the battery, only the alternator runs the power for it all THROUGH the battery...meaning, remove battery, car dies. Which is true? And also...alternator output on the gauge....is it measured in amps?

 

you were reading my audio thread...


a car should keep running if the alt is good. people do that just as a test, or if you have 1 batt and two cars that need moved. wouldnt do it for longer than needed.

 

You 100% sure? If you are, then I'm right and my dad's wrong. Now..about the alt gauge...do ya know? And what about your audio thread??

 

You Dad is wrong. Not to often this happens.
But I boosted my Firebird off my Dads blazer with no Battery, once the car was running removed the jumpers, and moved to a different spot for the Fall.

I have seen several vechicles where we tested the alternator by disconnecting the battery. If the car dies, the alternator, or wiring to it is weak. If it runs then the alternator is fine.

The whole purpose of the battery as you already stated is the do the intial work of staring the car, of listening to the radio, or turning on the dome light while your car is not running.

 

Score. I know more about cars than my dad..I already know this..he'll admit to it I'm sure..he asks me stuff sometimes. Lol...oh yeah, it feels good. But he knows way more about life and things of that nature...not to mention he has a boatload of common sense whereas...well, let's just say if I dropped something into a deep fryer, I'd reach in to grab it...

 

First off, you're not supposed to disconnect the batt. with the engine running. You'll fry the alternator. I can't frickin remember what it kills in the alternator though........

Second, you're gauge is a VOLT meter. It measures battery voltage. Also, if the car sees voltage below ~13 volts then the battery light will come on. That light is kind of misleading though, because 99% of the time the battery light indicates a bad alternator.

 

Really....?? Damn..I was going to do it tomorrow real quick..just cut the neg. terminal for a second, to prove.... My alt is getting aged anyways though..output is too high..although maybe thats because of my dying battery. My battery puts out 11 VOLTS... Wow, I feel like a retard thinking amps. I dunno, I was just remembering hearing the car being a 12 volt system, so I thought "ok then, the volts must not vary..what else could vary..amps!"

 

What in the Heck are you talking about frying the alternator?
I have never seen this in my life. It that is the case I should have fried about 10 alternators on my firebird and it never happened.

 

Uh oh..argument time... The only thing I could think of that COULD happen is that when you disconnect the battery, all of a sudden the alternator doesnt have anything to charge and no resistance, so it gushes current and blows the voltage regulator...?

 

Well maybe, But I have never seen that happen.

But if that was the case, if your battery died and couldn't take any charge then wouldn't that fry your alternator too? In theory relative to this.

I have heard of alternators going up too high an blowing headlight bulbs out before.

 

Wow..thats scary, considering my alt. output should be 13 and on a cold engine it's around 15-15.5..on a warm engine after like 30 mins of driving, it's 14.5 to 15...after an hour or more it's between 13 and 14.5

 

Read up: http://www.forparts.com/techbattery.htm

Now that I think about it, the voltage regulator in my old Alt. WAS BAD after i did that battery disconnect BS.

 

Its a good short article though. But You can also find sites that say you can't boost new cars, and well that is crap too.
I think its just all in know how. But I can understand what there saying there, but I know our 96 GrandPrix Alt is still around and it has been as that article said "spiked" so I am not sure how accurate it is.

 

Well it's not saying that doing it is a death sentence. It's saying that it CAN happen. Why risk it....

 

oh and charging systems run 13.5 voilts, 11 volts is actually low

its not the best thing for an alternator to be disconnecting the battery while engine is running, same thing if batt is totally fried

good luck

 

More crazy audio idea's from Gumby
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=148124

it turned into a long thread, with lots of info. but never got my questions answered.



Think where the confusing come in where you cant jump start a car without a batt.

you cant jump a car unless it has a batt, it wont work, even though it is dead as hell, it wont jump start without one. it acts like a capasitor, even dead. [in my audio thread i was debating that a batt is really just a big cap, so add a second batt instead of a cap]

cause a car wont jump unless you have one, dead or good, it is a cap, might not be as good as a auido cap but it is one. but then once started you could remove the dead batt and the car will run if the alt is good.

some motorcycles wont start without one, and some will. for the same reasons.

 

only if you unhook it wrong, most people don't know the right or wrong way so they say don't do it.

installing a battery : + first/ - second
taking a battery out: - first / + second

 

yep if you unhook it wrong and it archs, it will spike your voltage regulator or even your computer.

same thing why they say don't jump new cars, people don't do it right. on a new computer car you hook the - to the frame or metal part on the engine. hooking the cables on the battery can spike your computer.

juice really flows - to + , so hooking the - too the frame or engine make the juice just go through the metal and not the cars wiring/ computer system.


there is a right way to do everything, but people are too lazy to pay attention and learn how.

 

Hey CaliCamaroRS sorry for chewing you out last night. (It was 2:00 am prime time for arguing) Thought I would just say that.

I realise there is a risk, and it could happen if you did arch it when you unhook it. (Good point Gumby) But like I said before I did it many times and had no problem, but some people are unluckey with arching.

But you know that article you put up kinda scared me on the static electricity, what if you went inside got a drink, scuffed some carpet, then came back out and grounded out on the alt would it died? (just kidding)

As far as needing a battery, I have seen a 1992 Blazer and a 1979 Chev truck without a battery dry boosted off another battery using cables, so I will say you do not need a batter in its spot as long as your when you unhook your booster cables the old battery cables do not ground out.

And Gumby good to see you know what I am talking about when I say know how. Its true a lot don't want to learn. Thats why I am glad I found this board, I have learned a lot, and sometimes have a few things to share.


But this is way off the topic, my bad.

So Nixon, just tell your dad it is written in stone that you are right. But there is a very small risk you could fry your alt, so you can't show him.

 

Just did.. Hey...will running the cable to the negative terminal on our cars, instead of grouding it on the frame, run the possibility of burning the computer out? Because when I was jumping it last night I went to ground it on the frame and my dad and grandpa both insisted it 'worked better grounded to the battery'

 

Bitchin!! Thanks for the link!! I know that all of my replacement alternators from Pep Boys have come with a little piece of paper that says to make sure the battery is fully charged before connecting the alternator (note, "connecting the alt", not just "starting the car"), otherwise "alternator death may occur". Never knew what alternator death was, but I never took any chances, and threw the battery on the charger anyway.

 

You were jump-starting your car? You should always put the negative side of the jumper cables to the frame. Car batteries always put out some explosive fumes; but a dead car battery can put out MORE explosive fumes. This is why the negative cable connection is made LAST, to a spot that's far from the battery- to the frame. Even sealed batteries put out fumes; that's why they still have caps on top (vent caps).

You wouldn't burn the computer out, but the spark you make at the battery's negative terminal could cause an explosion that would cover you in battery acid. Not sure how many times it's happened, but it's probably better to be safe than sorry.

The whole act of charging the dead battery would probably work better if you grounded the clamp to the battery, since the battery connection might be cleaner than whatever frame point you use. But I'd rather wait a bit longer than chance the battery exploding. But say you were trying to jump your car forever and it wasn't starting; probably means the frame connection is dirty, and to try another one. Also make sure, next time you're under the hood, that your engine-to-frame ground straps are in okay condition. You've got a biggie right behind the passenger-side's head, at the back of the head, against the firewall. I replaced mine with a big Taylor one; the one mentioend in the Summit catalog.

 

Yeah...my grandpa and dad are kinda stubborn like that... Only reason I let them go ahead and do what they want is because I don't have a reason to tell them to do it my way. Now I know! So..you're supposed to completely charge a battery before putting it in? I can see how..the battery is going to suck the alternator dry I figure... We're got a battery charger here w/ a trickle charge too...I can use that. I need a new one, seeing as my alternator, the majority of the time, puts out 15 volts, and my battery, with engine off and key forward, reads 11 volts. I thought a dummy light was supposed to come on for that??