Bigger alternator?

Are bigger ( higher capacity ) alternators very expensive and hard to find for the 93 Corolla 1.8 liter EFI?

I have an 120 VAC air cleaner in the back seat, running off an inverter, and when I also have the lights on at night and the rear window defroster on, it can start lowering the engine RPM's and making the inverter beep all the time, and the lights get dimmer. If I add the hazard flashers to the headlight usage at night, the engine RPM's go up and down with the flashing.

The guy at Goodyear today says that it may just be that the alternator doesn't have the capacity to handle all the usage.

AND I want to add a spotlight and a dash mounted map light, maybe even a laptop to the car too.

Reply to
Mama Bear
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I am not sure of the specifications, but if your Corolla is Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. spec (as opposed to Hawaii, Guam, or Puerto Rico) the alternator output is probably somewhere in the vicinity of 30 amps, and I doubt if there is a higher capacity alternator available unless you go aftermarket or go with a dual-battery system.

Look at the air cleaner - it should have an amperage specification somewhere, like 3 amperes at 120 volts. The problem is that works out to be about a 30 amp draw on the alternator at 12 volts, and you will end up stranded somewhere. The easiest and most cost-effective solution would be to get a different air cleaner, preferably one that is 12 volts so it doesn't have to go through an inverter.

Reply to
Ray O

Good idea. And, the OP use a laptop, the OP can also get a power supply that accepts 12 V, too. Dell and HP sell them for their computers as do most laptop manufacturers.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

A woman after my own heart!!!!

I thought I was bad with my laptop, gps, sirius and an inverter to power my cell phone charger!

Reply to
Scott in Florida

How do you find the time to drive when you're playing with all your toys?

Reply to
mack

Whatever for? Are you allergic to your automobile?

Reply to
mack

Your current alternator is 70 amp and if working properly it should be sufficient. Have you had it checked or at least the brushes changed - nearly

15 years old. Why an air cleaner in a car? With all the air leaks - unless you're in the Tikrit sand storms it can't be very effective. There are 12v ozone generators available for vehicles.
Reply to
Wolfgang

That is the problem....

The GPS program on the puter has voice recognition, so I can talk to it and ask where the f*ck am I and it tells me....etc.

I try not to use a cell phone in the car. Just charge it.

Satellite radio? Just listen.

Reply to
Scott in Florida

No, it's only about 80 watts at highest setting:

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It's been running in this car for a few years now actually. It just causes these weird problems when all the lights are on and the defroster is too.

This is a really good one. I haven't seen anything come close, that I would even replace it with in the car.

Reply to
Mama Bear

:) I love technology. I'm an electronics tech.

Reply to
Mama Bear

Did I mention the old 2 meter rig? :)

I just gotta fix the mic cord, haven't used it in so many years that something separated in the cable.

Reply to
Mama Bear

No silly, exhaust fumes. So I keep the windows and vents closed, have AC for the summer, and have an Austin Air HM200 seat belted with a bracket, in the back seat, circulating forward. It helps a lot, though isn't perfect because of leaks in the car.

Reply to
Mama Bear

You sure? Someone just said 30.

No. Might do that. But I suspect that it's not the problem. The car runs fine with just the air cleaner on, in the daytime. When I add the lights at night, and maybe the rear window defroster, it starts pulling down the idle speed.

Explained that in the last post. I get sick from exhaust fumes. Sinus infections and sore throats.

I keep the vents and windows closed while driving in city traffic. I can open them a little when no one else is in front of me, but that's usually only on the back streets.

Ozone is poisonous.

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also burns the skin. They put one of those in the dojo that I used to frequent, and I started getting sore throats and burning skin when sweating and working out. They had to shut it off or lose me as a customer.

Reply to
Mama Bear

It is a great world we live in....

Expensive toys.....but great!!!!!

Reply to
Scott in Florida

That is one thing I've never done (the ham). I have a god bud that has been a ham forever (he was on President Kennedy and Johnson's White House Communications Team).

He and I used to have multiple adult beverages and I'd almost always try to get him to call Germany....LOL

He and I decided to converge one of my color TV's. Only mistake I made was 'cleaning' the tuner contacts with alcohol while it was on. Small fire. No big deal...LOL

Last time I visited him (he lives in Delaware) he had a whole room dedicated to ham gear and model railroad stuff. Good guy. Electronic tech thru and thru!

Reply to
Scott in Florida

I just changed the brushes at 198,000 miles on the '92 Corolla. They were just about shot.

I'd do it if I were you....

Reply to
Scott in Florida

I always have more toys and guns than I need, but less than I want. :)

Reply to
Mama Bear

Cool. I remember building my own Heathkit ham gear and color TV years ago. Fascinating.

Reply to
Mama Bear

There's an old Polish saying ( half my family was from Poland ): If it works, don't fix it.

If I knew that was the problem, of course I'd have them changed. But is it?

Reply to
Mama Bear

Guns?

Me too....

I just learned we can carry a loaded gun in the car here in Florida without a concealed permit. It has to be locked up, but we can be armed....

Now we can blast home invaders and car jackers (if we get enough time to unlock the gun).

Reply to
Scott in Florida

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