Remove the alternator, get 10% better fuel economy?

Go ahead and do it, just don't head out across the desert at night with the
AC running on high.

There is no way in Hell you can drive a car very far without the alternator.
This is the stupidist thing I have seen in a long time -- well, since
JoeShitForBrains stopped coming around.

LOL, of course no cross-country trips in this car.  I assumed another
vehicle was available for those.  And besides, the desert gets cold at
night so no need to run the AC on then.  xD



Which could be an advantage if thieves try to steal it ):-D

Of course, this idea is only useful for a short commute.  Then the
question comes up, "How short is short?"



Stopped coming around, or started coming around?

:D

Michael

LOL, of course no cross-country trips in this car.  I assumed another
vehicle was available for those.  And besides, the desert gets cold at
night so no need to run the AC on then.  xD



Which could be an advantage if thieves try to steal it ):-D

Of course, this idea is only useful for a short commute.  Then the
question comes up, "How short is short?"



Stopped coming around, or started coming around?

:D

Michael

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you are driving your car short enough that you can do on the batteries,
you should be walking or riding a bike.

Allow me, for a moment, to relate a story to you. I have a Ford F150 that I
use for my work, such as it is. I started it up one morning to go across
town -- 15-ish miles round trip -- but I never made it because the
alternator crapped out. I had been driving my truck around the valley here
with no Charge Light or any sign of pending doom. As I was on my way to the
job site this particular day, the Charge light came on about 5 miles from my
house. I can make it home on the battery, I thought. Didn't happen. I got to
my job site, about a block short, actually, and had to call the AAA to come
and bring me home.

If you are driving so short of a distance that you can actually do what you
are asking about, then you are absolutely killing your car _because_ you are
always driving on a cold engine, and this means the fuel trim is running on
Rich all of the time, the oil does not get hot enough for the water vapor in
it to steam away, the exhaust system is not getting hot enough to stay clean
and dry -- indeed the condensation in the exhaust is eating it through from
the inside and the oil is turning to goo.

And, you probably don't go far enough to recharge the battery from the drain
on it from starting the car so you could take the short trip that is eating
the exhaust from the inside and turning the oil to goo.

Michael wrote:

Regular car starting batteries have a reserve capacity (RC) rating of
roughly 90-150 minutes, meaning they should be able to run a car's
electrical system, including headlights, for that long.

The electrical output of an alternator probably consumes 1/2 to 1 HP,
and from what Ford said about mechanical distributors, I'd expect the
alternator's bearing and belt friction to consume 3 HP.
(Ford was trying to justify why their 88 HP revamped 1.9L with
sequential port injection, tubular aluminum intake manifold, and
electronic distributor was actually better than the 90 HP older
version)

On 06/10/2011 5:53 PM, Michael wrote:

The battery alone will die in short order running the car electronics
while driving.

I would suggest the idea that the alternator load would be lessened if
you had a trickle charger on the battery while the car is parked.  If
the car battery is already fully charged when you start the car,  the
alternator only has to contend with one duty -- running your car
electronics.  It won't need to charge up a low battery too.

I use a Battery Tender Plus during the winter months on a regular
basis.  However, being winter, it's impossible to confirm any fuel
savings due to the cold weather.

Good point... a deep cycle battery probably wouldn't have enough power
to start the starter either.