On 8/29/98 9:37 PM so and so (Philip Hubbard) said. (And I quote:)
>At 04:13 PM 8/29/98 -0700, you wrote:
>>> Palmer Family wrote:
>>>
>>> > So, anyone want to help me with an alternator that's not charging?
>>(PUSH
>>> > STARTED 3 TIMES YESTERDAY!!! No shortage of people to help push!!)
>>>
>>> Now this is weird. It is my understanding that if a car will not start,
>>but
>>> will run after being push-started, then it is the battery or connections,
>>and
>>> not the alternator (unless the battery has just enough juice to run the
>>car,
>>> but not start it?).
>>
>>It takes litle to no power to actually run the car, turning the starter
>>over is what takes all the power!!
>>
>>signed,
>>BARRY PALMER
>
>
>I'm not even going to pretend to be terribly competent let alone an expert,
>but I've just solved a charging problem so maybe my experiences will prove
>somewhat helpful.
>
>When my car was not charging, my battery continued to run further and
>further down until it wouldn't operate the fuel pump and the car died -
>repeatedly after numerous jump starts. It appears to these unexpert eyes
>that it stands to reason that the battery may have enough juice to run a
>car for a while, but if the battery is not getting new juice it must
>eventually run down to a point where the car will no longer start =or= run.
>
>I sort of wonder whether it is a starter issue rather than a charging one.
>Have you had it checked by a garage for the charging issue? How about a
>load test on the battery to determine if it is still good? It may have a
>charge but be internally defective. I'm just musing that the battery may
>have enough of a charge to get the alternator running and that can then run
>the electricals of the car under motion, but not have enough juice to start
>the car. This, of course, assumes at least a nominally functioning
>alternator.
>
>My problem turned out to be a defective alternator followed by idiocy on my
>part in forgetting to reconnect the hot wire from the alternator to the
>solenoid. The battery did not have enough juice to get the alternator
>flowing upon reconnecting the hot wire to the newly installed alt so it
>still appeared not to be charging well. Charged up the battery, drove
>around all day (yahooo!) and rechecked it at the garage. Strong 14+ volts
>and I'm back in electrical business.
>
>Maybe somewhere in this rambling you may find something to point you in a
>useful direction.
>
>Philip
>1974 Damask Midget - Arioch, Lord of Chaos
Philip,
I expect to se less of you in the folowing weeks, Congrats to getting the
car running. Now go drive!!!
Larry Macy
78 Midget
Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu
System Manager/Administrator
Neuropsychiatry Section
Department of Psychiatry
University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce St. - 10 Gates
Philadelphia, PA 19104
In a world without walls or fences, what use do we have for windows or
gates?
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