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Re: New charging woes!

To: "Philip Hubbard" <phubbard@carroll.com>, <spridgets@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: New charging woes!
From: "Palmer Family" <amesfolks@snovalley.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 10:59:42 -0700

----------
> From: Philip Hubbard <phubbard@carroll.com>
> To: spridgets@autox.team.net
> Cc: mgs@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: New charging woes!
> Date: Saturday, August 29, 1998 6:37 PM
> 
> 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.

That's fine!

> 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.

Yes, but my car takes so little to run, and so much to start!  

> 
> 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? 

No I checked it, I am not getting any change in voltage when I start it. 
12v when off, and 12v when running.

> 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.

I think I'm going to go pull the alternator and have al's test it. I think
it's probably faulty.


> 
> 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

signed,
BARRY PALMER
amesfolks@snovalley.com
72 MG Midget (Sparky)
http://members.xoom.com/mgboy

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