Indeed, words from the wise. And why? because the battery actually acts as a
capacitor to help smooth the voltage coming from the alternator. I actually
gave Bill the same warning, but he was adamant that he knew from experience
that this test was OK on his particular car, i don't know how or why because
that model does have one hell of a lot of electronics inside it. YMMV
cheers
Joe.
___________________________
Dr. Joseph Garner
University of California
Department of Animal Science
One Shields Avenue
Davis
CA 95616
USA
Phone: (530) 754 5291
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Susan and John Roper [mailto:vscjohn@huntnet.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 8:07 PM
> To: Garner, Joseph P.
> Cc: MG list (E-mail)
> Subject: Re: moment of extreme pathos
>
>
> Joe, a word of caution. Disconnecting the battery on a
> running car with
> electronic controls is an invitation to fried electronics. John
>
> Garner, Joseph P. wrote:
>
> > You guys will love this.
> >
> > One of my housemates has a 93 mustang convertible. It's his
> prize and joy,
> > and oh how he has scoffed at me for buying an MG "It'll
> always break down"
> > he says "not like my trusty mustang" he says. So anyway,
> last week the
> > stereo stopped working. There's poor old bill scratching his head in
> > confusion at the labyrinth of gubbins under the hood. So
> magnaminous as i am
> > I help him find the fault (half-arse installed power-lead
> got crimped
> > against the frame and shorted the whole system out). "Be
> careful the battery
> > isn't too flat" says I. "It'll be fine" he says and drives
> of jollily into
> > the sunset. Sure enough that afternoon the car won't start
> and he has to get
> > a jump in the supermarket parking lot. The same things
> happens twice more
> > over the next few days: "Should never have bought an
> american car", says I,
> > "it'll always break down". Bill pulls a face. Anyway, off
> we go to diagnose
> > the problem and the alternator is patently shot (jump the
> car it runs, pull
> > the ground off the battery and it stalls). So we spend an
> entire afternoon
> > putting in the new alternator - the joys of the MGBs
> spacious engine bay
> > become blatently apparrent, even to Bill.
> >
> > Then, oh joy of joys, we jump start Bills 93 king-of-cars
> mustang, with my
> > 79B, I would have taken a photo, but unfortunately you
> can't see which way
> > the electricity is going! Anyway "Make sure the battery isn't too
> > knackered", says I. "It'll be fine" says Bill, very pleased
> at how much
> > brighter his lights are all of a sudden.
> >
> > Suffice it to say that i had to go and rescue him from the
> fast-lane hard
> > shoulder of interstate 80 yesterday morning. So if any of
> you whizzed past a
> > white 79B jump-starting a 93 red mustang by the central
> divide of the I-80
> > between davis and sacramento yesterday rush-hour morning.
> That was me
> > enjoying a moment of extreme pathos as I jump started
> bill's car (again),
> > only this time in front of the entire commuting community.
> Irony, upon
> > pathos, though - how many of those people will have assumed
> it was the B
> > that broke down?
> >
> > cheers
> >
> > Joe
> >
> > ___________________________
> >
> > Dr. Joseph Garner
> > University of California
> > Department of Animal Science
> > One Shields Avenue
> > Davis
> > CA 95616
> > USA
> >
> > Phone: (530) 754 5291
>
>
>
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