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Re: New charging woes!

To: "Philip Hubbard" <phubbard@carroll.com>, "Spridgets" <spridgets@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: New charging woes!
From: Larry Macy <macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu>
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 08:51:00 -0400
Cc: "MG List" <mgs@Autox.Team.Net>
Reply-to: Larry Macy <macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu>
Sender: owner-spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
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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