my answer!
on a vintage car with a generator it can take a long-long drive at speed to
"generate" enough current beyond the car's needed amount to maintain itself
at speed ! but with an alternator equipped car a good spirited drive can
replenish the lost stored energy. a literal recharge is a bit of a
strain on any belt driven onboard current generating source. but! it's
not imposible!
battery design is a funny thing! a hard or fast charge generates a LOT of
heat and generates a huge amount of gas from the process. this is very
hard on the lead and zinc plates in the battery. a slow low amp long
term recharge will always be best as it's the least destructive to the
plates in the battery. the more a battery is abused the more the plates
degenerate and loose an ash like matter wich collects in the bottom of the
case of each cell. when the ashen stuff gets piled up high enough over
time it comes into contact withthe plastes causing a specific cell to short
out wich is how a battery "fails". now! you like good stories?
here's a good story!
cut apart a 12 month battery and a long life (you pick the months, ok?)
battery. evrything will look exactly the same but 1 thing! measure
the distance from case cell floor to bottoms of the plates! a short life
span batterey has the plates closer to the floor of the cell than a long
life one! this is designed to acomodate how long the plates can break
down depositing sediment in the case before the battery shorts out and
requires replacement!
take a short month batterey and recharge on fast rate over and over or have
an improper amp rated regulator in the vehicle and premature battery
failure is certain. match the proper charging rate system with a good
long life battery and you get a very reliable long term maintance free
system!
chuck.
> [Original Message]
> From: Timothy H. Collins <thcollin@mtu.edu>
> To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
> Date: 01/17/2006 9:30:13 PM
> Subject: Reviving a dead battery
>
> This question and answer appeared in the Wall Street Journal today. I'm
not
> sure I agree with the answer - the part about the alternator not being up
> to the job. What is the thinking the Spridget listers?
>
> Q: If a car battery completely discharges from inadvertently leaving on
the
> headlights or some other electrical accessory, is it acceptable to just
use
> the vehicle's generator to replenish the battery (after a jump start) or
> must it be professionally recharged by a mechanic?
> -- Steven E. Rubin
> Great Neck, N.Y.
>
> A: Your car's alternator isn't designed to recharge your battery the way
> specialized charging devices can, so your first stop after the jump-start
> should be your mechanic's garage for a recharge. Most shops have charging
> equipment that also analyzes the battery to determine whether sediment, a
> defective cell or some other type of electronic damage is compromising
its
> power output. Long periods of discharge often harm batteries, leaving
them
> too weak to reliably start a car, especially in cold weather. Having the
> battery checked can save drivers the headache of being stranded. Of
course,
> a one-time episode of leaving the lights on probably won't cause
permanent
> damage.
>
>
> Tim Collins
> Midland, MI
> 1966 AH Sprite
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