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Old 03-05-2010, 12:04 AM   #2 (permalink)
busypaws
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Live in Tucson AZ, work and car now in Detroit
Posts: 200

Protege - '97 Mazda Protege DX
90 day: 46.42 mpg (US)
Thanks: 13
Thanked 23 Times in 18 Posts
1 Option is to remove the Alternator. (Temp or Permenantly)
I did this one time when the alternator went out (work was crazy at the time so it was two weeks until I got a afternoon off to make it to the alternator rebuild shop) I jammed a charger under the hood and the plug hung out the front grill. At home I plugged into the garage outlet. A few times I had to pull into a 7-11 and plug in for 15 minutes to make it home on without loosing lights. At the time my commute was 15 miles and it was winter so I would drive home with headlights. This was when I needed to stop and recharge when I ran the headlights.
If your commute is short enough and/or you have access to an outlet at work then this is a good temporary solution.
2) See if you can replace the PS pump with an idler pully. Using option 1 you can take your time to talk to a few shops and get a few different ideas.
3) If option 1 is close to a solution then get 1 or 2 deep discharge batteries. You should be able to get 1-2 hours of run time on a full battery charge with 1 or 2 deep discharge batteries. (All depends on if you have to run rear window defrost and/or headlights).
Another thread here shows a 10% mpg improvement without alternator. So the extra weight of a second battery and the hassle of pluging in the recharger every night might get you close to a 10% mpg improvement.
P.S. Don't use option 1 or 3 if your wife uses the car. THis has to be a commuter car with a fixxed time/distance driven each day. This is not an option for a weekend family.
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