Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile
Didn't Darin test this? IRC he found a 5% gain by switching the alt off, but another 5% (10% total) with the belt removed in his Metro. I suspect a larger engine won't see as much benefit.
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Yes, his results are something like 10%, but all he did was remove the alt belt:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...8.html#post958
I can't recall if he ever did a switch. His Metro has an old alternator design where it is always on. My Honda and most more recent cars, perhaps all, have a "smart" alternator, with an electric load detector that turns the alt on at different levels and shuts it off, essentially, sometimes. It optimizes charging and fuel economy. So, for me the benefit of the alt on/off switch has been smaller. But it is there.
I agree with Daox about NEEDING a deep cycle battery. Mine is 40 amp hours capacity (Odyssey) with a 25 amp onboadd charger, and I needed the metal jacket battery variety because all my grill blocking elevates engine bay temps. I have been running it for years now, plugging in at night at home and sometimes at work during the day. No problems once I had the sgstem configured properly. Whenever I need range, I flip the alt on to run normally, or occasionally if I feel like hypermiling a partially charged battery.
James