Quote:
Originally Posted by Hankinator
If you monitor your batt voltage when you see it getting low you could flip the switch and engage your alt. again.
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You may actually get
worse gas mileage doing this than if you simply leave the alternator connected full-time.
Considering alternators are not very efficient to start with, you'd be throwing away gasoline in the conversion losses. The alternator would be working extra hard to simultaneously (1) provide the vehicle's power needs and (2) replace the energy in the battery.
If you're going to run without an alternator to save fuel, it needs to be grid/solar charged, or carefully set up to deliver current when braking or in engine over run conditions.