Quote:
Originally Posted by gascort
Like others have said, reducing accessories reduces the magnetic field and thus resistance within the alternator, raising FE. My friend had a HUGE (like 2000W) stereo in his car; when he turned his amp on, it was like a "slowness switch".
FYI - a car's electrical system (necessary stuff like ecm, ignition, sensors) is typically somewhere around 300-400W without lights, radio, etc. Newer cars are more than older cars I'm sure.
Noone's mentioned using a deep cycle battery and a plug-in charger. This is what I'm planning on doing; running a kill switch on my car and when I'm commuting 15 miles to and from work, running on straight battery when I can. The alternator sees no extra duty and the deep-cycle battery is made to be discharged and recharged with minimal sulfation. Electrical power is more efficiently produced in a power plant than in your car, and with current prices, it's way cheaper too!
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Agreed. I am on time-of-use so night time charging via a timer switch will be dirt cheap. I have a solar panel to integrate into my trunk that will keep the battery topped off during the day (15w). Should mitigate any issues in most commuting situations.
I plan on leaving the alternator installed so I can belt it up if need-be, but how do i go about finding a belt the appropriate length for just my water pump and main crank pulley? The tensioner on most cars is integral to the alternator bracket instead of the water pump, so i need a way to tension the belt properly. ideas?