How many that P&G have a low battery?

[tyronasauras]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I keep solar panels on the car as well, and since I don't drive daily, it's a decent solution.

But at this time of year (cold), battery performance is already degraded, so I do a lot less P&G or coasting with the engine off. Or if I'm on a long enough trip, I do much less engine-off toward the end of the trip to ensure I park the car with a decent state of charge in the battery.

As a side benefit from installing my HAI, I routed the 3/8 hose feed and return line to the airbox past 2 sides of the battery.

[dirtydave]

@The donkey CRX how do you figure how many miles are EOC??

And yeah I figured yall were charging your batteries often. Mine just cant keep up! Well my engine is only on for a minute or two at a time I don't really give it a chance!

[PaleMelanesian]

Some automakers build oversized electrical systems - alternator and battery. Some, like Honda and it sounds like Kia, build them to be just enough. Unfortunately, we're not operating within their design parameters, so "just enough" isn't enough for us.

[Gasoline Fumes]

EOC at night plus running my alternator on the 12.5v mode (Honda thing) all the time requires grid charging. I also have a solar panel. I thought I had a bad battery until I figured this out.

[The donkey CRX]

I have a MPGuino and it tracks EOC for each trip and also for the entire tank.

It also tracks your average MPH, so that's how I get those numbers for the Fuel Log.

[D.O.G.]

About half of my driving is at night with lights on and I have been caught with a "flat" battery (in the Mazda) once after a long EOC ending at a long wait at traffic lights.
After that, I fitted a voltmeter so I can monitor battery charge and at night, I let the engine idle at traffic lights (which doesn't happen that often).

I put the battery on charge when I notice the battery voltage starting to drop to 11.7v during EOC, that's usually only in cold weather, maybe once a fortnight.
It's Summer here now and I haven't charged the battery in a while.

[dirtydave]

@The donkey CRX Heh Thats cool. I wonder if one would work in my car next to the scangauge.

I currently have a full size multimeter ziptied to the dash as a "temp" voltmeter.
about 5 months agoo............

[oldtamiyaphile]

I have another method for keeping the battery happy for EOC in city use. If I'm EOCing, and I need to stop, I'll bump start, and go into DFCO, then I'll brake a bit so as to maximize the time that the alternator is spinning, finally, just before the ECU goes out of DFCO, I'll switch the ignition off. This keeps the alternator charging for another 100 feet or so, before I finally dip the clutch and come to a complete stop. The car can coast a long way when pumping/ frictional losses are so low (the engine's being turned over at less than idle).

It's been working well for me since I pulled my solar panel install for a tidy up and haven't reinstalled it yet.