Project Del Sol Kammback Dead; New Ideas

[jedi_sol]

Originally Posted by smokeyj

How is the alternator switch going to work? Do you have access to the field winding?

Basically for 92-95 honda civics, the alternator is controlled by the ecu. When the ecu detects the battery is at full charge, it grounds the alternator. So basically, i got a 2 way switch and spliced the line into the ecu that controls the alternator. Once side is spliced to the ecu, the other side is connected to ground. That way, I can flip the alternator on/off anytime i want. I've got an 85ah deep cycle battery hooked up which gives me about 1.5hours of driving on pure battery.

I can tell it's working because i also have a volt meter hooked up to the battery. When it is switched "on" the voltages show 14ish volts, meaning the alternator is charging. When I switch it off, it drops down to 12ish volts.

Once, i forgot i left it in the "off" position and I ended up stranded at work. Luckily a coworker helped jump my car.

[jedi_sol]

Has it really been 4 months since my last update??

Anyways, changed the mounting point of the aluminum bar to lessen the transition angle.



Finished the wheel skirt



Actually got 2 compliments today, ha. Did my usual A-B testing (no time for another A run, too much tape to re-apply as you can see).

A = Stock = 35.67mpg
B = Skirts on = 38.86mpg

8.95% increase. I noticed the car coasts for a lot longer now when I EOC. Maybe I can finally break the 40mpg mark?

[Piwoslaw]

Those look better with the new mounting point

[AeroModder]

Tip for dealing with sigificant others- Justify mods with fuel savings, then translate that into MONEY SAVED. If they have the shopping bug, promise them to let her have fun with the money you save in gas.

I don't get much hassle from my fiancee, except for the fact that I spend too much time with it instead of her.



I was watcing a Del Sol roll by today, and started thinking about making a Corvette C6 type rear behind the cabin.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by jedi_sol

Still haven't got around to wiring up the solar cells, you can thank laziness for that. Instead, I finally got around to removing the stock battery from the front and installed a deep cycle battery in the back.




One thing i notice right away is that the handling has improved. The car no longer nose-dives so much when braking, and turning feels more neutral.

Are you going to fasten the battery down somehow? I'm sure you don't want it sliding around in a wreck or under brisk maneuvers.

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Christ

I'm not sure I know why I want to relocate the battery, other than to make more room under the hood, I guess, and maybe for safety, since the battery is in a really bad place in the event of a collision... it's in a crush zone, sure to split.

Isn't the underhood location better than having it in the passenger area? If you mount it in the back, in the event of a rear-end collision not only may the battery be spit open, but the acid and fumes could be released into the passenger area.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Isn't the underhood location better than having it in the passenger area? If you mount it in the back, in the event of a rear-end collision not only may the battery be spit open, but the acid and fumes could be released into the passenger area.

You'd have to be in a 2000 Caravan to really know, but where the battery was is possibly the worst place it could have been put - right behind the driver's headlight, with the widest side facing the engine and fender, narrow end forward and backward.

In a frontal impact, the hood pops open, leaving a nice spray gap right toward the other vehicle involved in the accident. Since the battery sits at the top and forward of a crush zone, it would inevitably point at the other vehicle.

Being in the passenger compartment could lead to fumes and sulfuric acid inside the passenger compartment, yes. That, however, is why they make sealed boxes and dry-cell batteries. I won't use SLA's inside a vehicle unless it's a field hopper or something.

[AeroModder]

Originally Posted by Christ

You'd have to be in a 2000 Caravan to really know, but where the battery was is possibly the worst place it could have been put - right behind the driver's headlight, with the widest side facing the engine and fender, narrow end forward and backward.

That's the same location and orientation they have in Tempos. That battery relocation kit is starting to sound a lot better...

[jedi_sol]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Are you going to fasten the battery down somehow? I'm sure you don't want it sliding around in a wreck or under brisk maneuvers.

Yes, chalk that up to more laziness. You know what? Im gonna go do that right now.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by AeroModder

That's the same location and orientation they have in Tempos. That battery relocation kit is starting to sound a lot better...

Not to jack the thread, but check your Tempaz to see if you can put a battery between the bumper and the core support. I had two Honda 51R batteries (88-95 Civic's used them, as well as others) in mine in that area where the condenser used to be. They're only like 4-5 inches thick, and both of mine were wired in parallel so they were still 12V together. I just bolted two trays onto the lower core support and strapped them on bent steel straps bolted to the trays. It's a pain to service the batteries, but it puts the weight much lower than the OE location. My particular Topaz (Canadian "Sport" model) never suffered from too much nose dive while braking, so I was comfortable putting them there.

You may also find a good location for a hefty battery in the trunk, on either side of the car, but you may have to make custom side access panels. (Coroplast bends nicely to fit in those areas.)