Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
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Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
Someone up here with a (gasp) Buick, their battery is dead, and it turns out there alternator is dead. They want to know, if, they can drive it from Baltimore to New Jersey on a jumped battery and a shot alternator, cause they don't want to fix it here. I'm telling them its not gonna happen, but they want "expert" opinion. So I figured I'd ask the guys at FTE. I don't think it could or should be done, your opinions, can it be done?
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Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
No, Once the battery doesn't have enough power to energize the ignition.
Poof ! They are sitting on the side of the road waiting to pay some tow truck operator $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to tow them somewhere.
Dennis
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Poof ! They are sitting on the side of the road waiting to pay some tow truck operator $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to tow them somewhere.
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Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
Nope, I had a little Honda Civic in High School that had a 1.3 liter engine and a 800 CCA battery. Long story short, a 100% charge in the battery, with the radio off, heater off, headlights off, everything off but the ignition and the time it could run on that big battery was a matter of minutes, I think 15-20 tops, can't remember the exact number. I'm sure a big buick with a bigger ignition and more cylinders would be lucky to get out of town.
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Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
It depends on if it is an automatic or standard and if it is EFI or carb. If it is carb and standard, they should be able to drive it a good distance on a full charged battery.
I rolled my 1971 F-100 down a hill, popped it into fourth, and drove it 41 miles through stop and go traffic on I-285 with a completely dead battery (harness had fallen off the voltage regulator and I had driven it to work with blower and headlamps on :P).
If it is EFI and automatic, fully charge the battery with a 120v charger, run nothing electric, and stop every 20 minutes to recharge it somewhere. Even if means using jumper cables. Just be super carefully of sparking the connections.
I rolled my 1971 F-100 down a hill, popped it into fourth, and drove it 41 miles through stop and go traffic on I-285 with a completely dead battery (harness had fallen off the voltage regulator and I had driven it to work with blower and headlamps on :P).
If it is EFI and automatic, fully charge the battery with a 120v charger, run nothing electric, and stop every 20 minutes to recharge it somewhere. Even if means using jumper cables. Just be super carefully of sparking the connections.
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Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
I know a guy that had an 88 F-150. The alternator went bad (maybe not absolutely no output though) and his truck would quit once the battery ran down. I could swear I remember him making the near 5 hour trip home on one charge. But this was over 5 years ago, so maybe I'm not remembering correctly.
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1995 F-150 Supercab XLT 155" 4x4 M5OD 302
1986 F-150 4x4 NP435 300
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1995 F-150 Supercab XLT 155" 4x4 M5OD 302
1986 F-150 4x4 NP435 300
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Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
Me and my old man were coming back from camping at the river one summer in his chebby (he's a chebby guy), about a hour's drive. well his alternator bearings decided to let go. We were going about 50-60 mph until we went through a small town with the one red light. Needless to say the truck stayed running until he stopped. The second the truck stopped rolling, the engine died, the radio went dead, A/C, everything. We had to push it across an intersection and wait for one of his friends to come with a F250 and a flatbed trailer. Once the alternator goes dead, better hope you are close to home.
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Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
The original post mentioned a *Boosted Battery* >
Not a fully charged battery>
I guarantee that a battery that *needed boosting* to get the car going isn't going far without a working alternator.
Dennis
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Not a fully charged battery>
I guarantee that a battery that *needed boosting* to get the car going isn't going far without a working alternator.
Dennis
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Post Fiend
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From: Central Kali
Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
A long time ago I was working nights at a microwave station up in the mountains. When I was about to leave I found out that I had a dead battery and a dead alternator, c$%@y.
I knew I could coast for a long stretch but there were some uphill places I would have to get by. I waited until I had some daylight. I soldered D cells together to get 12 volts. I hooked these to the coil and pushed off down the hill to get the engine started, good thing it was a manual transmission.
I shut off the engine where I could coast and then let out the clutch to start it when I had to go up a hill. I made the 45 minute trip without geting stuck. Pulled in front of the office and it died.
I knew I could coast for a long stretch but there were some uphill places I would have to get by. I waited until I had some daylight. I soldered D cells together to get 12 volts. I hooked these to the coil and pushed off down the hill to get the engine started, good thing it was a manual transmission.
I shut off the engine where I could coast and then let out the clutch to start it when I had to go up a hill. I made the 45 minute trip without geting stuck. Pulled in front of the office and it died.
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From: Laveen
Thread modified Driving a distance without Alternator not working
My alternator went out on my way home from annual training once in my courier and not being far from my wifes work she left early and we let her truck charge my battery back up and we took off. I could make if about ten miles and I had to stop and charge up again, also I could tell when it was time to pull over as the instruments in most vehicles are regulated at something like 9 volts, becuase my instruments would gradually start to drop and then when I stepped on the brakes it would kill the engine as it has electronic ignition and the chips require a minimum of five volts so with the internal regulator in the box that means you usually need at least 6 volts. On the other hand I once drove an old ford f250 for about three days on and off meaning to look and see why the alternator light was on, when I got up early one mourning started the truck let it warm up turned on the lights and the engine died, the belt had fallen off that was just a good battery.
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