In a message dated 9/4/99 3:13:55 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
walter.menge@gte.net writes:
> Hi. I could not let the opportunity pass to caution about removing battery
> cable from battery on cars with
> altenators. Cars with generators were checked by removing a battery cable
> and if the car continued to run
> indicated the car was running on the generator. Altenators require voltage
> to them for it to work work.
> removing the battery cable removes this voltage and more often than not
the
> altinator blows a diode. With a
> blown diode you will have about 12 V which is enough to run the car until
> the load is increased with lights or
> other electrical load
Let me toss in a little more on this subject. The battery acts as a ballast
in the electrical system, in other words it works like an electrical "shock
absorber" to smooth out electrical spikes. If you disconnect the battery
cable on an alternator equipped car system voltage can spike upwards to maybe
100 volts! (this is what causes the diode in the alternator diode to go
away).
This also toasts any other microprocessor, or transistor controlled circuit
in the system. Wait you say I own an LBC NO microprocessors! Well, do you
have a radio in your car? Bet it doesn't run on tubes.
Rick Ewald
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