distance with no alternator
distance with no alternator
Author
Discussion

Nimbus

Original Poster:

1,176 posts

244 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
So the alternator in my 306 shed has packed up, and the OH has the other car...

I charged the battery up last night, but how far do we think I can get before the battery hasnt enough juice to power the ignition etc etc..

I was going with the idea of no lights, heater, stereo and minimal wipers..

my commute is 40 miles round trip, reckon I can make it ?

Petrolhead_Rich

4,659 posts

208 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Nimbus said:
So the alternator in my 306 shed has packed up, and the OH has the other car...

I charged the battery up last night, but how far do we think I can get before the battery hasnt enough juice to power the ignition etc etc..

I was going with the idea of no lights, heater, stereo and minimal wipers..

my commute is 40 miles round trip, reckon I can make it ?
Make it there, possibly, but starting for the return trip is unlikley!

See Here!

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

271 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Diesel (and mechanical injection or common rail) or petrol?

A mechanically injected diesel requires next to no current to keep it running, just the lift pump and the stop solenoid.

Edited by Mr2Mike on Friday 31st December 10:54

deeen

6,189 posts

261 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
If petrol, no!

Take the battery charger and a couple of spanners to work...

eldar

24,046 posts

212 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Depends on the battery health. Then turn everything electric off you can.

Get there, park on a hill, charge the battery and come home.

CDP

7,800 posts

270 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Nimbus said:
So the alternator in my 306 shed has packed up, and the OH has the other car...

I charged the battery up last night, but how far do we think I can get before the battery hasnt enough juice to power the ignition etc etc..

I was going with the idea of no lights, heater, stereo and minimal wipers..

my commute is 40 miles round trip, reckon I can make it ?
I managed 50 miles when the alternator packed (again) up on my MR2. It was summer so no lights or heater required and I had a fairly new battery but it wouldn't restart after I'd parked up.

Nimbus

Original Poster:

1,176 posts

244 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Petrolhead_Rich said:
Nimbus said:
So the alternator in my 306 shed has packed up, and the OH has the other car...

I charged the battery up last night, but how far do we think I can get before the battery hasnt enough juice to power the ignition etc etc..

I was going with the idea of no lights, heater, stereo and minimal wipers..

my commute is 40 miles round trip, reckon I can make it ?
Make it there, possibly, but starting for the return trip is unlikley!

See Here!
Ahh, I knew there had been a thread about this... cheers smile

mike50001

164 posts

178 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
parking on hills is the key, if you can bump start it should be doable if the battery is ok.


Nimbus

Original Poster:

1,176 posts

244 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
its petrol, a gti-6..

right, best call the office then and tell them I'm going to stay working from home today afterall smile

nice weekend for me changing the alternator then...

thanks for the advice guys thumbup


Zippee

13,777 posts

250 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
I managed 40 miles last year in my T350 before my battery ran out of juice due to a duff (albeit new replacement) alternator. Ended up spluttering to a halt literally 2 miles from home.

wildoliver

9,164 posts

232 months

Friday 31st December 2010
quotequote all
Totally depends on the car, I've run MGs hundreds of miles with no alternator just using engine electrics only. My dad managed to limp an early 911 all the way back up from the South of France using just 3 batteries with no alternator. My slightly later 964 model 911 died after 8 miles yes 8 miles of driving with no electrics on!!! It all depends how much electronics runs in the background while driving normally.