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NoBozo · 04-28-2010, 04:38 PM

Something to consider. We all know that when the battery is dead (for whatever reason) we can Jump Start the car with another car, or battery and you are good to go as long as you don't shut off the engine UNTIL.... you have allowed the alternator enough time to RE Charge the battery. This assumes that the alternator was not the problem in the first place, and the battery just went dead because you left the lights on.

If the battery is OLD, and will no longer "hold a charge".. and is deemed Useless, you can still drive the car..... "on the alternator".. as long as you jump start the car every time. Even though the battery is useless for starting the car.. it is Still IN The Circuit.

If you were to remove the battery from the Circuit while the engine is running, and the alternator is making power as it is, you will have broken the Circuit and I think you may be at Great RISK of damaging (Frying) the alternator. The battery, even though dead, acts like a Surge Protector...and completes the Circuit. Nobody FIXES Alternators, so you replace it even if it only has a cooked Diode.

In the case of the Ferrari, the BAD alternator was Left IN the Circuit. In a different case where the Battery is BAD, or Just Dead, The BAD battery should be left in place, connected, providing a complete Circuit.

OBVIOUSLY, in either case you are going to Replace the bad part VERY SOON.

If you feel left out reading this.. NOT TO WORRY: Today's engines in boats and cars are pretty much Well Beyond the capability of even those of us who used to work on our own stuff. No more self taught "Mechanics" who could actually FIX something. Today we have "Technicians" who have to go to school at great expense, where they learn how to hook up a computer to the engine to Diagnose the problem...... then replace the defective part in it's entirety.

My boat is a 1986 with an Old GM 350 V8, ...a Real Carburetor, a Real Distributer, Real Ignition Coil, Real Spark Plug Wires. I Can.... and Do.. work on my own boat. NB
--------------------------------------------

DAM: I really got carried away this time. My wife sometimes tells me to STIFLE when I start getting technical. Time for an Adult Beverage.

POP QUIZ Tomorrow at 10:00.

04-28-2010, 04:38 PM	#369
NoBozo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portsmouth. RI Posts: 2,231 Thanks: 400 Thanked 460 Times in 308 Posts	Something to consider. We all know that when the battery is dead (for whatever reason) we can Jump Start the car with another car, or battery and you are good to go as long as you don't shut off the engine UNTIL.... you have allowed the alternator enough time to RE Charge the battery. This assumes that the alternator was not the problem in the first place, and the battery just went dead because you left the lights on. If the battery is OLD, and will no longer "hold a charge".. and is deemed Useless, you can still drive the car..... "on the alternator".. as long as you jump start the car every time. Even though the battery is useless for starting the car.. it is Still IN The Circuit. If you were to remove the battery from the Circuit while the engine is running, and the alternator is making power as it is, you will have broken the Circuit and I think you may be at Great RISK of damaging (Frying) the alternator. The battery, even though dead, acts like a Surge Protector...and completes the Circuit. Nobody FIXES Alternators, so you replace it even if it only has a cooked Diode. In the case of the Ferrari, the BAD alternator was Left IN the Circuit. In a different case where the Battery is BAD, or Just Dead, The BAD battery should be left in place, connected, providing a complete Circuit. OBVIOUSLY, in either case you are going to Replace the bad part VERY SOON. If you feel left out reading this.. NOT TO WORRY: Today's engines in boats and cars are pretty much Well Beyond the capability of even those of us who used to work on our own stuff. No more self taught "Mechanics" who could actually FIX something. Today we have "Technicians" who have to go to school at great expense, where they learn how to hook up a computer to the engine to Diagnose the problem...... then replace the defective part in it's entirety. My boat is a 1986 with an Old GM 350 V8, ...a Real Carburetor, a Real Distributer, Real Ignition Coil, Real Spark Plug Wires. I Can.... and Do.. work on my own boat. NB -------------------------------------------- DAM: I really got carried away this time. My wife sometimes tells me to STIFLE when I start getting technical. Time for an Adult Beverage. POP QUIZ Tomorrow at 10:00.