Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave R
I've heard the same thing, but then I think about how the charging system in a car works and realize it's got to be a myth. An alternator can easily dump 50 amps or more into a discharged battery and there's no current limiting circuitry in a car charging system (just voltage). It'll put in whatever current the battery will take, up to the output limit of the alternator. If you park a modern car for a week and then start it in sub-zero weather, it'll draw a whole lot of current after the car starts. You can hear it in the alternator, if you know what to listen for.
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Bingo. Big jolt right after you start the car... and for 15 minutes or so to get the battery back to where it was before the start. A cold start in cold weather takes a big chunk out of your battery. The alternator needs to put it back fast.
NB