Car battery

[MovingTarget]

Yeah, it should. Originally, cars didn't have electric starters so batteries weren't as necessary as they are today. Cars still had them, but were only used under load and/or to regulate the electrical systems when needed. It would be nice if you could still literally "crank" a car in a pinch, but that equipment was retired back in the dark ages.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Until fairly recently (the 80's) you could push start many manual transmission cars. But electric fuel pumps and EFI made that not feasable anymore. The alternator would give enough juice for a moment to get the coil to spark and get things moving. But you'd need a hill to get a car with a dead battery started these days.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
http://www.autometer.com/tech_...nswer.aspx?sid=1&qid=5

Yes, I agree that the charge rate varies. I'm just not sure it will actually deliver more than 10 amps even in the case of a very discharged battery. I don't have any numbers to back my position up though, just based on experience with newer cars that use alternators instead of generators. You've got me wondering now though and it would be interesting to test. Cheers!

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Until fairly recently (the 80's) you could push start many manual transmission cars. But electric fuel pumps and EFI made that not feasable anymore. The alternator would give enough juice for a moment to get the coil to spark and get things moving. But you'd need a hill to get a car with a dead battery started these days.

I've had luck push starting EFI cars with electric fuel pumps. Unless the battery is really far gone there's usually still enough juice to run the EFI and the fuel pump.

ZV

 

[LTC8K6]

ZV, I actually posted that to counter my own thought that ammeters were better indicators of what's going on.

It would be interesting to install one, though.