How to Save Fuel and reduce running costs in your car

Seriously, Sa... please stay on topic. I'm not doubting the power of electric motors, or NUCLEAR power.

I just find it hard to believe that turning your rear window defroster off (as the article recommends) will make a significant decrease in the "field strength" inside an alternator, thus decreasing the torque required to spin the rotor inside this field, thus decreasing the load on an engine...

... thus improving fuel consumption enough to make it to GM/Opel's list of 10 ways to improve fuel consumption.

A 100 amp alternator at full charge requires 10 horsepower, a 100 amp alternator at half charge requires 6.1 horsepower, running your rear defroster (which requires 9 amps average) will require just under 1 horsepower, add another electrical load such as headlamps, blower motor,stereo, A/C etc. can easily pull a 7 horsepower load on the engine(electrical wise), this is substantial when it comes to saving fuel.

 

[propellerhead]

Originally posted by: Roger

Seriously, Sa... please stay on topic. I'm not doubting the power of electric motors, or NUCLEAR power.

I just find it hard to believe that turning your rear window defroster off (as the article recommends) will make a significant decrease in the "field strength" inside an alternator, thus decreasing the torque required to spin the rotor inside this field, thus decreasing the load on an engine...

... thus improving fuel consumption enough to make it to GM/Opel's list of 10 ways to improve fuel consumption.

A 100 amp alternator at full charge requires 10 horsepower, a 100 amp alternator at half charge requires 6.1 horsepower, running your rear defroster (which requires 9 amps average) will require just under 1 horsepower, add another electrical load such as headlamps, blower motor,stereo, A/C etc. can easily pull a 7 horsepower load on the engine(electrical wise), this is substantial when it comes to saving fuel.

Your response is concise, on topic, and not prefixed with an emotionally charge attack. This is very respectable, sir. I thank you. If we were both in the military, I'd salute you.

I just find it hard to believe that a load on an alternator could make a measurable difference.