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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Travelling on just a battery

Posted by: Headrage Apr 19 2005, 05:45 PM

I have had no luck getting my charging system figured out so it looks like I'll either be leaving the car at home or driving on battery power. Anybody have a rough guess as to how far a fully charged battery will take you? No lights, stereo or accesories running.

Posted by: synthesisdv Apr 19 2005, 05:50 PM

my car has no alternator. I keep her charged before an event and the battery lasts the whole weekend. That would be numerous starts, about 2 hours running time, etc.

I do have a big 34 optima so that helps. If you end up needing lights and running the stereo, blower, etc. You may have a problem.

You might consider keeping an extra battery in the trunk that is fully charged and ready to go. Get a cheap one at flaps if you don't want to spend the $$$ on a good second battery.

Posted by: skline Apr 19 2005, 05:51 PM

You can make it, charge the battery before leaving and get it there. We can figure it out there. I will bring some spare parts like an alternator, relay board with VR and stuff like that. Just get it there.

Posted by: BIGKAT_83 Apr 19 2005, 05:53 PM

I drove a 2002 tahoe over 300 (5hrs)miles with just the battery. It surprized me that it would go that far running the fuel injection and fuel pump.

Bob

Posted by: ! Apr 19 2005, 05:53 PM

I've done over a 100 miles w/o lights....

Posted by: airsix Apr 19 2005, 05:54 PM

You can drive a carbuerated car with mechanical fuel pump for a very long distance on battery alone (since you are only powering the ignition). A car with fuel injection and high-pressure fuel pump will run down the battery in a much shorter distance. My Dad had the alternator fail in his 300z while on a road trip and he was only able to make it about 20 miles. No accessories running - just the engine controls, ignition, and fuel pump. You can still run a carbed engine when the battery voltage is down to say 9 volts or so, but most fuel injection won't work at lowered voltages.

-Ben M.

Posted by: airsix Apr 19 2005, 05:57 PM

Just read Bob's post about the '02 Tahoe. Cool. That's a long way indeed.
-Ben M.

Posted by: SLITS Apr 19 2005, 06:15 PM

In a teener, with a fully charged battery, from Tucson, AZ to 20 miles outside Blythe, CA with a stop in Scottsdale for attempted repairs. A battery pack will then carry you from Blythe to Beaumont, CA. Daylight running.

With a fully charged new battery, you can go from Beaumont, CA to Riverside at night by running w/o headlights in traffic when you are able. It will be dead when you arrive at Riverside.

About 250 miles, day time, no lights. The engine will quit when the volt guage indicated about 9.5 volts.

Posted by: Headrage Apr 19 2005, 06:19 PM

Okay then, I'm driving it. I'll grab an extra battery just in case but damn I hope I can sort it out before then. Oh yeah, took it to a guy here in town who has a 6 conversion and a 70, 1.7 who thinks it is either the relay board or the main harness?

Posted by: Headrage Apr 19 2005, 06:22 PM

QUOTE (SLITS @ Apr 19 2005, 05:15 PM)
The engine will quit when the volt guage indicated about 9.5 volts.

No gauges other than temp, fuel, tach and speedo.

Posted by: SLITS Apr 19 2005, 06:22 PM

Allan,

About $60 at Harbor Freight for a battery pack. Charges on 110 VAC plugged into a hotel outlet. Clip it on the dead battery, lay it on the engine, close the engine hatch and no one knows

Posted by: Joe Sharp Apr 19 2005, 06:23 PM

Alan: I keep a charged battery pack in the motor home. I'm gonig to put the battery charger in the coach now.
Joe

Posted by: Headrage Apr 19 2005, 06:23 PM

I could just tell everyone it's an eco friendly electric vehicle.

Posted by: michel richard Apr 19 2005, 06:35 PM

Push start if you can. Will make a significant difference.

Posted by: black73 Apr 19 2005, 07:14 PM

I made it from Nashville to Jacksonville, about 600 miles, on a dead alternator one time. I didn't know it was dead, so I thought it was vapor lock causing it to die when it wasn't getting fuel. I would let it sit for a while, then it would start. I decided to drive home at night, when it was cooler, and actually made it home, with the headlights on. It wasn't til later that I discovered the alt. was bad.

Posted by: SpecialK Apr 19 2005, 07:20 PM

QUOTE (SLITS @ Apr 19 2005, 04:15 PM)
...go from Beaumont, CA to Riverside at night by running w/o headlights in traffic ...

Posted by: Dave_Darling Apr 19 2005, 07:22 PM

Clay was able to drive home from Oklahoma (I think it was??) to Dallas with a nonfunctioning alternator. Daylight only, as everyone says. I think it was 5-6 hours each day for 2 days? He had bought a second battery and a charger, just in case--but he didn't need the extra. Just recharge the Optima overnight, and it was good for another 5-6 hours.

I know that you can discharge the battery to the point where it will not start the car, and then you can drive for another ~35 minutes with no alternator. As long as you don't use any lights. Like brake lights. (Damn thing died 6 blocks from home; just too far to push! But still, got me from Candlestick to Sunnyvale after I push-started it.)

I also know that points are much more tolerant of low-voltage situations than Crane/Allison optical ignitions. Not sure about Hall-effect gizmos, but the Allison one I have starts cutting out once system voltage drops below about 10-11V. The points that were in it in the above Candlestick->Sunnyvale trek worked up until the FI quit when system voltage dropped below about 7.5-8V.

--DD

Posted by: Mueller Apr 19 2005, 07:24 PM

hmmm....I lost an alt belt on my 1st 914 years ago, drove home at night (with lights on of course)....car started to run like cr@p and started to smoke and I thought I actually overheated the motor...not sure if it went lean or what, but it scared the cr@p out of me...wouldn't start back up once it died and with jumper cables until the next day when it cooled off.......

Posted by: redshift Apr 19 2005, 07:39 PM

QUOTE ("Z" @ Apr 19 2005, 07:53 PM)
I've done over a 100 miles w/o lights....

Yeah, and looks like 70 years... but you had a battery, and beer.

M

Posted by: ! Apr 19 2005, 07:41 PM

Bite me, goatboy....

Attached image(s)

Posted by: lapuwali Apr 19 2005, 07:53 PM

QUOTE (Mueller @ Apr 19 2005, 05:24 PM)
hmmm....I lost an alt belt on my 1st 914 years ago, drove home at night (with lights on of course)....car started to run like cr@p and started to smoke and I thought I actually overheated the motor...not sure if it went lean or what, but it scared the cr@p out of me...wouldn't start back up once it died and with jumper cables until the next day when it cooled off.......

The smoke was probably black, you just couldn't tell in the dark. D-Jet will go rich as voltage drops, something the Type 3 guys are all too familiar with, since they run D-Jet with a 30amp generator.

3 amps for ignition, 3 amps for injection, 3 amps for the injection fuel pump. The typical battery is about 60 amp-hours, and most will maintain their rated voltage for about 80% of a full charge, so figure about 5 hours, tops. Probably 250-300 miles at freeway speeds. You'll likely need a new battery at the end of this, too.

For carbs, it's roughly 2 amps for the typical electric carb pump, so only 5 amps, not 9, giving you closer to 9 hours of run time.

Posted by: Headrage Apr 19 2005, 09:27 PM

I see a spare battery in the next 72 hours. Where do I meet up in Santa Maria?

Posted by: markb Apr 19 2005, 11:04 PM

Meet us at West Coast Garage, 105 B East Mill (behind Harbor Freight, across the alley from McDonalds). The phone # for the shop is 805 925-1993. We can charge your battery while we have lunch, that might help. We can probably do a check on your charging system & nail down the problem. I've got a few relay boards & VR's if that's it.

Posted by: skline Apr 19 2005, 11:07 PM

Well, we are leaving around noon on Friday, if you need me to bring anything, let me know before that.

Posted by: JB 914 Apr 19 2005, 11:34 PM

my Alternator in the V8 car was not working and i could drive it for a few hours without a problem. just bring a charger!!

Posted by: Headrage Apr 20 2005, 08:56 AM

What is a good time to arrive at the shop?

Posted by: markb Apr 20 2005, 09:47 AM

QUOTE (skline @ Apr 19 2005, 09:07 PM)
Well, we are leaving around noon on Friday, if you need me to bring anything, let me know before that.

The caravan isn't planning on meeting in Santa Maria until 1 or 1:30, so catching you before noon might be a trick.

Headrage, John (the Cap'n) will probably be at the shop around 8:30, so anytime you want to get there would probably be fine. I'm hoping to get there with Marcie around noon to help move cars around & get set up for lunch. If you need to, call the shop, or my cell is 805 712-4675.