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Thread: What is your alternator doing?

  1. #1
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    What is your alternator doing?

    I'm always curious to see what things are doing under the bonnet. It gives me an idea of what should be normal when things go wrong.
    While towing I monitor certain parameters including battery/charging information.
    In the pics below, the batteries being charged include the cranking battery, a 55aH Optima in the Traxide dual battery setup & 2X120aH house batteries connected via an Anderson Plug in the caravan being towed.
    The house batteries in the van were showing 12.0V when we started out at 10:58AM. Added to the mix is also 400W of solar simultaneously charging in parallel as we travel.

    Screen shots from the GAP app on my phone:

    10:58AM
    Screenshot_2017-05-23-10-58-27.jpg

    11:06AM
    Screenshot_2017-05-23-11-06-08.jpg

    11:34AM
    Screenshot_2017-05-23-11-34-22.jpg

    2:25PM
    Screenshot_2017-05-23-14-25-20.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images
    + 2016 D4 TDV6

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    That is a far quicker increase in the estimated SoC than I have ever seen.
    However, I have never had an opportunity to monitor from a low base (12.0V).
    For me, typically the battery current reduces to very low once the SoC gets over 75-80%

    It would be interesting to do the same comparison but with the solar disconnected.
    Solar would have been adding perhaps 20-25A during that period?

    Regards,
    Scott
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    Now that's going to upset the dcdc crowd😊

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    I'm not convinced that the SoC is accurate & how it is calculated. Other days it hangs around 95% for hours with only 1 or 2A charge into the battery.
    When all is fully charged, the alternator output is still around 70A. Power hungry or what?
    + 2016 D4 TDV6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vern View Post
    Now that's going to upset the dcdc crowd😊
    It is more likely to upset the alternator - that is a lot of current to draw for that amount of time, and wayyyy above what the designers may have expected. With robotic manufacture of practically everything automotive, quality of each alternator is likely to be the same. Therefore if one alternator fails and one doesn't, it is likely that there is some environmental difference - such as a dual battery system.

    It would be interesting to do a survey to find out how many failed alternators have been in vehicles with or without a dual battery system.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Silenceisgolden View Post
    It is more likely to upset the alternator - that is a lot of current to draw for that amount of time, and wayyyy above what the designers may have expected. With robotic manufacture of practically everything automotive, quality of each alternator is likely to be the same. Therefore if one alternator fails and one doesn't, it is likely that there is some environmental difference - such as a dual battery system.

    It would be interesting to do a survey to find out how many failed alternators have been in vehicles with or without a dual battery system.
    Hmmmmmm.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vern View Post
    Now that's going to upset the dcdc crowd😊



    Quote Originally Posted by Silenceisgolden View Post
    It is more likely to upset the alternator - that is a lot of current to draw for that amount of time, and wayyyy above what the designers may have expected. Therefore if one alternator fails and one doesn't, it is likely that there is some environmental difference - such as a dual battery system.

    Here we go again.


    First off, “ALL” alternators are self regulating, so you can not overload them in the first place.


    Furthermore, with more than 4,000 D3s and D4s equipped with my isolators worldwide, if your mythical claim had any substance, think by now we would have seen any “ALLEGED” overloading of alternators.


    DC/DC devices can charge batteries, but the primary info that is always missing from the grossly exaggerated glossy advertising is just how long they will take to do a job that a D3 or D4 alternator ( and the alternators on most other vehicles ) can do in half the time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by drivesafe View Post



    Here we go again.


    First off, “ALL” alternators are self regulating, so you can not overload them in the first place.


    Furthermore, with more than 4,000 D3s and D4s equipped with my isolators worldwide, if your mythical claim had any substance, think by now we would have seen any “ALLEGED” overloading of alternators.


    DC/DC devices can charge batteries, but the primary info that is always missing from the grossly exaggerated glossy advertising is just how long they will take to do a job that a D3 or D4 alternator ( and the alternators on most other vehicles ) can do in half the time.

    Yep, I expect you are right, but it would be interesting to do a survey just the same. No idea how to do such a survey though.

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    [QUOTE=Milton477;2680854]

    Screen shots from the GAP app on my phone:

    Milton,
    Why do your screenshots show 'Ign. Off' and '11.7V' yet also show alternator current draw?
    Cheers, Mungus.
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    Milton,
    Why do your screenshots show 'Ign. Off' and '11.7V' yet also show alternator current draw?
    All the screen shots with "Ign off" have high alternator readings, Well spotted
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