pathfinder93x Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Hey guys since the hot weather came in with the humidity trucks been doing some odd things. I just changed the battery which solved one issue... Now if I go over 2.5 rpm sometimes my oil temp light comes on, battery light and handbreak light.... any suggestions to why it does this?..... Then at times it wont do it at all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Alternator's going. Have it tested before it strands you on the side of the road somewhere...I've had it happen, you'll just be driving along and it'll peter out and die and roll to a stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 88path, shouldn't the battery have a reserve that it taps into once the alternator dies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyb33 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 no the battery does not have a reserve. when the alternator dies your car will just be running on the batters power. Once the battery goes dead so will your car. Sometimes the dummy lights (brake and battery light) dont come on because they did not sense the drop in voltage and wont alert you to the dead alty. So you can be driving around on just battery power for a little bit and then when that goes your car will "peter out and die" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeV Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 You guys said peter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Uh... sammy... that IS the reserve All batteries need to have their "reserve time" listed for sales purposes... at least, they are supposed to. It's the amount of time that a battery can supply the engine, headlights, injectors, fuel pump, and other NECESSARY systems with power should the alternator die. It SHOULD be at least an hour or two for good batteries, and up to half an hour for the "meh" batteries. Generally, though, an alternator issue sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Uh... sammy... that IS the reserve All batteries need to have their "reserve time" listed for sales purposes... at least, they are supposed to. It's the amount of time that a battery can supply the engine, headlights, injectors, fuel pump, and other NECESSARY systems with power should the alternator die. It SHOULD be at least an hour or two for good batteries, and up to half an hour for the "meh" batteries. Generally, though, an alternator issue sucks I thought that "Reserve time" was supposed to be for if you left your lights on, or if you were having a tailgate party and running the stereo and/or a 12v cooler or something. When my alternator belt was slipping so bad that I got those lights, the battery didn't last long and it was brand new! I stopped at a light and it stalled and wouldn't crank again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 That's strange... the battery should give you a good hour of running time to get you to a shop etc... that's ASSUMING the alternator was supplying enough power and just up n 100% dies... eg, if the belt breaks, the battery gives you 1 hour to get to a shop or home, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 the battery should give you a good hour of running time to get you to a shop etc... All depends what your draw is, day or night (lights),etc. The Pathys are intolerant to low voltage. Once it drops below 12 volts, the EFI usually has issues and you won't get far. I've driven a VW Bug Baja all the way down to 8 volts before it died, and thats only because I let the rpm drop below high idle. There is NO way I'd count on any distance or time before you are stranded. I'd look for the first place I could safely park it if I wasn't within 5 miles of home... End of the day, just remove/test/replace the alternator after checking all hot and ground connections for clean contact and verifying the battery's condition. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 All depends what your draw is, day or night (lights),etc. The Pathys are intolerant to low voltage. Once it drops below 12 volts, the EFI usually has issues and you won't get far. It was at night and in winter for me, so I had lights, defogger on etc NOT FUN!. Yeah on my 93, when the battery was flaking out, the battery light was always on, I knew something was wrong, I just had to move it to the other side of driveway, but I got maybe 20 feet before it shut off when I hit the brakes lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfinder93x Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 for some reason though I boosted it today and it ran all day no lights nothing....Came home just now at 3am... truck still started no issues. The alternator is new so i dont see it being the issue though... Ill double check the wires on the alternator to ensure everything is plugged right. Possible humidity is just messing with my sensors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Precise, here's the thing: A battery SHOULD give you 1 hour running time using MINIMAL POWER USAGE, which means Engine and Headlights if needed. This includes any electrical devices necessary for the car to run (fuel pump, power steering pump, etc) Granted, an old Pathy is intolerant to low voltage, but it has far less of those power hogs than modern cars, at least that's what I'd think *shrugs* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Precise, here's the thing: A battery SHOULD give you 1 hour running time using MINIMAL POWER USAGE, which means Engine and Headlights if needed. This includes any electrical devices necessary for the car to run (fuel pump, power steering pump, etc) Granted, an old Pathy is intolerant to low voltage, but it has far less of those power hogs than modern cars, at least that's what I'd think *shrugs* Power steering pump isn't electrical bud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yozsi Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 dude.... reserve time is nothing more than how long it takes to discharge the battery fully at a 25 amp load. A typical car battery has a reserve capacity of about 50-60 amp-hours. that means at a 25 amp load it should be able to supply power to the system for about 2 hours. A lead acid battey has a time to volt/load curve that is a straight line, and since our ecu does not operate under about 10.5volts you can expect maybe 30 minutes of reserve capacity at 25 amps of load. Now if you are driving and the only thing operating is the neccesary systems... like the ecu, you will only be drawing less than 5 amps, 25 amps is alot of load, enough to power the radio, blower motor, lights, etc..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfinder93x Posted June 11, 2008 Author Share Posted June 11, 2008 (edited) Now when i start it it just clicks, tick tick tick tick Edited June 11, 2008 by pathfinder93x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Did you check the connections, both positive and negative? At the battery, at the starter, at the frame, etc? B yozsi, whats an average draw for the coils to send the voltage to the plugs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 dude.... reserve time is nothing more than how long it takes to discharge the battery fully at a 25 amp load. A typical car battery has a reserve capacity of about 50-60 amp-hours. that means at a 25 amp load it should be able to supply power to the system for about 2 hours. A lead acid battey has a time to volt/load curve that is a straight line, and since our ecu does not operate under about 10.5volts you can expect maybe 30 minutes of reserve capacity at 25 amps of load. Now if you are driving and the only thing operating is the neccesary systems... like the ecu, you will only be drawing less than 5 amps, 25 amps is alot of load, enough to power the radio, blower motor, lights, etc..... Yes, which is approx the amount of time you SHOULD have to drive home/to the shop/etc. It's a backup time... other than that, a batteries only real purpose is to A) start the car and provide voltage and current stabilization Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yozsi Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Did you check the connections, both positive and negative? At the battery, at the starter, at the frame, etc? B yozsi, whats an average draw for the coils to send the voltage to the plugs? no more than a few amps at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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