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Date:         Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:33:02 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Toggle off switch
Comments: To: John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <6da579340611100915w5f342a51p18f7840d67fd6b24@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

In the boating world they use a special external protection device added to the alternator terminals to prevent damage if the battery is disconnected. I think they are zener diodes, 16 volt. These short the output to ground when the threshold voltage is reached. Only good for very brief times, spikes in other word.

http://www.emarineinc.com/products/alternators/zapstop.html

This is a real concern in boats since they frequently have battery switches that allow for batteries to be disconnected and reconnected in different banks.

I know of several cases of ECU failure when vehicles were driven with the battery disconnected. One happened at Syncro de Mayo a couple years ago. Someone driving to the event thought there was a problem with the battery and disconnected it while the engine was running. Shortly after the engine died and would not restart. They had it towed to the event where we determined the ECU was now dead and the alternator regulator as well. Someone else loaned them a spare ECU and I loaned them a new regulator/brush pack. They bought a new battery in town IIRC. I know of a carbed engine vehicle that lost the radio, clock, and various bulbs after the battery was disconnected on a trip.

In both of the above it was a chicken and egg situation. Both batteries were disconnected because they seemed to smell funny. The alternator could have been the original problem.

Mark

John Bange wrote:

>> Is that the problem John, or is it the electronic engine management? > > > Dunno. Could be all that stuff, really. All these new low-voltage > electronic things are a lot more sensitive to wild swings in voltage, > I guess. I know a lot of newer regulators are using smaller ICs > instead of the giant wads of silicon of yesteryear, so they might be > more touchy as well. I've never been able to get a definitive answer > on the whys of not disconnecting the battery beyond the citation of > voltage instability. > > -- > John Bange > '90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger" >


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