Date:         Mon,  4 Nov 96 08:15:42 PST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Matthew Drahzal <mattd@Rational.COM>
Subject:      RE: alternator? 


--- On Sun, 3 Nov 1996 07:42:50 -0600  Seastoner <rfergus@INFI.NET> 
wrote:

>I left my 85 WestyGL  running lights on and had to get a jump, I ran 
it for only 
>about ten minutes and then cut it off...it had to be jumped 
>again...then ran for about 30 minutes and still won't start again 
>without a jump...is this an alternator problem? Thanks for any 
>advice,
>Rick

I don't know EXACTLY why this happened, but it has to do with the 
required  recipricol bilateral destabilization of the thingamajig.:-)

Anyway, when on a business trip, I left the "master" switch on in
my Cessna Skyhawk. My battery was completely dead when I returned.. The 
Fixed Base Operator offered me a jumpstart, and the plane started, but 
the alternator would not charge (I had no radios, lights, etc, but the 
engine ran 'cuz a plane uses magnetos).

I remembered an article from an aviation safety magazine that an 
alternator needs a charge to make a charge. Something about exciting 
the magnetic fields. So, jump starting a dead battery might get the 
engine running, but the battery does not have enough juice to 
kick-start the alternator (It takes money to make money).  We 
quick-charged the battery and all was well.

Of course, this whole hypothesis is based on you having a Diesel....

Matthew '82 Diesel - NuBus
	'67 Skyhawk - BonusPlane
-------------------------------------
Matthew Drahzal - mattd@rational.com
Rational Software Corp.
One Tower Bridge Suite 225, W. Conshohocken, PA 19428
(610)940-2105 Voice     (610)940-2150 FAX

11/4/96  08:15:42
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