Bad Alternator - Removing Fuses to Conserve Power (Good Idea?)

[volkgren]

Alternator went out today. I have a school exam/test in the morning 8am. No time to get the alternator replaced before then. Not sure if I can make up the exam.

The battery went dead today. I had to jump it to get home from work and the system had little to no power on the way home. I've checked with a multimeter and there is no charge while running.

Now, I have the battery connected to a 10A charger / 3A maintainer for the night. I also have a fully charged (currently charging) battery pack/jump starter.

The drive to class is long, 1 hour. I know that is a long time with no alternator, but do you think with the battery being charged overnight and the battery pack, do you think I could at least make it the hour drive and then stop and get the alternator replaced after my class/test?

Could I remove some fuses such as radio, auxiliary, etc. to conserve more battery power?

Or is this all a stupid idea and I should just skip my class and exam and get the alternator fixed first thing? It might cause me to go from a high B to a C in the class.

Thanks for your input.

 

[jdog2pt0]

Don't bail on your exam, plain and simple. Unfortunately, I don't know the distance, but if it's that far I'm pretty sure you won't make it. Might be able to stretch 20 or 30 miles, but it's a hard call to make. There's too many variables, the age of the battery being a big one. If I were you, I would make some calls to friends or family to see about an alternate means of transportation. If you don't live down south where it's warm, you're pushing your luck even further because the colder temperatures limit the reactions inside the battery, and so it basically runs out of power sooner than if it were warmer. Worse comes to worst, tell your instructor that your car broke down, and see if they'll give you an extension.

 

[dish_moose]

What is your car? Automatic? USA? Do you have daytime running lights? You don't need to take out fuses - don't turn on lights, radio etc. I s your battery in good shape and what is its amp hour rating?
Bruce

 

[volkgren]

'03 Impala 3.4L, auto trans. Arkansas, USA. Too bad a cold front came through today. Low is 38F High is 50F tomorrow. The headlights do run in the daytime. The battery was good (1.5 years old) until the past couple of days. The battery light would come on intermittently, until it just stayed on. I knew the alternator was possibly going bad. I bought the battery pack thinking i would just need it to crank/start the engine, I didn't realize until further reading that the car needs battery power to run. I found that out when I jumped my car to leave work and it had no power driving home, barely made it. So I bought the charger before the store closed. Should have bought the alternator. :/

 

[dish_moose]

The only car I know of that would do that was an older VW diesel - after starting it needed next to no power to run. Most cars have a "computer" and electronic ignition which need power to run - it is not that much but... If you disconnect the fuse for the headlights, or unplug them, no fan or rear defrost, radio off, and go the fastest route, you may have a chance. It's a gamble. As stated above, friends or family is your best bet.
-Bruce

 

[volkgren]

Alright, thanks for the input. What if I bought a new battery tonight? Would it be at risk of going dead during the trip? I'm pretty sure the alternator is not working at all, so it would seem a bit pointless to replace the battery before replacing the alternator right?

 

[dish_moose]

If you buy a new one tonight - with both batteries your chances of making it went way up.
-Bruce

 

[photonboy]

Do NOT play around with car safety.

I'm not sure of the exact details, but it sounds like it could affect your LIGHTS, BRAKES or other critical safety features?

I don't know what exam plans you can make, but I do know you should not risk your life (and others) in this manner. That's coming from a guy who had a car accident when my power steering suddenly failed.

 

[volkgren]

You're right I wouldn't want my brake lights not working. So pulling fuses might not be the best thing. Though I did pull the stereo fuse already, it was acting up. The stereo hasn't worked since I've owned the car and was all lit up and wouldn't turn off after I charged the battery earlier today. I'm afraid there might be further electrical issues besides the alternator.

 

[dish_moose]

The computer will fail before your brake lights. Power steering runs off your engine - if your motor stops, power brakes and power steering will fail. Ask for a ride is the best - then you can fix it.
-Bruce

 

[photonboy]

The computer will fail before your brake lights. Power steering runs off your engine - if your motor stops, power brakes and power steering will fail. Ask for a ride is the best - then you can fix it.
-Bruce

Just FYI, an ELECTRICAL problem caused a sudden lack of gas to my engine which in turn powers my brakes and steering. It happened without warning, and there are many situations where I could have died due to that.

Also, though it's unlikely to be a common problem, I had a separate issue later where the alternator or battery seemed bad but it was a loose headlight wire causing a drain into the chassis.

 

[volkgren]

I found out that my final exam score can replace one missed test. Since this isn't my final exam I think I'll skip this test and get my car fixed.

It's been charging for 11 hours straight (+2.5 hrs before I drove to get gas after initial charging) and the battery charger still says it's not fully charged. I'll be staying in town today replacing my alternator.

Thanks for the help.

*I finished installing the new alternator and all is working fine now. I also just received a reply from my instructor saying I could come in later today when he's giving another class a test and I can take mine then.

Thank you all again. You all gave valuable input.