How long will Battery last without Alternator?

[TomoHawk]

I need to get my car from the storage place to the garage to get the alternator bracket off & drill out the broken bolts so the new alternator can be put on. So, I'll need to drive it with only the battery or power.

If I put in a fresh battery, how far do you think I could go? It's about 5-6 miles to the garage.

thx

[Carl Beck]

Fresh battery - daylight - 10-24 miles round trip - should be no problem... as far as having enough energy in the battery to run the engine.... Don't know if there is anything in the 280z electronics that would be effected...

I lost an alt.belt in the mountains.. drove well over a hundred miles during the day - but that was a 240-Z, with no electric fuel pumps nor F.I.... none the less - 24 miles round trip - especially if you hook up a charger at the garage while your there..

Carl

[Virto]

I don't see why you couldn't make it, but make sure the battery has a full charge before trying. I know the fuel pump will run with only ~7 volts on the meter, but your lights won't work and the car won't crank.

So if you're going one way with a new or good battery, no problem. Just make sure that new alternator works before you go too far.

[TomoHawk]

Thanks.

I'll go with the lights off (late morning; maybe it'll get done the same day) no fan, & hopefully no long lights to wait out.

I was thinking lately that a fresh battery every Spring isn't so bad. They're not that expensive, after you drop off the core. I change the fuel filter and other things each winter. Like cheap insurance, in case you leave the lights on (again).:eek:

I gotta remember to put in a gallon of gas too!

thx

[LanceM]

Ha, I used to drive an old dodge long ago that the charging system was shot in, drove it 80 miles a day for a month charging it at night till I got a new beater. Just don't run anything that uses electrity that isn't necessary and you can go pretty far!

[Curtis240Z]

Can we assume the belt is still on so the water pump is still turning?

[sblake01]

I was wondering the same thing.

[TomoHawk]

There are two belts- one for the alternator, and one for the steering & water. It was always that way.

[sblake01]

Steering? As in power steering? On a 78? Or do you mean one for the A/C and water pump? I only ask because I have aftermarket air on my 78 so it's probably set up differently on the factory air cars, assuming that your's is one.

[ZSaint]

We ran our CP Z's w/o alternators all of the time. They ran for 30 minutes with electric fuel pump and brake lights. Started them on pre-grid with auxilliary power. Had trouble starting them after the race, however!

[Walter Moore]

20 Years ago I had a fuel injected Volvo with a bad alternator that I drove for several days before I discovered it had a problem...

So 10 or 20 miles should be fine if the battery is fully charged.

[dspillman]

If I put in a fresh battery, how far do you think I could go? It's about 5-6 miles to the garage.

thx

Quick note, just today I traveled from Savannah,Georgia to Rutherfordton N.C. ...280 miles ...Weekend trip with the wife to Historic Savannah, great food, interesting night life. But anyway....Altenator went out, warning light came on. Stopped by Advance auto parts to have tested...No charging going on. Made it from Roebling road raceway back into town, rode around a while before our Murano just stopped. No altenators to be found until Monday in the parts stores. We decided to buy to buy a couple of batteries. Long story short.....2 Bosch Batteries 850/650 CCA. First battery lasted close to 2 hours, stopped for gas, wouldn't crank up after fill-up, put in other battery, made it to the house. 2003 Nissan Murano will do 2 hours on new battery, without charging. I was surprised to make it home with all the electronics.

We received a recall notice last year concerning the altenator,Guess we will be visting the local nissan dealership tomorrow to followup on that recall.

YMMV....

david