Thought 145amp alternator enough for additional accessories. Guess not?

[highdesertranger]

yeah from my observations over many years of working on vehicles is that aftermarket electronics are not very durable.

I have seen aftermarket fuel pumps, ignition systems, starters, alternators, all promising improving this or that, give nothing but headaches.

highdesertranger

 

[PineyCruisin]

That's why we thought that even if replacing the alternator (that was just purchased 2 months ago), the charging problems still remains, at least we now have an alternator that is well built and durable. When we hit the road, we won't have the resources to just easily fix and replace things. Lesson learned in that regard.

 

[bullfrog]

I know this is gonna sound totally nuts but on many custom cars both domestic and foreign for years I have mounted what is known as a “one wire” GM alternator. It has it’s own internal regulator. It requires only a large diameter wire (10 gauge or better) which goes to the battery and 12volt ignition source to install. Because it is basically a complete charging system in itself it will work on anything as long as it can be mounted and the proper pulley installed to drive it. Since your vehicle is a GM it could be pretty much a bolt in swap maybe. I would check with an automotive electrical or performance shop but that might be a solution.

 

[highdesertranger]

1 wire alternators are not a fix all. they are meant for vehicles that for whatever reason the owner want to simplify the charge circuit. like on an old vehicle that has a generator. any GM 10SI or 12SI alternator can be made into a 1 wire. it just needs a resistor installed on the exciter wire jumped over to the hot. an light bulb can be used for the resistor. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

One reason my oldest son hates mechanics is I hooked up a GM alternator to a stationary bicycle to power his TV as a teenager. He won a medal at state track and field though. If all you want to do is charge a lead acid battery it works and is easy to repair or replace.

 

[bullfrog]

Just wondering what else you would use an alternator for. Anybody know if any manufacturers started using them on vehicles for braking. Seems to me one company mounted one on the back of the transmission just for that purpose.

 

[Drmiller100]

145 amp alternator at 14 volts is 2000 watts.
That is plenty to charge a lot of battery

How is your house battery connected to the alternator? Through an isolator or diodes? Relay/solenoid?
How big are the wires? How long are the wires?

Lead acid batteries take time to charge regardless how many amps you have.
1 hour at 50 amps and another 4 hours at 10 amps is reasonable

 

[Drmiller100]

Also, how is the battery ground connected to the engine?
In my suburban I found .6 volts lost between the cab and the engine in just the ground side, and it went up with more load.
To measure use a volt meter and test a good spot on the engine to the battery negative post with accessories turned on.
It should measure 0 or at least under .05.

To fix run a ground strap from battery negative to engine. And from one of those to the chassis

 

[PineyCruisin]

Drmiller, no house battery connected to alternator. A Jackery 1000 is being charged when needed via ciggie port. As for the voltage drop at ground, we tested long ago when the trouble shooting was in full swing, and it was practically 0

 

[PineyCruisin]

The saga is officially over. Installed a brand-spanking new AC Delco original alternator and all problems are solved!

Started with battery at 12.44. Loaded up all extra accessories we need while traveling (IndelB, charging Jackery 1000, GPS, Dashcam) then turned on headlights and blowers. Drove ~1 hour. The battery was fully charged when we arrived home. Thank the stars above!

Here's the lesson for all future readers of thread: Stick with AC Delco parts for your Chevy Vans. Other brands just don't play nice.

We should have learned our lesson after purchasing the van. Hubs did a full tune-up on this van, using new NGK Iridium spark plugs thinking they were the best for the buck only to have one of the cylinders constantly misfire. After days and days of troubleshooting he gave up, took it to shop and they immediately told him that these vans don't like anything but AC Delco plugs. That immediately fixed problem. 

Thanks all for sticking it out with me.

 

[bullfrog]

Glad you got it fixed!

 

[user 423]

Here's the lesson for all future readers of thread: Stick with AC Delco parts for your Chevy Vans. Other brands just don't play nice.

We should have learned our lesson after purchasing the van. Hubs did a full tune-up on this van, using new NGK Iridium spark plugs thinking they were the best for the buck only to have one of the cylinders constantly misfire. After days and days of troubleshooting he gave up, took it to shop and they immediately told him that these vans don't like anything but AC Delco plugs. That immediately fixed problem.

You really can't draw a conclusion that NGKs are bad when used in GM products.

That one NGK may have been defective or damaged when installed (cracked insulator). Or the spark path was bad (wire installed incorrectly, arcing to ground or another wire).

The advice about the alternator is solid though.

 

[PineyCruisin]

Thanks so much, Bullfrog. I greatly appreciated your expertise...I learned so much.

Slow2day: Maybe. All I know is that merely replacing the plugs solved the problem. Hubs tried everything... He has an OBD so was able to pinpoint which cylinder(s?) was causing problems.He therefore swapped out the plugs that he knew weren't causing an issue and still had misfire in the same particular cylinder no matter what plug was there. Swapped wires and caps in the same way, if memory serves. His troubleshooting was pretty thorough. Mechanic seemed pretty sure what it was as soon as we told him the problem so I had no reason to doubt him because engine purred like a cat afterwards.

 

[Drmiller100]

I'm glad it worked.

Charging through a cigarette port is a joke.

Next time it doesn't work try wiggling the plug. Unhook the plug and see if it's hot. Ponder why the cigarette plug is hot

 

[eDJ_]

I saw this modified alternator recently on Youtube that claims 250V 5000w capacity.  I'm wondering if it could be added as a second alternator and switched on and off whenever needed.  Of course it would require an additional mounting bracket and different belts.

DIY 250V 5000w car generator

 

[Drmiller100]

What do you have that runs on 250 volts?

I watched part of the video. It may make 250 volts.

250 volts can easily kill you. This seems like a really dumb idea to me.

You will Not get 5000 watts our of it

 

[eDJ_]

All I did was offer it to the discussion.

 

[Drmiller100]

Sorry I was pretty brutal.

It seems like a good idea at first glance but there are big problems.

New ideas are great! Please keep bringing them up!