im upgrading my battery, and im obviously wondering if theres some kind of limit as to how many amps the new batt could be before i start damaging the alt? and do bigger batteries NEED a big alt or would say a 1500 amp batt be ok with a 120amp alt? i guess i just need a batt that my alt can actually recharge.... im really clueless when it comes to batteries and alts any help is greatly appreciated!

im wondering the same

edit- well you think it would be less starin beacuse they have more power wich is making the alt have to do less to keep it charged

Edited December 25, 200816 yr by stuartgoodenough

look at it like this the battery is a reserve, your alternator produces power for both the car and battery.

So, ur car pretty much runs on your alternator, when u need more power it taps into the reserve/battery.

So yea if ur draining your battery faster than u are recharging it u might have some problems.

A bigger battery will just have a bigger reserve capacity.

edit - below is just an explanation of the alt trying to charge the batteries in a situation where the system draws more than the alt can provide. As already stated, if you alt can keep up with the system, the battery is just used as a reserve or to aid in high current peaks.

Bigger battery = more plate area.

More batteries = more plate area.

More plate area = need for more charging capacity.

Think about it:

1 battery, 1 250 amp alt. alt can charge that battery with 250 amps.

10 batteries, 1 250 amp alt. alt can only charge each battery with 25 amps.

I thnk I have finally just fixed my van charging (fingers crossed). 15 batteries and 1 alt is hard on the alt

Brian

Edited December 25, 200816 yr by BKOLFO4

A bigger battry will put a bigger load on the alt IF it's allowed to be discharged

The difference between one an multiple batteries is not strain on the alt for a given amount of current from the reserve, it's merely the amount that the voltage will drop as that reserve current is being tapped. Think of the alt and battery in terms of an air supply system for pneumatic tools. You can't really run an impact wrench on just a compressor or a compressor with a small tank. Add a large tank, and the compressor motor itself isn't that important any more as long as on average the air that you remove from the tank can be replaced. The larger the tank, the better the tank hold pressure under drain. Just like the compressor in an air system, your alt doesn't handle transient load. The reserve does. It's really only when the sustained draw from the system becomes high, that the NEED to upgrade the alt/compressor exists.

The difference between one an multiple batteries is not strain on the alt for a given amount of current from the reserve, it's merely the amount that the voltage will drop as that reserve current is being tapped. Think of the alt and battery in terms of an air supply system for pneumatic tools. You can't really run an impact wrench on just a compressor or a compressor with a small tank. Add a large tank, and the compressor motor itself isn't that important any more as long as on average the air that you remove from the tank can be replaced. The larger the tank, the better the tank hold pressure under drain. Just like the compressor in an air system, your alt doesn't handle transient load. The reserve does. It's really only when the sustained draw from the system becomes high, that the NEED to upgrade the alt/compressor exists.

That is the best comparison Ive seen!

The difference between one an multiple batteries is not strain on the alt for a given amount of current from the reserve, it's merely the amount that the voltage will drop as that reserve current is being tapped. Think of the alt and battery in terms of an air supply system for pneumatic tools. You can't really run an impact wrench on just a compressor or a compressor with a small tank. Add a large tank, and the compressor motor itself isn't that important any more as long as on average the air that you remove from the tank can be replaced. The larger the tank, the better the tank hold pressure under drain. Just like the compressor in an air system, your alt doesn't handle transient load. The reserve does. It's really only when the sustained draw from the system becomes high, that the NEED to upgrade the alt/compressor exists.

That is the best comparison Ive seen!

yes amen brother that explains it quite well thank you.

He is on the tech team for a reason.