Folks,

...ok....I know this isn't much to go on...but just thought I would ask a general question or two:

...but first the background:

* I've got a '69 Chevelle with one of those new "old" batteries from Year One that have the vent caps and is suppose to look and feel like the old Delco battery. It's been in the car & working fine for 'bout 18 months.

* I was driving back from B'ham World of Wheels [Runner Up Award] in the rain the other night and had my FLASHERS on along with the BRIGHTS for most of the 2.5 hr trip.

* Towards the end of the journey my Gen IDIOT LIGHT came on....but I made it home alright and hooked up the Bat to a trickle charger 'till the morning & checked the fluid level [needed a bit in each cell...but none were very low].

Finally the question(s):
Do you think that having the flashers on and the brights [while driving for 2+ hrs] could/would cause an extra drain on the battery that the alternator [rebuilt less than 2 years ago....also new Regulator] could not keep up with?

Are these new "old" batteries really just for show and not meant to be used [I suppose I could always drain the thing and just use it for shows...but I hate the idea of it....I like to Drive the car and Use the battery if you know what I mean]?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Mike O'H

Well, there may be quite a bit of load on the battery/charging system...high beams, flashers, marker lights, windshield wipers? dash lights?, heater/vent?, stereo? plus maybe driving slower or stop/go traffic. It could start to add up, but I would still think the charging system would handle it.

Also, the idiot light doesn't necessarily indicate the battery alone...it could be a loose/corroded connection (although it sounds like you have a pretty clean car...congrats on the award), faulty regulator or bad alternator. A second place to look, specifically, is if the alternator has a bad diode, it can still charge "pretty good" but will be lacking when the high power is needed. A good auto parts store can usually scope it out. You could also give it a quick check in your driveway by starting the car and putting an accurate volt meter across the battery. Don't know about your specific app, but around 13.5 - 13.7 volts is a good charging voltage.

Good Luck

Good Luck

------------------
Corey
Corey's 67 Chevelle Page (http://www.sunflower.com/~corey872)

Thanks Corey!

I keep lots of "extra" parts around the garage as most of us probably do.... Last night I came across another alternator that I had laying around and put in in the car. The Gen Light went out. ....so today it's off to the local rebuild shop to get my "bad" one checked out!

Mike O'H