How much can you drive on a battery without a generator: general rules and recommendations

One of the most important parts of the car is the battery. Without it, it is very difficult to start the car engine. Without the right level of charge, the starter will not be able to crank the crankshaft, which will not activate the fuel combustion process in the pistons.

At the same time, all the settings and settings of the on-board computer can be lost, if available, and also additional errors may occur. It often happens that the driver discovers a problem with the battery or generator at very inopportune moments. What to do if the battery is dead, and how much can you drive on a battery without a generator?

Battery check for good condition

To ensure that the battery does not fail at an unnecessary time and that it is 100% efficient, it is necessary to carry out periodic checks. This can be done with the help of a load fork yourself or with the help of the SRT.

The battery is the most important element in the car's design. It will help to drive for some time in unforeseen circumstances. And how many hours a car can travel without a generator depends on the capacity of the battery and the energy consumed by the car.

What you need to pay special attention to

To test the battery, you need to carry out two voltage measurements:

1. Measuring the load fork without load. The normal voltage value is 12.5-13 V. At lower values it is recommended to charge.
2. The second measurement is made with load connection. The voltage for 5 seconds should not fall below 10 V. If the voltage falls below, the battery is faulty and should be replaced.

Remember that when you buy a battery in a store, you need to make sure of its quality. Since only a quality device can help you if the generator fails. In this case, the battery will depend on how much you can travel without the "genes".

Causes of battery failure

There are several reasons for the failure of the described device:

• Sulphation of plates. Sulphation is the process that occurs when using a battery. Zinc sulphate settles on the plates during the chemical reaction. But, settling on them during discharge, it must dissolve when charging. Unfortunately, this rule does not work at all, so over time surpluses accumulate, reducing the surface area involved in the reaction, and, as a consequence, the capacity of the battery.
• Short circuit. It is a consequence of the closure of the battery's multi-polar plates. In most cases, this is a factory marriage, so you can replace the warranty. If this malfunction occurs after the warranty period, then the following factors could influence its occurrence: rupture of separators, formation on the plates in the form of a built-up edge or the ingress of foreign objects inside.

• Deviations of electrolytic characteristics. First, there may be an abnormal level of density (it should be 1.27-1.29 g / cm²), and secondly, an inconsistency of the electrolyte level (normal - 10-15 mm).
• Malfunction of the generator.

Problems with the generator

Often the battery is discharged due to a malfunction of the generator. If the generator has stopped working, then how many can travel on one battery depends on many factors. To check the generator for service, it is necessary to measure the voltage at the battery terminals with the engine running, then turn on the heating devices, radio tape recorder. The normal value, which should be displayed on the voltmeter - 13-14 V. If there are deviations from the norm, then immediately it is necessary to turn to specialists.

It is worth remembering that the generator and battery are closely related. If one of them fails, then after a while the other will stop working. Therefore, it is important to know the main reasons why the generator stops working, and also how to eliminate them.

Causes of generator malfunction

The role of the generator in the car is quite simple, but not less important. The generator recharges the battery. If the generator fails, the battery will cease to receive energy and soon the car will no longer receive the necessary charge, which will lead to a complete stop. Therefore, car enthusiasts are often interested in the question: how much can you drive a battery without a generator? It depends on which battery and which car.

There are several main reasons why a generator can fail:

1. Pulley damage.
2. Damage to the collector or its wear and tear.
3. Malfunction of the voltage regulator.
4. Wear of generator brushes.
5. Damage to the insulation of the wires in the charging circuit.
6. Failure of the diode bridge.

In order that these reasons were not for the car owner a surprise, we must periodically undergo a technical inspection. It will help to identify and then eliminate the problems and weaknesses of the car.

If you do not follow this recommendation, then on the road generator can stop producing a charge for the battery. Then it will be difficult to calculate or predict how many km can be traveled by a battery without a generator, since The battery can not be fully charged, or, not noticing the breakage, the driver does not turn off the energy-consuming elements in time, which will reduce the ability to get to the service by an order of magnitude.

Types of generator faults

There are two types of generator faults:

1. Electrical - breakage of winding, failure of the diode bridge, breakdown, damage to brushes, generator relay, etc.
2. Mechanical - damage to the body, construction, rupture of belts, as well as all those problems that are not related to the electrical component.

The main signs indicating a malfunction

The following signs may indicate a malfunction:

1. Decrease the battery charge or its boil-off.
2. Flashing light bulb on the dashboard, indicating the discharge of the battery.
3. A dim light from the headlights.
4. Extraneous rattling or other sounds coming from the motor side.
5. Sounds like a squeak or a howl from the generator.
6. A sharp decrease in the brightness of the illuminators when the engine speed changes.

Special attention should be paid to the generator belt. With its separation or presence of cracks, it is urgent to replace it, otherwise it will break. If the belt broke, then the generator was covered. How much can you travel while using only the battery charge, which will constantly fall? There were many such cases, some managed to travel hundreds of kilometers, but some did not pass 10 km. If you are lucky, this is enough to get to the service. But what if the failure occurred in the distance from the place where you can replace the part?

Methods of temporary fixing the generator

In the event of an unexpected breakdown in the distance from the city or locality, you can continue driving without knowing how much you can drive on a battery without a generator, or repair the latter in the field with the help of improvised tools.

The most common breakdown of the generator is a belt break. If the car does not have a spare, you can do with improvised means. It is important to remember that this is only a temporary measure, helping to endure to the car service.

For this you can use a belt for trousers, a tie, a rope, tights. Replacement should be made of a durable material, or to increase the strength can be folded into 2 layers, for example, a rope. Next, the manufactured strap should be tightened with a tensioner. Deflection in the beginning should not be more than 1 cm. Thus, one can get out of an unpleasant situation and continue moving. This method has repeatedly saved many car owners, whose cars stopped driving without a generator. How long the car with the homemade belt will go depends on the strength of the material.

The remaining mechanical and electrical faults are corrected by replacing the required parts. Generator belts are changed in terms of their wear and tear, their service life; The winding of the stator or the rotor changes to a new one, since rewinding is currently impractical.

In the case of electrical components, it is necessary to check the voltage before replacing. Since the most common problem may be overcharging or undervoltage. With a recharge, you can figure it out by changing the diode bridge or voltage regulator.

With insufficient level of tension, everything is slightly more complicated, because there are several reasons why this phenomenon may occur. If you do not understand them in time, then there will be a car without a generator. How many will pass, it will be decided only by the battery and its charge.

Causes of low voltage levels

Low voltage on the generator may appear due to some reasons:

1. Increase in energy consuming appliances.
2. Malfunctions in the regulator.
3. Breakdown of the diode bridge.
4. Bad contact of "mass".
5. C3.
6. "Battered" battery.

Noise in the generator

If strange sounds are heard in the generator, then it is most likely the case in the bearings. This problem does not directly affect the battery charge level. But if you do not correct the problem in time, the generator may fail. And the car can not continue driving. In this case, the car will go as long as you can drive the battery. Without the generator, the battery will be continuously discharged, and soon its energy will end. Therefore, at the first signs of the emergence of the problem, we urgently need to turn to professionals for replacement.

In other cases, noise may indicate a stator closing. You can distinguish it by lack of charging. It is very difficult to fix this with hand tools, since it is necessary to completely disassemble the generator. As well as with the appeared cod, the reason of which is the closure in the rectifier block. It is corrected by replacing it with new parts.

Conclusion and recommendations

Thus, in the event of a problem with the generator, there is always the option to continue driving on one battery. From its characteristics will depend on how much you can drive a battery without a generator. Reviews About different brands, models and manufacturers of car batteries are available in free access. However, it should always be remembered that the priority in their choice should be given only to proven manufacturers.