Honda 2000 CR-V: Alternator Half Amps

And make sure all electronic,s are off in car,no headlight,s.

I had a post up TST but disagreed with you, but I took it down because I would not want the person to hit the road and get stranded on my say-so. I highly respect your opinion.

40 amps will run the car but the danger is it could fail at any time is what I had. The mechanic is right, OEM Denso is 95 amp.

Yes i agree,Fordnut it would run it,but how long,is the question,a failing alternator can go at anytime,that is what i based my answer on,and i all so have respect of your opioin,s all so,were not perfect by all mean,s,,but i would rather give you and honest and safe oppion rather than a guess.

So, if I'm understanding: as long as the alternator continues to pump out half the amps, my battery will be just fine. The real problem is that it is slowly failing, and I just won't know when that happens.

It's just that if it were me I would hit the road. But..that's me, push the envelope!

You got it. That right there is where TST and I didn't exactly give the same answer. Be on a lonely road, no. No way. Interstate with hotels every mile. different story.

My car is old, and I can't imagine the alternator JUST lost half of its amps at the same time my old car battery died. So, my car has been doing just fine with the alternator. So while I do plan on changing it, I don't want to be paranoid for 3 hours while I'm driving.

FordNut, I'm a college student, and my parents are able to get me if my car breaks down. So it's not like I'm stuck where I break down for a long while.

http://www.procarcare.com/includes/content/resourcecenter/encyclopedia/ch11/11fig16.html Headlights.low beam. 15 to 20 amps. Heater blower on full, 30. The actual draw to run the engine is small. It.s borderline, no heat for sure. If you decide to go, if you have to stop, do NOT shut it off. No pun intended about having to 'go'..I meant if you travel but now that it;'s there, it fits. One more thing, if you are anywhere that has no cell-phone service don't do it

Antipode,i agree with ford nut,no back road,s,,and have your cell phone ready and charged,to call,if it don,t make it.

I'm driving in the afternoon, so just engine, heater, and my radio that charges my phone which is my GPS.

Turn on eveything the car has ... Highbeams , blower motors, inside lights Then see if the Alt-Light comes on. I don't know what test he gave your Alt but ... output is based on demand by the internal regulator. If the car only needs 50 amps ... that's all the alternator will supply ... if it needs 90 amps ... the regulator will increase the output. To do a check on an alternator's output you need to put a load on lt that equals the max capacity of the alternator

Your fortunate to have the "Heavy Hitters" replying. These guys are the Top Guns on this forum ... My piddly 660 points to their 20,000+ means I'm probably wrong ... go with the super champs advice

You have an older car with a lot less computer gadgets/sensors so there's less drain on the battery. I'd have that battery hooked to a trickle charger at your living area to make sure the battery is all the way up. Wouldn't hurt to also carry a multimeter with you to make periodic checks because when the engine is running and your battery measures 14.5 volts or more, it's charging big time. And the last possibilty is that the auto parts guy might have been stretching matters to try to get you to come back and invest in a new/remanufactured alternator.

No, Tom, give yourself more credit. I have only been here longer. I can tell you know exactly what you are talking about, I have seen many of your posts. Matter of fact your answer here is excellent.--- Check your messages--

The auto guy (it was orellys) seemed to somewhat know what he was doing. He originally tested it and say it was 50 so amps and thought it was a good thing until he checked what my car should have. Also, only the engine and heater was on when he tested it--no headlights or radio. Also, I don't think he was stretching it for me to come back, because he did tell me to see a shop when I get home. But idk. My mechanic will look at it and he doesn't stretch things. Thanks guys for the info. Oh: when he did test it, my car sounded like it totally dropped in power, like the engine, before he got the reading. I don't know if that helps or not.

Old thread here, but the "heater" function... you can open the vent to let in "outside" air, and that will be heated as though the blower were running, but the air movement will be created simply from the movement of the vehicle. You won't need to have the blower on, lower amp draw on the system. If you come to a stop, you won't have any heated air being pushed into the cabin, but most of the trip you will be moving, and having the heated air pushed into the cabin simply from the vehicle's movement.