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Author: Subject: How long will diesel car battery last with no alternator.
jossey

posted on 18/3/13 at 11:55 AM Reply With Quote
How long will diesel car battery last with no alternator.

I know it's random but I have a mazda 6 which needs a bearing doing on the aux belt.

I have found a company who can sort it for me but won't fit.

Roughly how many miles will my car last with no alternator is a 60 mile round trip n 2 starts.

Will the battery last that....

I would use the mrs car but that means waiting till weekend.





Thanks



David Johnson

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britishtrident

posted on 18/3/13 at 12:00 PM Reply With Quote
Injection system and fuel pump are pretty major loads





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adithorp

posted on 18/3/13 at 12:24 PM Reply With Quote
On an old diesel, once started there was very little electrical load. Modern ones are a different matter with all the electronics. Top of the range RangeRover can pull almost 60amp just with the ignition switched on! Stuff like power steering can shut down (not nice) on some when the voltage starts to drop.





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PSpirine

posted on 18/3/13 at 12:35 PM Reply With Quote
My series 2a had a huge battery, and because it started on the button, I drove it 2 months till I realised the alternator had fallen off (i was wondering what that rattling noise was in the engine bay for 2 months). That had NO electrics at all, other than the starter motor!

I wouldn't drive a modern car 60 miles without an alternator, diesel or not makes bugger all difference when you're talking about common rail systems.

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andy350z

posted on 18/3/13 at 12:49 PM Reply With Quote
I can't say for a diesel, when I took my MR2 in to have the alternator replaced, I had to stop half way to change the battery to a fully charged spare and it was almost dead when I arrived. That was a 10 mile trip in fairly heavy traffic.
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Irony

posted on 18/3/13 at 01:06 PM Reply With Quote
On my old SDI VW polo, it lasted a good week without a alternator. As long as you didn't put the lights on.
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Mr Whippy

posted on 18/3/13 at 01:47 PM Reply With Quote
Sounds like you don't want to have that belt on but is that all it turns?
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Not Anumber

posted on 18/3/13 at 01:48 PM Reply With Quote
It should last 60 miles so long as you dont use the headlight and it isn't stop start motoring. I did at least that much the other year when the alternator failed in my old 320cdi Merc, before the battery completely ran out of juice. Interestingly the electronics for the auto gearbox shut down a couple of miles before the fuel pump and injectors.






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r1_pete

posted on 18/3/13 at 02:03 PM Reply With Quote
If you're in the AA RAC or whatever, you only need to get there, then if it won't restart get recovered home.....

Or could you take tools and fit it yourself in their carpark?

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thefreak

posted on 18/3/13 at 03:21 PM Reply With Quote
I shredded an alternator belt on my 02 A4 1.9 diesel.
Made it from J17 of the M4 to the M25/M26 junction before the car finally died Then got it recovered to a garage local to my desination who sorted it for me.
Google recons that's 120 miles!

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Slimy38

posted on 18/3/13 at 04:42 PM Reply With Quote
Is 'public transport' an option? I struggle even saying the words to be honest, but occasionally it could be considered in the absence of far cheaper transport.
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Ninehigh

posted on 18/3/13 at 09:27 PM Reply With Quote
My old astra had the power steering on the alternator belt, so every time it snapped I'd lose that too. I wouldn't chance 60 miles though.. Have you got a spare battery or one of those jumpstart ones?






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morcus

posted on 18/3/13 at 10:40 PM Reply With Quote
Not worth the risk, do you know what happens if the police or the VOSA man stops you knowingly driving a car in such a condition? Highly unlikely they'd do anything but it is technically illegal and I think you'd also have problems with your insurance if anything happened, and I'm told alot of breakdown cover doesn't cover you if you knowingly set off in such a condition.





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JoelP

posted on 19/3/13 at 07:36 PM Reply With Quote
I drove my van for ages with no belt on it, i regularly got to halifax from leeds, then would put it on charge to get home. I also remember having to take the battery into a job in hull as i couldnt get a lead out to it! That was a 2004 vivaro.

I do remember one occation though where i flashed thanks to someone and the engine died - it must have been really empty at that point though!





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