IN the past, a vehicle would run if the battery was disconnected.
Today, with all of the electronic control modules for the engine and transmission, and electronic voltage regulators, the loss of battery power, from a solenoid failure or other problem, can cause some vehicles to stop running completely. I would imagine this very same situation could happen if the alternator failed and the battery discharged to the point where it no longer provided enough power to energize the electronic control modules. Definitely something to be aware of. MAYBE, a permanent emergency bypass switch could be added to jumper across the solenoid in case of a failure. Obviously this would take a wiring diagram to insure that it would not cause more problems when used.
