theoldwizard1 wrote:
covered wagon wrote:
I don't like causing a slow death to my alternators diodes which increases the AC voltage ripple thru the dc system. Which in turn can slowly destroy the ECM, PCM and other electronic circuitry. It can play havoc with sensors as well. Smaller wires to the batts from the truck will help slow the amperage demands that sometimes are too much for the trucks alternator and cause damage to the diodes.
So what are your qualification to make these claims ?
30+ years of automotive electronics engineering gives me some qualification to call BS on most of those statements. The diodes in alternator will likely NEVER see voltages higher than 20V-30V and yet they are typically rated at OVER 60V ! Plenty of "cushion".
My two buds that are electrical engineers drilled and hammered me till I understood. It was not a rubber mallet neither. I have actually experienced what I'm talking about, with their help of course. Now I'm trying to help folks like you too.
It is the amount of amperage put on the diodes that kills them and as they die you are dumping more AC noise into the system hurting your electronics and may even cause the transmission to shift erratically or the speedo to not run steady, can cause all sorts of problems. Most times no symptoms exist at all until you do ac ripple test and find that your sometimes even a new alternator tossing out damaging levels of AC volts.
