How long could you drive without a drive belt?
In a modern automobile …one made within the last 20 years or so …it would depend. It may overheat first or it may deplete the battery …or both …before you or the engine stops driving it.The drive belt …aka serpentine belt …drives all or most of the accessories on modern engines.For some vehicles, particularly overhead cam (OHC) vehicles, the water pump is often driven by the belt spinning the cam shaft. On other engines types, overhead valve (OHV) engines in particular, the water pump is driven by the serpentine belt.But in both types of engines the alternator is almost always driven by the serpentine belt.So, in all cases, if the belt breaks you can drive until the battery dies …since that’s the only source of electrical power in the car when the alternator isn’t working. How long the engine will run on just the battery is a function of the health of the battery and whatever other electrical loads there are (like the electric fuel pump, electric cooling fan, AC compressor clutch, HVAC fan, headlights, wipers).If you have an OHC engine where the water pump is run off the cam belt then chances are you won’t overhear the engine right away; a good flow of coolant will be running through the radiator. If you’re running at a steady speed …like on the freeway …the battery will probably die before the engine overheats …but if you’re slogging along in rush hour traffic, maybe not so much.If you have an OHV engine, the water pump gets taken out with the busted belt and you lose good circulation of coolant through the radiator. Chances are the engine will begin to overheat relatively quickly …or at least a lot sooner than for an engine with a working water pump …especially if you’re running in slow moving traffic.So, there ya go.Ideally, being a good car owner, you check that belt for wear and tension and get it fixed before it bites you in the ass.
What is the minimum RPM of a 12V car alternator?
An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature.Alternators are used in modern automobiles to charge the battery and to power the electrical system when its engine is running.Until the 1960s, automobiles used DC dynamo generators with commutators. With the availability of affordable silicon diode rectifiers, alternators were used instead. This was encouraged by the increasing electrical power required for cars in this period, with increasing loads from larger headlamps, electric wipers, heated rear windows and other accessories.An alternator has a number of advantages compared to a dynamo (generator) : It produces a useful output even at low revs which a dynamo cannot. An alternator will still deliver between 13v-14v even at idle speeds enough to charge the battery. This is because it can withstand much higher revs than a dynamo and can thus be geared higher so producing useful output at low revs. It is mechanically simpler than a dynamo and therefore easier to maintain and has a longer life. An alternator produces AC which is converted to DC by a diode pack rather than by mechanical means. Alternators are far simpler to regulate (ie: the ability to control their output voltage and current under varying loads like headlights on, heated screen on etc etc).
How long can I drive my car with bad coil packs?
It is not a question of how long you can do it. It is more a question if you should.The answer is you should not. You can drive the car until it breaks down completely (and it will). While doing so you will, as pointed out by other answers, run the risk of damaging the converter but you also run the risk of fire.If the coil is faulty very bad things can happen. Car fires are usually related to causes associated with fuel, and/or electrical. Once a fuel part starts leaking while a car is running, a fuel drip can be the formula for fire if you get sparks from a spark plug wire or an ignition coil that is faulty. Something like this could be the end result. (the image is from the web, I am just using it to illustrate a possible scenario, I do not know what happened with the beamer) But I have seen a Lancia catch fire from a faulty ignition coil.So, why risk it? Yes, they are not cheap, but you really should get a new one. By trying to "save" a few bucks you may end up having to spend a lot more.
What does it mean when a car's battery light turns on while the car is moving (eventually car decelerates and stops)?
The alternator is failing or has ceased functioning. Whereas the engine's torque is usually giving your car constant electricity using the alternator, when it fails to do so the battery's reserved power is then used. Usually the battery is only used to start the vehicle. It obviously has enough power to spark the plugs, but only for so long, especially if you are also running your radio, A/C, headlights, etc. Once the battery is dead, the car is dead.This happened to me more than once. The alternator has a finite life in every car, so there comes a time when it will die, and it will almost certainly not be at the most opportune moment. Recognize signs of this happening before it is too late. Mine was failing for months before it inevitably gave in and I finally figured out what was wrong. A similar issue is if your serpentine belt snaps, the engine is no longer running your alternator, whether it's in good shape or not. This will cause more issues than the car just dying in five minutes- the water pump will cease functioning to cool your engine down and you will eventually overheat it and perhaps irreparably damage the vehicle.There are possibly other things that can cause this issue but this seems by and large the most likely.