How far can you drive with dead alternator?

[Motown Junk]

With a fully charged battery, how far before it conks out (V5 VW Bora FWIW)? Used to have racebikes that would do 15 laps of Brands Hatch with no alternator but no ideas if this will fry anything.

Trying to get it to my trusted mechanic but it's abandoned about 50 miles away.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I drove 50 miles with alternator not connected, half distance with side lights & wipers on. (one and only time I've ever used sidelights )

[Crafty_]

Hard to say, but modern cars are so reliant on battery power for powering ECUs etc. I don't think you will get anywhere near 50 miles out of it.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I drove 50 miles with alternator not connected, half distance with side lights & wipers on. (one and only time I've ever used sidelights )

I have to say it was a TVR, so nothing modern there then

[Motown Junk]

Oh well, best have the RAC card handy.

Ta!

[NiceCupOfTea]

Thaxted to the Blackwall Tunnel until the car starts misfiring... (headlights off on lit sections of motorway)

[Justin S]

Astra diesel from knighton in Shropshire to Reading and still had enough juice for the garage to start it the next morning and get it to the garage to replace the alternator. No lights on or stereo and bmw levels of indication.

[furrywoolyhatuk]

Suzuki vitara, after off roading, alternator clogged with mud, drove 30 miles before conking out and dying on epsoms one way system

Learnt my lesson and now have a little doodah of eBay that tells you battery voltage and plugs into the cigarette lighter.

[RDMcG]

Drove about 70 miles in a Buick Park Avenue. As time went on the power steering started to go until I needed Popeye biceps by the time I left it outside the dealers.

[LS]

Leeds to Daventry at night diesel Peugeot. Normal motorway speed, only stopped when fuel pump gave up.

[Nick1point9]

Effective charge stored in battery * average speed / average current consumption = distance until battery is flat.

[Crafty_]

Quite surprised at the distances some have travelled with a duff alternator, the only time I've experienced it was when one of the studs on the back of the alternator broke off completely, tried to get the car across town but it packed in halfway and I had to get it recovered.

[yodel]

beg steal or borrow a spare battery a couple of spanners and off you go.

[Sardonicus]

yodel said:

beg steal or borrow a spare battery a couple of spanners and off you go.

This will get you sorted Motown Junk.

[essayer]

Might sound obvious but don't travel when it's dark!!

[Justin Cyder]

Sevenoaks to Brighton in an Audi 80 when the fan belt let go on New Years eve via the M25 & M23. Sidelights, no heater, no stereo & it was fine once I got another belt on.

I have to say though, it was a miserable journey - it was like Apollo fecking 13 in there.

[wildoliver]

South of France back to Yorkshire when I was about 6 in my Dads 1971 911 on just 3 batteries (2 already in the car, bought one on way up)

12 yes 12 miles on my 1991 964 model 911 on one battery.

Shows the difference ECUs etc. Make, I also did 3 days driving and only killed the battery driving at night on the way home from a girlfriends in an MGB.

[Elesmart]

Thread revival time :-)

I've got to get my car to the specialist this weekend without the use of an alternator helping to charge the battery. The car is kept on a trickle charger, so the battery will be fully charged to complete the 20 mile journey.

Any tips / success stories from other people who's alternator has failed and made it further than 20 miles on the battery charge alone?

I'm planning on completing the drive early in the morning (around 7:30AM), and hoping it isn't raining. No use of the stereo / electrical items. Will the ECU's require enough power to cause a breakdown on a drive like this?? I'll find out on Saturday morning, I guess.

[GreenV8S]

You'll be fine for a couple of hours as long as you don't use lights, wipers, heated rear window and so on.

[Penelope Stopit]

If you need wipers you can use the wipers, keep them on intermittent or first speed

20 Miles about half an hour?

Edited by Penelope Stopit on Tuesday 27th August 17:45