Subject: [TR] Stag quit at speed

From: "Lee&John Howard" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2016 10:56:13 -0700

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Was giving the Stag its first serious road test today - it failed!  Engine
quit at about 60 and everything went dead. On the shoulder ( of CA101 north
of SF at rush hour - fun) and engine would not turn and hazard lights wold
not flash.

Could this be anything else but the alternator going dead causing the
battery to totally  discharge?   I just tested by charging the battery,
then starting the car. I turned on all the fans ,lights and radio, then
waited just a few minutes and the engine shit down. Battery voltage now
under 8 volts.

Must be the alternator, right?

John Howard

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div><div>Was giving the Stag its first serious road =
test today - it failed!=C2=A0 Engine quit at about 60 and everything went d=
ead. On the shoulder ( of CA101 north of SF at rush hour - fun) and engine =
would not turn and hazard lights wold not flash.<br><br></div>Could this be=
 anything else but the alternator going dead causing the battery to totally=
=C2=A0 discharge?=C2=A0=C2=A0 I just tested by charging the battery, then s=
tarting the car. I turned on all the fans ,lights and radio, then waited ju=
st a few minutes and the engine shit down. Battery voltage now under 8 volt=
s.<br><br></div>Must be the alternator, right?<br><br></div>John Howard<br>=
</div>

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** [email-masked] **

Archive: http://www.team.net/archive

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From: Frank Magnusson <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2016 15:19:14 -0500

Hi John,

Not sure what setup you have, but I I recall correctly, the original Stag setup had the voltage regulator and the alternator as two separate units, so it could also be the voltage regulator, but alternator or voltage regulator sound like a good place to start.  That or a loose connection somewhere in that system.

Frank

Sent from my iPad

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From: Dave <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2016 09:09:32 -0400

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In their head long rush to maximize CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) they have been making the the plate are larger and larger.  In order to keep the batteries from becoming larger and heavier they have at the same time making the plates thinner and thinner to the point where it has become a thin layer of lead supported by a fiberglass mat.  During the discharge process lead is transferred from one plate to the electrolyte and to the other plate.  If the battery is discharged sufficiently voids will develop in the plate and once that happens the lead will never be replaced in the void thus reducing the effective plate area and the current capacity of the battery.  This is not a problem, normally, with modern cars since they are fitted with alternators that can keep up with the electrical requirements of the car and there is little or no demand on the battery once the car is started.

The alternator on my TR8 died one year when I was the the Summer Part at TRF.  Charles doesn't (or didn't) carry TR8 alternators so I bought a Walmart battery and a cheap set of jumper cables and drove 10 hours home on battery alone.  Plenty of charge left when I arrived.

If the car died while running then your alternator is not working and the battery is discharged.  The the voltage dropped to the point that the car died, the battery has been damaged and may no longer have adequate capacity.

Dave Massey

-----Original Message-----
From: Randall <[email-masked]>
To: 'Lee&John Howard' <[email-masked]>
Cc: 'Triumphs' <[email-masked]>
Sent: Sat, Aug 20, 2016 11:02 pm
Subject: Re: [TR] Stag quit at speed

> But does a bad battery explain the car quitting going 65 after being on
> the road for 15 minutes?  Not to mention that the battery is less than 6
> months old, and hardly driven at all.

Sorry, I missed that you were actually doing 65 when it quit.  In that case,
I'd say you also have a bum alternator (or wiring to it, etc.).  But I still
think you've got a battery problem.

Batteries can be ruined in a matter of days by running them totally flat and
leaving them that way.  Had that happen just a couple of months ago in a
non-LBC, to a battery that was only about 4 months old.  I was out of town,
and the wife accidentally left the dome light on.  When she went to start
the car exactly a week later (it has to be moved every Thursday for street
sweeping), the battery wouldn't take a charge.

Randall

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<font color=3D'black' size=3D'4' face=3D'Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif'><fon=
t size=3D"4">In their head long rush to maximize CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) t=
hey have been making the the plate are larger and larger.&nbsp; In order to=
 keep the batteries from becoming larger and heavier they have at the same =
time making the plates thinner and thinner to the point where it has become=
 a thin layer of lead supported by a fiberglass mat.&nbsp; During the disch=
arge process lead is transferred from one plate to the electrolyte and to t=
he other plate.&nbsp; If the battery is discharged sufficiently voids will =
develop in the plate and once that happens the lead will never be replaced =
in the void thus reducing the effective plate area and the current capacity=
 of the battery.&nbsp; This is not a problem, normally, with modern cars si=
nce they are fitted with alternators that can keep up with the electrical r=
equirements of the car and there is little or no demand on the battery </fo=
nt><font size=3D"4"><font size=3D"4">once the car is started.<br>
<br>
The alternator on my TR8 died one year when I was the the Summer Part at TR=
F.&nbsp; Charles doesn't (or didn't) carry TR8 alternators so I bought a Wa=
lmart battery and a cheap set of jumper cables and drove 10 hours home on b=
attery alone.&nbsp; Plenty of charge left when I arrived.<br>
<br>
If the car died while running then your alternator is not working and the b=
attery is discharged.&nbsp; The the voltage dropped to the point that the c=
ar died, the battery has been damaged and may no longer have adequate capac=
ity.<br>
<br>
</font></font>

<div style=3D"clear:both"><font size=3D"4">Dave Massey</font><br>

<br>

</div>

<div> <br>

</div>

<div> <br>

</div>

<div style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----=
Original Message-----<br>

From: Randall &lt;[email-masked]&gt;<br>

To: 'Lee&amp;John Howard' &lt;[email-masked]&gt;<br>

Cc: 'Triumphs' &lt;[email-masked]&gt;<br>

Sent: Sat, Aug 20, 2016 11:02 pm<br>

Subject: Re: [TR] Stag quit at speed<br>

<br>

&gt; But does a bad battery explain the car quitting going 65 after being o=
n<br>

&gt; the road for 15 minutes?  Not to mention that the battery is less than=
 6<br>

&gt; months old, and hardly driven at all.<br>

<br>

Sorry, I missed that you were actually doing 65 when it quit.  In that case=
,<br>

I'd say you also have a bum alternator (or wiring to it, etc.).  But I stil=
l<br>

think you've got a battery problem.<br>

<br>

Batteries can be ruined in a matter of days by running them totally flat an=
d<br>

leaving them that way.  Had that happen just a couple of months ago in a<br=

non-LBC, to a battery that was only about 4 months old.  I was out of town,=
<br>

and the wife accidentally left the dome light on.  When she went to start<b=
r>

the car exactly a week later (it has to be moved every Thursday for street<=
br>

sweeping), the battery wouldn't take a charge.<br>

<br>

Randall<br>

<br>

<a href=3D"http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/triumphs/[email-masked]=
m" target=3D"_blank"></a><br>

</div>

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