Alternative Alternators ?

[Gareth]

whats a standard H4 bulb normally use??

100w = 8 amps

P.s. Not being a smartarse but i think your componant power consumption is off by a lot... Thermo's (even the smaller ones) pull an average of 15 amps each when running and peak current can reach 30ish on start up!

The fuel pumps should run at 6-7 amp when running at idle, more than this would often indicate a restriction problem and less would often be caused by a poor pump or reg.

Can you get hold of a clamp meter and see whats being made?

P.p.s. Over kill is waayyy better than under kill when it comes to sizing automotive cable

[VL400]

also found some more info on the LS2 coils which says that i'd likely see a max of 10amps per set of 2 (3 x 2 sets in wasted spark) ... so might be seeing up to 30amps from them..... fair difference to the single coil, but you need it for a better spark i guess

Thats the peak current, its a saw tooth type of rise to around 8-10A. Then they do nothing for awhile waiting for the next dwell start. Worst case in your setup is 4 coils charging at once with the dwell overlap (but that is only for a very short duration), while duty cycle for each coil at full noise is less than 50% (target dwell is probably 4ms, and 7K RPM is 8.5ms per rev). So the average current is probably in the 5-10A range during a pass even with wasted spark.

[Charlescrown]

I don't know where your wiring goes but run the alt output to the starter which is where your main power from the battery should be. No sense running it seperately all the way to the back but I would measure the battery sensing wire where you have it connected and measure the battery voltage and then just trick the difference with a diode or 2 to get the battery up to 14-14.5 volts should do the trick but I agree you need to do some current and voltage tests first.

[delcowizzid]

he sort of has to run the charge cable to the rear to get the kill switch working properly to pass tech inspection or you turn the big red key and the car keeps running with the battery fully dissconnected from the system.we had a guy here not long ago had a heart attack hit the wall car sat there full throttle they turned the key off it stayed there at full thjrottle caught fire and fried every computer system in the car datalogger ecu everything from no battery in the system was just how they had the charge cable run to the car side of the kill switch not the battery side as well as charge light wiring etc.at high revs it doesnt matter even iff you pull the sense and trigger wire off the alt they still keep charging/running

[immortality]

Where is the kill switch on the VB?

[The1]

i noticed on my VX compaired to VS they made the contact ring larger on the alternator terminal wire, the plastic surround also has a larger gap for it on the vx alternator over vs. Checking with a multimeter on teh battery on the vx it holds 14.4v at the battery with a/c and high beams on, though pcm and cluster report 13.4volts The VS dips down to 13.7volt at the battery with the same test. Both 100amp alternators.

[immortality]

i noticed on my VX compaired to VS they made the contact ring larger on the alternator terminal wire, the plastic surround also has a larger gap for it on the vx alternator over vs. Checking with a multimeter on teh battery on the vx it holds 14.4v at the battery with a/c and high beams on, though pcm and cluster report 13.4volts The VS dips down to 13.7volt at the battery with the same test. Both 100amp alternators.

Yeah, I get very similar results although the battery in the missus VX is a bit tired and will need replacement soon I think.

Maybe Holden realised things weren't quiet right and started to get wiring sorted for the later V6 models?

[delcowizzid]

Where is the kill switch on the VB?

in front of the gearlever LOL its about to get one on the rear to get tech inspected.we have voltage issues but only at rpm hit boost and charge rate/volts plummet LOL should really slow the poor alternator down one day

[Holden202T]

yeah what delcowizzid said!

I have also done those tests on VS commodores, and a few that crank slowly and charge dodgy is because of the wire from the alternator or the starter wires are half corroded .... they are getting pretty old now!

[The1]

also the fat terminal to the body near the battery, clean up the bolts and contacts helps alot.