battery reserve capacity

[straight6pwr]

anyone know a ball park on how long my battery will keep my car running if my alternator is dead/charging system not working?


my battery died while driving the other day so i dont know which has gone bad. i assume its the battery since it is 6+ years old and has been pretty abused when it comes to letting it die over and over again. anyhow ive replaced the battery and i'm wondering about how long the car should drive before it kills.

i know it is different from battery to battery but a rough estimate is all i need.
thanks

[E30FreaK89]

depends on how big the battery is!

[straight6pwr]

depends on how big the battery is!

i know it is different from battery to battery but a rough estimate is all i need.

its the standard size for an e30, and car batteries are all pretty close in size. are we talking minutes here, 15min, an hour?

[erik325i]

With a brand new battery and no alternater, I would give you under an hour, but more than 15 minutes.

-Erik

[Axxe]

60 kms is all I got before the fuel pump ran out of juice.

[2002maniac]

My optima powered my car for 2.5 days with no alternator.

Jumpstart the car and check the voltage accross the battery. If it isnt aroun 14v your alt is screwed.

[straight6pwr]

thanks guys.

it lasted about 20min then took a crap so it definately wasnt the battery. anything else it could be besides the alternator?

[808BMW]

thanks guys.

it lasted about 20min then took a crap so it definately wasnt the battery. anything else it could be besides the alternator?

Jumpstart the car and check the voltage accross the battery. If it isnt aroun 14v your alt is screwed.

I'd charge your battery on a charger, then test voltage at the battery terminals (first with car off, then on), and on your alt itself.