WE will see.... I'm trying Jedi's mind trixs to see if I can restore my dead battery again for the 4th or more time.

I don't drive it enough.

Unfortunately I left the trunk open last time.... so this time it truely was discharged all the way. It was a new battery too.

 

You might want to think about getting a battery maintainer. Will be a lot cheaper in the long run. Ebay has solar maintainers for cheap, plug-in's for cheaper (less convenient than solar though.)

 

Ah, so this is why I didn't know about alternator brushes; I never had to fix any. I've resurfaced commutators and replaced those brushes tho. Supplying a couple of amps for the field windings and not riding on a cheese grater -- alternator brushes seem like they have it pretty easy I'd be more worried about the diodes but hey, I've already displayed my ignorance!

 

Yep - if they don't fail, you never realize they're there. For alternators it's mostly bearings and diodes.

As far as displaying ignorance - HA! You're not even in the game compared to a couple of others in this thread.

Ken

 

Razz: got a battery charger? If not, you can borrow mine.

 

Then Mazda is wrong. You generate DC and alternate AC.

Ummmm.... guacamole! Now there's a 'green' solution!!

Recharging a lead-acid battery is an electro-chemical process which takes time. Therefore a slow recharge is the way to go.

My 8's battery stays on a Battery Tender all winter.

 

LESSON OF THE DAY:
there are brushes on the slipring of the alt....there are wires connected the the "rotor" of the alternator which is the part that spins and makes a magnetic field...the magnetic field is then transfered to the "stator" which sends the output to the battery (of course before the battery) the rectifier bridge converts the AC voltage to DC so it does not damage the battery!!!!

 

Not quite; The diodes (or rectifier bridge) are used to essentially block and direct the current. Since batteries need DC current, the diodes become a one-way valve that will only allow current to pass in the same direction.

 

^exactly the diodes are a "one way check valve" only let it flow in one direction(DC) was being basic not too much into depth so ppl get confused....easier to say "convert"

 

As long as we're endeavoring to be [overly] precise, it's a full wave bridge rectifier. But one way check valve is a nice analogy.

 

I dont know much about Alternators/Generators (I know how it works, but never worked on one)

If I wanna increase the output of the Alernators/Generators. What do I need to do ? put more "rings" of wires to it ? : o

 

If you want to increase the output, you replace it or supplement it with a second alternator.

 

This is a very interesting discussion, albeit a bit technical. But what's the consensus:

a) Should I replace that battery? It's about 3 years old, and that's the only time it was discharged. That happened in September, and it's been working fine since - even in cold weather.

b) What about the alternator/generator? Replace? Can it be tested for damage? Or should I just leave it be, knowing that it will probably be fine (and that if, someday, it fails, I'll know why).

 

a) You're fine

b) You're fine

Obviously we who procure the elegant engineering solution that is the rotary engined RX-8 are a cut above on the IQ ladder and tend to be more concerned with all aspects of our 8's operation and maintenance. But there are times when you just have to step back and remind yourself that it was designed for rigorous use and reliability (and the occasional faux pas). Don't sweat it (not that you could sweat is this Coooold!).

 

Don't forget that English is not Mazda's first language.

Personally, I wouldn't touch "alternator" vs "generator", lest the discussion flows into "motor" vs "engine."

Ken

 

I did consider that. After all, an alternator is just a generator with a rectifier. But again, we did have generators in the early 50's and moved to alternators when ever growing accessory demands also necessitated 12v systems.

I generally prefer engine, but then I'm an engineer.

 

So the consensus seems to be :

Not really a major problem to alternator or battery to totally recharge your battery from dead flat but - don't make a habit of it if you want good battery life .

 

Correct, if you want better battery and alternator life.

 

yeah keep it charged dont' make a habit to recharge from dead all the time it will ruin the battery not the alternator!!!! As for NYCGPS by increasing the windings and speeding up the spin of the "rotor" you could get more however just upgrading to a larger one is the only way to go can't really just add wires to it!!! haha

 

generators had brushes,,,,,wore out because of high current while charging.....

alternators have Brushes inthe field circuit,,,, using low voltage,,,,,
low current (generally 1 to 5 volts) the more voltage on field,,,,the more output of alternator...
hopes this helps , in general