Moss Motors, Ltd

when i get my mg out of the garage,it takes two starts from cold ( i have to stop the engine to close the garage doors.,and then restart.

so,if a cold engine takes  lets say 8 seconds total of cranking on the starter,in terms of miles - how many miles at a normal speed, would i then have to drive before the mgb charging system has put the charge back into the batteries.

assuming that all things are in first class condition and no lights are being used.

this leads me to another question - i am thinking of fitting an ammeter guage in my mg,to monitor the charging performance of alternator.

does anyone know how to fit one.

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phil wilkins

Phil,

An alternator can put out 90 A [45 earlier models] into a flat battery. This why one should never go for a fast drive to recharge a battery after a jump start, gentle tick over for 10 mins is much better for the battery. I've got the T-shirt on that one!

To keep a check on battery condition it's much more informative [and less invasive] to monitor voltage, a healthy battery should be putting out about 14 volts on no-load on a nice summers day! Multimeter and cigar-socket plug makes a good temporary lash-up for this measurement!!

cheers  steve

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To a man equipped with only a hammer, most problems look like nails

steve has this right on the nose. An ameter, undamped, will swing wildly ( and uselessly, as far as info is concerned) about with an alternator, as opposed to a generator, for which an ammeter is the correct instrument.

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Motorbill
From Lola to Land Rover, If it's British and has wheels, it's likely I've bloodied me knuckles thereupon