Block heater

[MZ3_GS]

Ok thats true to an extent, but the battery then provides the power.
So does your battery not discharge then? Thus the light comes on?
And if you shut off your car at that point theres a good chance it won\'t turn over next time?

I\'m done now I\'m gonna rice out my Civic in NFSU2arc

[majic]

Originally posted by MZ3_GS


I\'m not posting crap if your blind to the fact that the alternator works like this:



Where output current is a function of RPM I don\'t know what to say.
Revving the engine provided more current, thus ur are right it charged the battery faster.

BTW:
My battery wasn\'t bad, the car was fairly new, I was stuck in traffic and it just happens so I was using every power acessory in the car. and If i needed a High output alternator I\'d get one built, but I don\'t need one because I don\'t make it a habit to idle.:p

You still have not provided factual evidence that the alternator provides more than enough current to run all the accessories at idle. I breifely glanced at your \"source\" page and even states there that at 2000RPM an output current of 15A is achieved.

d00de.. READ my posts.. and then read YOUR posts..

look at the graph..
FACT: @ 2K RPM YOUR alternator produces 80A (red line)
FACT: alternators are geared UP (usually 3:1 ratio)
FACT: to obtain 2000 RPM ON ALTERNATOR, the engine must do roughly 700RPM
FACT: this is WHY the idling rpms are 700+

you have 5speed? well i do.. put it in first.. slowly release clutch, the lights will dim why? RPMs go down.. WHY? b/c there\'s friction b/w clutch plate and flywheel - this slows engine down and the alternator slows down 3x as fast!!! the battery does not \'compensate\' for the dimming lights b/c the system figures.. hey.. engine is running and the alternator is running so all juice is coming from there..

how many more FACTS do you need? you can\'t just come up with your own opinions man.. opinions are for philosophers and those in fashion business.. here u\'r dealing with physics and other sciences.. LAWS, theorems and a bunch of equations.. sorry it\'s binary.. right or wrong.. u might be in the wrong field if you think otherwise.. (unless you like the ternary system)

[majic]

Originally posted by MZ3_GS
Ok thats true to an extent, but the battery then provides the power.

NO. battery provides power when the engine is NOT running

Originally posted by MZ3_GS
So does your battery not discharge then? Thus the light comes on?

Battery discharges when the engine is NOT running. Light comes on when the alternator cannot maintain a 14.4V (ideal for recharging the 12V battery) This tells you.. \"hey stupid.. alternator might be dead or dying.. get to a shop asap b4 your battery fully discharges\"

Originally posted by MZ3_GS
And if you shut off your car at that point theres a good chance it won\'t turn over next time?

potentially (if it\'s really cold or if it\'s been sitting there for a while - leakage current). so when u see the light come on.. go to a shop!

Originally posted by MZ3_GS
I\'m done now I\'m gonna rice out my Civic in NFSU2arc

make sure you put a huge battery in there.. better yet 2..

civic? that ain\'t an american car.. man.. u want to lose power when you idle before you drag? arc

[MZ3_GS]

That alternator doesn\'t represent th m3 alternator it has a max current rating of ~ 160A, so you would NOT get 80A at 2000RPM in the Mazda.

Anyways point is. Current Draw of accessories > Current Supplied by Alt.
Power will be taken from the battery. So then like any other battery it will become discharged.

There are more than just one problem that can make a battery light appear. Clearly in my case the alternator was fine because it drove fine for the rest of the time I had it.

You\'re right about the fact that the ratio of engine speed to alternator speed. So if you generalize that curve and say max current is 90A as the case for the Mazda then at idle, engine rpm or 700, you get 40A.

Turn on your head lights, radio, heater with fan all the way up, defroster heated seats, those with customized stereos your drawing more than 40Amps. That power is coming from the battery.

[FLIPDADY]

Someone let this thread die please!

[bubba1983]

cluck cluck cluck...my penis is bigger than yours...bla bla cluck cluck...your like 2 old hen\'s.....give it a rest!

[majic]

Originally posted by bubba1983


cluck cluck cluck...my penis is bigger than yours...bla bla cluck cluck...your like 2 old hen\'s.....give it a rest!

d00de.. when you have nothing of value to say just SHUT UP!

we weren\'t comparing dicks (or or aftermarket car parts for that matter) MajesticBlueN and I were just providing TM3 members with correct info while MZ3_GS was disagreeing with us. I am sick of repeating myself and fighting.. so i stopped, you as a TM3 reader can decide for yourself what\'s true and what\'s not. i really have nothing to gain from telling you how it is and trying to covince you. you do as you please.. oh yah.. have a merry ****ing xmas

[teambedlam]

Getting this thread back on the original topic of Block heaters.......

Up here in Ottawa my block heater is better then gold right about now. It goes down to -20 overnight and i don\'t have indoor parking up here. It\'s so cold my bottle of eyeglass cleaner froze solid.

And you think Toronto got it bad with ice. this whole town is a skating rink. The RSA\'s are doing well. That is as long as i start in 2nd gear.

[Xenon]

Originally posted by teambedlam

The RSA\'s are doing well. That is as long as i start in 2nd gear.

OK... I have been doing a lot of RS-A bashing lately, but I will face up. Yes, I agree if the car is cautiously piloted, the RS-A\'s do well at what they are suppsed to do.

However (and I know no one has argued this, I\'m simply stating a point) I got winter tires simply because the RS-A\'s did not meet MY standards for grip in snow.

[bubba1983]

Originally posted by majic

Originally posted by bubba1983


cluck cluck cluck...my penis is bigger than yours...bla bla cluck cluck...your like 2 old hen\'s.....give it a rest!

d00de.. when you have nothing of value to say just SHUT UP!

we weren\'t comparing dicks (or or aftermarket car parts for that matter) MajesticBlueN and I were just providing TM3 members with correct info while MZ3_GS was disagreeing with us. I am sick of repeating myself and fighting.. so i stopped, you as a TM3 reader can decide for yourself what\'s true and what\'s not. i really have nothing to gain from telling you how it is and trying to covince you. you do as you please.. oh yah.. have a merry ****ing xmas

wahhh wahhh....take a pill....*rolls eyes*

[teambedlam]

Originally posted by Xenon I got winter tires simply because the RS-A\'s did not meet MY standards for grip in snow.

I agree that i would feel way safer with Winters on. However i have been driving for 15 winters with all season tires. Mind you the first 5 were all seasons on a 4WD Subaru.

[cyber]

Trying to stay on topic with block heaters...again...LOL

I just got mine installed yesterday. Since the temp today is about 12 degeres, I guess I won\'t be using it until this weekend. Anyways, I got it installed at Mazda of Brampton and the total price with tax came to $143. Unfortunately because I am still fairly new to the Mazda 3 world I don\'t have access to the discounts. But I did find this somewhat a deal. I know how valuable these block heater are (since I had one before) and would have paid twice that much for one.

The break down:
The part was $42 and to install, 1 hour of labour.

[Airman Jack]

the block heaters work fantastically well, as some of you know I\'ve moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to continue my military flight training. It\'s fricking COLD here! We\'ve had a cold snap and it\'s hit -50C with the windchill on a regular basis. The car cranks over just as if it were +20C. When I was driving here, I spent a night in North Dakota and it went down to about -10C there, and the car complained a helluva lot more when I started her up the next morning!