Alternators on long drives? Wet weather?

[Kneale Brownson]

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At 12:13 PM 08/21/2002 -0700, Ti Kan wrote:

>scott thomas writes:
> > I was wondering if an alternator
> > can build up enough heat over that time frame to
> > damage itself, or just as long as it's spinning,
> > it ok?
>
>That's why there usually is a little fan behind the pulley
>that draws air into the alternator, to cool it.
>
> > Second q is about the Bosch note about wet
> > weather causing charging problems. I see it on
> > alot of the web parts sites, along with just a
> > heading under some recall list page I found.
> > What's the story?
>
>Water can cause belt slippage, and like most things electrical,
>water entering the guts of an alternator is not a good thing.

The Bosch-trained guy who overhauled my 200q20v alternator this spring,
which stopped charging when I hit a big pile of slush, said the open design
of our alternators is good for cooling, bad for wet.  Too bad Audi puts the
alternator down there right next to the road.
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