Getting Ready to use Air Conditioning?
It’s time to get ready for hot weather. With no real winter this year and predictions for a very hot summer, fleets will soon begin the spring ritual of checking air conditioning systems so that the vehicle will be ready for the summer.
While the vehicle is in the shop receiving air conditioning tests and possible repairs, it is a perfect time to also check the vehicle charging system. The charging system is comprised of the alternator, battery pack and connecting cables. As the outside temperature rises, electrical demands on the vehicle’s charging system will increase to support the extra loads required by the air conditioning system and other hot weather loads.
Testing the vehicle charging system must be done in a three step method as outlined in TMC’s RP-129:
1. Remove the cables from the batteries and test each battery. Replace as needed.
2. Conduct a voltage drop test on the cables…….At the rated output of the alternator, the drop should not exceed 0.5 volts total. If it does repair or replace the cable(s) causing the issue.
3. Test the alternator for regulator setting and output in amps. – Replace as needed.
These tests must be conducted in the above sequence to obtain accurate results. This will ensure that vehicle charging systems perform as intended. The summer heat kills battery life, especially in AGM batteries so please make sure the charging voltage is correct and there are no outside heat sources near the battery box. High voltage and additional heat will result in less than outstanding battery life.
and be left on for the entire week-end (72 hours). Four amps multiplied by 72 hours is 288 Amp/hours. However a dc-ac power inverter can pull 150 amps to power an 800 Watt (Cooking power) microwave oven. It takes five minutes to cook the item. Five minutes equals 0.0833 hour. 150 amps multiplied by 0.0833 is 12.495 Amp/hours.