How low can you run the battery voltage?

[SS Bronco]

Buy a hitch basket, a cheap generator, a battery charger, and an extension cord. I'm sure you can figure out the rest, it may be cheaper than flying home and your Bronco will stay with you. Pretty hillbilly but it should work...

That’s a good idea, I am going to remember that. Will provide pictures if it ever happens.

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[Hopeless Diamond]

Well, if I didn't have to drop the hitch to try and actually get the Bronco...knew I should have waited

 

[orion]

That’s a good idea, I am going to remember that. Will provide pictures if it ever happens.

You better...

Well, if I didn't have to drop the hitch to try and actually get the Bronco...knew I should have waited

Add that Curt hitch to the shopping cart...

 

[da_jokker]

So if it is just mud in your alternator, it can be taken apart and cleaned. Not sure if it is exactly a trail fix but doable.

And the what about simple renting a car dolly and having the Ranger tow you? If not uhaul it with a car dolly.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

I haven't heard the alternator can be cleaned. Assumed the mud, water causes a short and isn't self repairable

 

[RHeinz]

https://northeastbattery.com/battery-101-three-things-need-know-lead-acid-batteries/#:~:text=By fully discharging your lead,to the memory effect issue.

1. Do I need to completely discharge my lead acid battery before recharging it?

This is a hard and fast NO. By fully discharging your lead acid battery, or even discharging it below 80% of its rated capacity, you could damage the battery.

The belief that a battery needed to be fully discharged before recharging goes back to the memory effect issue. (See question 1.) Since that is no longer an issue (and never was an issue with lead acid batteries) there is not a need to fully discharge.

By discharging a lead acid battery to below the manufacturer’s stated end of life discharge voltage you are allowing the polarity of some of the weaker cells to become reversed. This causes permanent damage to those cells and prevents the battery from ever being recharged.

It’s not a lead acid battery, its an AGM.s

 

[cbrenthus]

It’s not a lead acid battery, its an AGM.s

AGMs are lead acid

Just a new, advanced type that can withstand more abuse, and theoretically last longer though my batteries in my '19 JLUR and '20 Pacifica both failed after 3.5 years.

And I love the hitch basket, generator, and charger idea, but I wonder if this would generate enough current to charge the battery and keep everything running? I think most alternators are around 200 amps. Most battery chargers are going to be around 20 amps or less, unless you get a big industrial charger

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Well, since we had a day before leaving and not going out on the trails so decided to pull the alternator and clean it. Seemed to work for some, so nothing to lose. Whole Lotta fun getting it out.

Pulled it apart and while not a lot of dirt in, it did seem that one of brushes was stuck and the armature (?) Was scuffed up a bit. Washed all of it with clean water and gonna clean up the armature with some scothbrite and put it all back together.

Will post the results in a few hours.

 

[Jazer]

Fingers crossed for ya. Works for some!

 

[Bmadda]

Well, since we had a day before leaving and not going out on the trails so decided to pull the alternator and clean it. Seemed to work for some, so nothing to lose. Whole Lotta fun getting it out.

Pulled it apart and while not a lot of dirt in, it did seem that one of brushes was stuck and the armature (?) Was scuffed up a bit. Washed all of it with clean water and gonna clean up the armature with some scothbrite and put it all back together.

Will post the results in a few hours.

If anybody with you has an ohmmeter handy, you should check the continuity of that field coil quick. Measure resistance between the 2 slip rings on the armature. Not sure what spec would be, but if it's open circuit, nothing you do will make that alternator work again...if there is a readable resistance, then it has a chance

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Well, winning!!!

It worked, started up and was at 13.3v, then ramped up to the typical 14.4 or so.

Gonna go take a test ride and call it good.

99% sure it was the brushes

 

[LockedBronco]

Well, winning!!!

It worked, started up and was at 13.3v, then ramped up to the typical 14.4 or so.

Gonna go take a test ride and call it good.

99% sure it was the brushes

Awesome

Would love to know how it holds up.

You might have ruined someone's day that is trying to build a better alternator.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Hah. I think what's needed is a way to seal the opening on the back. The plastic cover allows water/debris in and that's where the problem is. Keep dirty crap out of the brushes and and no problems.

 

[Jdc]

Hah. I think what's needed is a way to seal the opening on the back. The plastic cover allows water/debris in and that's where the problem is. Keep dirty crap out of the brushes and and no problems.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...-22-2392-mud-accumulation-in-generator.68388/

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

It would be nice to see how the shield looks. If they would just have put a plug/seal over the opening in the back of it, there wouldn't be any problems. The plastic cover doesn't seal it and it allows dirt in and that gacks up the brushes.

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