Tech Tips
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Electrical System
Cure Electrical Problems With High-Output Alternators, Strong Spark Plugs and Wires
 "Enhanced capacity" alternators provide a
real amperage boost, at maximum output
and especially at idle, for both private
and professional vehicles. BROADVIEW, IL, August 28, 2003 –-"If your vehicle absorbs amps like hot chocolate on a cold morning, you might want to consider upgrading your alternator -- which produces all the electricity your vehicle uses -- to one with greater capacity. This relatively straightforward cure for an electrical system suffering from electrical anemia could turn your struggling vehicle into a real charger," notes Fred Padgett, Product Manager for Robert Bosch Starting and Charging Products.
HOW CAN YOU TELL?
"You say your headlights dim to a flicker when you turn the mega-watt stereo on full blast, or your battery goes dead at every possible opportunity? Do other electrically-operated options cause your vehicle's entire electrical system to go on strike? If so, your car, truck or SUV is almost certainly suffering from electrical anemia!
"For many vehicles suffering from electrical anemia, high-powered alternators are available that bolt right in to replace the original unit and save the situation.
 Stainless steel Mag winding wires such as
those in Bosch's Premium Wire Sets
deliver maximum voltage to the spark
plugs for a hotter, more powerful,
and longer spark. Bosch, for instance, offers high-capacity alternators that make excellent upgrades for vehicles that simply need more amperage to meet the needs of the type of driving they are subjected to -- and these needs often grow during Winter driving," Padgett indicated.
"SUVs and sport/compact vehicles or the family car loaded with power options, extra lighting and electronics, campers with a full complement of electrical equipment, delivery vehicles or trucks with electrically operated attachments, muscle cars, tow vehicles, or weekend racers -- all use a lot of electricity. The vehicle's original alternators often are simply not intended to handle the heavy loads placed upon them when all the extra electrical accessories kick in -- often when the engine is idling. High-output alternators can improve the situation dramatically," according to Padgett.
Special "enhanced capacity" alternators available from Bosch, for instance, include:
- Heavy duty alternators that replace "IAR" alternators installed on most Ford 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder and V-8 engines from 1984-1995. The Bosch replacement alternators will produce 90 amps "all day long" to keep all the essential equipment operating as needed on hard-working tow vehicles and campers.
- Very high output, high capacity alternators for a wide variety of sport compact vehicles, including Chevrolet trucks ranging from S-10s to Suburbans from 1985-2000, as well as many very popular "tuner" vehicles from Acura to Honda to Mitsubishi. These alternators, many cranking out up to 200 amps, are bolt-in replacements for the original alternator and keep all the sound, lighting and electronic equipment operating when the demanding drivers of these vehicles turn it all on at once.
- Performance-oriented alternators that replace the original compact Delco "CS" alternators installed in Corvettes, Camaros, Firebirds and many Chevrolet/GMC (and now Cadillac) trucks. These replacement units are real world rated at 100 amps, and eliminate the heat-related bearing failures and shorts in the stator windings associated with the small original units.
- Heavy duty, 150 amp alternators for many Dodge vehicles equipped with the Hemi engine that will easily handle the extra requirements of a multitude of attachments and extra lighting, camper accessories or off-road adventures. These alternators crank out 90 amps at idle, which can be as important as maximum amperage available.
"Many of these high-output alternators include strength and durability features such as a sealed brush box, heavy-duty, high tolerance bearings, superior-duty diode rectifier plates, greatly enhanced ability to dissipate heat, and overall design and construction that will live under high stress and vibration environments. Internal insulation and airflow characteristics make them outstanding choices for super-hot engine bay environments, and high amperage requirements under extended engine-idle conditions," Padgett said.
Designed to bolt right in, most use the original wiring and bracketry. And they really perform, at idle or at high engine speeds. All these alternators are backed by the Bosch Ultimate Protection Plan, which means that if any Bosch alternator fails within two years of its installation, you can get a free jump start or tow, if necessary, from an authorized Bosch service provider, according to Padgett.
For more information check out these other articles from our tech tips:
High-Output Alternators for Extreme Audio
Bosch High-Output Alternator List
ELIMINATE POWER DRAIN, IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
"While you're at it, it's a very good idea to make sure the vital vehicular components using the electricity produced by the alternator are not making the alternator work harder than it should. If your spark plugs or the wires that feed them from the distributor are worn and questionable, they could be draining power just to keep the plugs firing and the engine running -- as well as draining performance from everyday driving.
"Worn, cracked or brittle ignition wires covered with grease and road grime, in fact, can cause intermittent engine failure and stalling. Replacing older wires with a modern ignition wire set will ensure your plugs are getting all the electricity available. And new, modern wires also ensure that inclement weather will not suddenly turn your engine into a sputtering, unreliable force after you drive through that river in the road."
Padgett recommends stainless steel Mag winding wires such as those in Bosch's Premium Wire Sets. These wires deliver maximum voltage to the spark plugs for a hotter, more powerful, and longer spark. This gives optimum engine performance while reducing the chance for misfire, and eliminates radio static. And their 100% pure silicone jacket is totally resistant to oil penetration, for lifetime protection against wire set failure, Padgett indicated.
You can look up your vehicle from our home page catalogs and check the box for wire sets. A Bosch wire set will have the prefix BOS.
Bosch's Platinum+4 spark plugs provide increased performance and up to 5 percent fuel economy savings for the most powerful spark money can buy.
 Bosch's Platinum+4 spark plugs provide increased
performance and up to 5 percent fuel economy savings
for the most powerful spark money can buy. GOOD SPARK PLUGS ESSENTIAL
Spark plugs, of course, are essential to the internal combustion gasoline engine, and over time and thousands of miles they often become worn and operate less efficiently. If sufficiently worn or contaminated with carbon deposits and soot, they can cease operating altogether or function only sporadically -- again, overworking the vehicle's electrical system and significantly decreasing performance, driveability and economy.
"Consider upgrading to premium plugs," Padgett recommends, "Tests show that premium plugs such as Bosch's Platinum +4 spark plugs can improve fuel economy by as much as 5 percent, while improving performance and driving pleasure. And premium plugs such as these feature a revolutionary firing technology that combines advanced surface air gap technology, four ground electrodes, and a heat-fused center electrode with four times the amount of pure platinum versus Bosch Platinum Plugs, creating the most powerful spark for ultimate engine performance. They start better, idle better, accelerate faster, and often pay for themselves in fuel economy improvements alone in a year of driving," according to Marty Kashnowski, Director of Product Management.
You can look up your vehicle from our home page catalogs and check the box for spark plugs.
Bosch spark plugs will have the prefix BOS.
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