I like listening to the AGCO Auto weekly podcast (http://www.agcoauto.com/content/Radio).
I heard Louis Altazan saying that short trips can be really hard on car batteries because your alternator never runs at sufficient speed to maintain a full charge. Louis said that at low engine RPM combined with short trips, it's likely that most of the car's electrical needs are being supplied by your battery and not your alternator.
I have a 2019 Toyota Tacoma with the V6 motor and I was curious at what engine RPM my factory, 130 amp alternator achieves maximum output...so I e-mailed Toyota. They called me back and said the only data they had freely available said something like, "Initial output starting speed - RPM maximum 1,300."
If that means that my alternator produces 130 amps at 1,300 RPMs, that means that my truck is always producing maximum output if I'm driving anywhere (because my RPMs are always above 1,300) and the only time it isn't is when the motor is idling.
Does this sound correct or am I misinterpreting what Toyota told me?
Ed
I heard Louis Altazan saying that short trips can be really hard on car batteries because your alternator never runs at sufficient speed to maintain a full charge. Louis said that at low engine RPM combined with short trips, it's likely that most of the car's electrical needs are being supplied by your battery and not your alternator.
I have a 2019 Toyota Tacoma with the V6 motor and I was curious at what engine RPM my factory, 130 amp alternator achieves maximum output...so I e-mailed Toyota. They called me back and said the only data they had freely available said something like, "Initial output starting speed - RPM maximum 1,300."
If that means that my alternator produces 130 amps at 1,300 RPMs, that means that my truck is always producing maximum output if I'm driving anywhere (because my RPMs are always above 1,300) and the only time it isn't is when the motor is idling.
Does this sound correct or am I misinterpreting what Toyota told me?
Ed