Generator or Alternator?

[Wato]

My 100/4 Healey has a generator and I have fitted Electronic ignition. All runs well. Have been told I need to change to alternator if running at night and using the headlights which have been converted to LED. Any recommendations?

 

[BobHaskell]

My 100/4 Healey has a generator and I have fitted Electronic ignition. All runs well. Have been told I need to change to alternator if running at night and using the headlights which have been converted to LED. Any recommendations?

For home lighting, an LED bulb uses a lot less power than incandescent. I would have thought the same was true for headlights. Not the case?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Maybe your source is confusing LED with halogen or HID (I'm being kind here)?

LED Headlights Can Be Brighter but Often Lack Clear Advantages

Light emitting diode (LED) headlights are coming on more vehicles each year. Consumer Reports takes a look at this technology and explains that these lights may not be better than halogen lights.

www.consumerreports.org

I put LED headlights on my BJ8. They were the whole bulb, inc. reflector, heat sink and lens. They are a bit brighter, the pattern is more squarish, and the color is a more bluish white than incandescents. The only thing I don't like is that the lens is flatter and doesn't go with the Healey's lines (but I can live with them). Where LEDs really, uh, 'shine' is for running/brake lights; I got tired of other drivers telling me my brake lights weren't working (at least partly because I don't accelerate into stoplights).

LEDs in the first image. Fourth pic is LED on the left, incandescent on the right; both are red (I think the LED 'overloaded' the camera).

 

[NutmegCT]

Unless I'm missing something here ... if you're using LEDs, you're using much less current than the old incandescents. So changing from generator to alternator would prove no advantage in battery charging with regard to lighting needs. But alternators *always* charge your battery, regardless of engine speed (yep - even when idling). Generators don't charge the battery when the engine is running slowly.

 

[gonzo]

Installing relays for the headlights (high and low beam) is another solution for full power to headlights while keeping the generator.

 

[Govtslug]

i switched to LEDs and they were rated at 65 watts (you can get some with a lower draw), which is pretty close to the draw from the old halogens I had in them. I think the LEDs require a lot of power for headlights. Taillights and marker lights will draw much less than the old incandescents and look much brighter. I‘m glad I switched to LED (much whiter and broader pattern), but total light is probably only slightly better and it didn’t help reduce the current draw much at all.

 

[twas_brillig]

Ideally, you should be able to compare current draw for the LEDs vs. the incandescents by checking the advertising/specifications. Also check with the source of the advice that the LEDs pull more current, as that is not my understanding.
Personally, I believe that - after seatbelts - the best modification you can do for any classic car is to switch to LEDs for brake/tail/signal lights. We've got LEDs for brake/tail on our BJ7 (and converted the reflectors to incandescent signal lights) plus also our son's early BMW 2002 has LED's (and that has made an incredible difference) and our (currently parked) BugEye.

 

[roscoe]

I have LED headlights in my BN2 and run an alternator. I see no reason you would "need" to move to an alternator because of any LEDs. I switched to an alternator because I was tired of cracked mounting ears due to old parts (and no, my fanbelt was not too tight) , brush and commutator maintenance and the scenario of being on a trip with no spare. I can now get an alternator at most any car parts store. If you don't have your car in judged shows it is a very worthwhile upgrade in my book. Now you can even buy a dummy regulator with the needed internal changes to run an alt. Same sort of reasons I opted for a geared starter and run 2, 12V lawn tractor batteries in parallel, that I can get anywhere.

 

[twas_brillig]

We'ved stayed positive ground (perhaps should've changed, but the LEDs and their cost have us pretty much committed); we've also installed a "Dynamator" to keep the original look but to have the additional charging capability. Trivia: a generator will charge a flat battery (once youi're runninjg) whereas an alternator won't - according to my retired mechanic brother. The alternator is still the better long term choice, as it (previous remarked upon) it starts charging immediately.

 

[John Turney]

Alternator is more reliable. You don’t need to replace or gut the regulator, you just don’t need to connect the field wire.

 

[roscoe]

Some folks, myself included, feel removing the regulator as no longer needed, is a bit much. I gutted mine so if for some strange reason I wanted to go back to a generator, all the original wires would be where they were and I'd just need my old regulator. I forgot to mention that although the regulators are generally reliable, the conversion does remove it from the spares kit I carry.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Trivia: a generator will charge a flat battery (once youi're runninjg) whereas an alternator won't - according to my retired mechanic brother.

More than trivia: " The alternator isn't designed to charge a dead battery. Premature alternator failure can occur and may Void Your Warranty"

Fact: Alternators are not designed to charge dead batteries

Do you know the difference between jumper cables and an alternator? Your battery does!

www.optimabatteries.com

 

[Hangtown Healey]

Judging from all the alternator failures on the Scandinavian 30-car Healey tour just completed, I will keep my generator, thank you very much.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Alternators should be at least as reliable as generators. Any commonality with all the failures?

 

[Wato]

Maybe your source is confusing LED with halogen or HID (I'm being kind here)?

LED Headlights Can Be Brighter but Often Lack Clear Advantages

Light emitting diode (LED) headlights are coming on more vehicles each year. Consumer Reports takes a look at this technology and explains that these lights may not be better than halogen lights.

www.consumerreports.org

I put LED headlights on my BJ8. They were the whole bulb, inc. reflector, heat sink and lens. They are a bit brighter, the pattern is more squarish, and the color is a more bluish white than incandescents. The only thing I don't like is that the lens is flatter and doesn't go with the Healey's lines (but I can live with them). Where LEDs really, uh, 'shine' is for running/brake lights; I got tired of other drivers telling me my brake lights weren't working (at least partly because I don't accelerate into stoplights).

LEDs in the first image. Fourth pic is LED on the left, incandescent on the right; both are red (I think the LED 'overloaded' the camera).

I have changed all my globes over than the ignition light in the dash to LED more for the visibility to other drivers. With the electronic ignition and LED I figure I’m drawing far less power so I was a little surprised when told to upgrade to an alternator. I’ll keep running the generator at this stage. I feel a lot safer with Brightness of the LED but it does detract from the classic period look, having said that I’ve converted the rear reflectors to my indicators, separating them from the brake taillight original configuration on the BN1.

 

[Wato]

I have LED headlights in my BN2 and run an alternator. I see no reason you would "need" to move to an alternator because of any LEDs. I switched to an alternator because I was tired of cracked mounting ears due to old parts (and no, my fanbelt was not too tight) , brush and commutator maintenance and the scenario of being on a trip with no spare. I can now get an alternator at most any car parts store. If you don't have your car in judged shows it is a very worthwhile upgrade in my book. Now you can even buy a dummy regulator with the needed internal changes to run an alt. Same sort of reasons I opted for a geared starter and run 2, 12V lawn tractor batteries in parallel, that I can get anywhere.

Thanks for that info, I’m running a freshly rebuilt generator so at this stage will leave it, possibly consider an alternator if any emerging issues. I do take your point about easier replacements with the alternator. Some of the members in our club are running the alternators which look like the original generators.

 

[Hangtown Healey]

Alternators should be at least as reliable as generators. Any commonality with all the failures?

The only common thing I am aware of is that those cars had electric fans.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

The only common thing I am aware of is that those cars had electric fans.

That shouldn't be an issue, as long as the alternator was rated for the total load plus a margin. I know rebuilt alternators are hit-or-miss, maybe some of the new ones too (built in you-know-where).

Side note: I often wondered why my folks' 2000 Lincoln LS--with a 3.9L Jaguar engine--had a hydraulic cooling fan (using, essentially, a second power-steering pump). Finally found the answer in a Wikipedia article: The early models, 2000-2002 I think, didn't have a large enough alternator so they jury-rigged the hydraulic setup which, of course, has spawned at least one TSB (yep, the car overheated several times). Yay British engineering!

 

[John Turney]

That shouldn't be an issue, as long as the alternator was rated for the total load plus a margin. I know rebuilt alternators are hit-or-miss, maybe some of the new ones too (built in you-know-where).

Side note: I often wondered why my folks' 2000 Lincoln LS--with a 3.9L Jaguar engine--had a hydraulic cooling fan (using, essentially, a second power-steering pump). Finally found the answer in a Wikipedia article: The early models, 2000-2002 I think, didn't have a large enough alternator so they jury-rigged the hydraulic setup which, of course, has spawned at least one TSB (yep, the car overheated several times). Yay British engineering!

Electric fans can take quite a bit of power. The running current on my 13" Spal is 22 - 23 Amps. Starting current is much larger, but the battery can provide some of that. When I installed AC, a 105-Amp alternator was specified because of the high draw of the high-speed AC blower and electric fan. I had to run a #6AWG cable from the alternator to a bus bar to supply those loads.