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<blockquote data-quote="orvacian" data-source="post: 43799" data-attributes="member: 310">The output amperage rating of an alternator is the maximum amperage it can potentially supply. A way to think of it is that the alternator has a certain amount of amperage it can give at a time; the battery and electronics will take what they need from the alternator. The battery stores that amperage and the stuff connected to it takes that it needs. When the engine is running the electronics are actually running off of the alternators output, not the batteries stored amperage. It's a little more complicated then that but you get the idea. Most alternators have a built in regulator so it will not overcharge your battery. I have a 140 amp alt and Optima in my truck and it works beautiful. Some older cars have a external regulator but it does basically the same thing.&nbsp; The amount of amperage the battery will draw when charging is determined by the output voltage of the alternator. What the regulator does is regulate the output voltage of the alternator so it stays somewhere around 13-14 volts. 13.5v is pretty standard.&nbsp; &lt;P ID=&quot;edit&quot;&gt;&lt;FONT SIZE=-1&gt;Edited by orvacian on 02/12/03 11:09 PM (server time).&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="orvacian, post: 43799, member: 310"] The output amperage rating of an alternator is the maximum amperage it can potentially supply. A way to think of it is that the alternator has a certain amount of amperage it can give at a time; the battery and electronics will take what they need from the alternator. The battery stores that amperage and the stuff connected to it takes that it needs. When the engine is running the electronics are actually running off of the alternators output, not the batteries stored amperage. It's a little more complicated then that but you get the idea. Most alternators have a built in regulator so it will not overcharge your battery. I have a 140 amp alt and Optima in my truck and it works beautiful. Some older cars have a external regulator but it does basically the same thing. The amount of amperage the battery will draw when charging is determined by the output voltage of the alternator. What the regulator does is regulate the output voltage of the alternator so it stays somewhere around 13-14 volts. 13.5v is pretty standard. [i]Edited by orvacian on 02/12/03 11:09 PM (server time).[/i] [/QUOTE]

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